natural mosquito repellent

[Vyvsdad]

I recently watched the film The Way Back, and there is a scene where the hero's are being plaques by mossies until a local gives them what looks like some tree roots to put around their necks, and lo and behold, goodbye mossies.
Does anyone know what they could have used, or was it made up for cinematic effect?

[Urban X]

According to an excerpt from an interview with Peter Weir, a French guy who actually done the walk told him about the bark necklace, doesn't say what it is, but might narrow it down a bit?

Peter Weir: "Oh yes, I was always changing things as a result of that. Oh, a third person Cyril Delafosse-Guiramand, late 30s, French. He works in the IT industry but his hobby is walking. He was inspired by the book and sometime after 2000 he undertook the walk, so he was the first person I went to see. He was living in Laos then with his wife. So I went up there and we talked for a couple of days and I said, 'Would you advise us? d I’ll send you scripts.' Then I began to say, 'Can I put some of the stuff you're telling me in, like this thing about these mosquitoes? This man you met in the forest that has a bark necklace?' He said, 'Sure,' very generously so I put that in.. Then he coached the actors and then was with us every day."

Lemon Eucalyptus for example is as good as or better than DEET for repelling the lil bleeders, seems alot of citrus type plants are, citronella, lemon balm, lemon sage, basil. Not sure what trees would have been in that geographic though?


Si

[udamiano]

Possibly neem tree. you can get it as an oil that does the same.

[southey]

According to an excerpt from an interview with Peter Weir, a French guy who actually done the walk told him about the bark necklace, doesn't say what it is, but might narrow it down a bit?

Peter Weir: "Oh yes, I was always changing things as a result of that. Oh, a third person Cyril Delafosse-Guiramand, late 30s, French. He works in the IT industry but his hobby is walking. He was inspired by the book and sometime after 2000 he undertook the walk, so he was the first person I went to see. He was living in Laos then with his wife. So I went up there and we talked for a couple of days and I said, 'Would you advise us? d I’ll send you scripts.' Then I began to say, 'Can I put some of the stuff you're telling me in, like this thing about these mosquitoes? This man you met in the forest that has a bark necklace?' He said, 'Sure,' very generously so I put that in.. Then he coached the actors and then was with us every day."

Lemon Eucalyptus for example is as good as or better than DEET for repelling the lil bleeders, seems alot of citrus type plants are, citronella, lemon balm, lemon sage, basil. Not sure what trees would have been in that geographic though?


Si

Do you have any data on this statement chap, I would agree that PMD and citronella based products are effective, but the time before reapplication compared to the some Deet based products makes it a poor choice IMO, heres a chart based to help illustrator this,

http://www.homs.com/AAFD.pdf

http://www.malariajournal.com/content/10/S1/S11

[milius2]

have some citronella in my garden. I'll try it out to see if it works. Someone else could try different plants and share some real results...

[southey]

Cool though im happy to stick with DEET, its worked for me so far where ever ive been, that and sensible clothing for the area

[Urban X]

Forgot to add Catnip which seems to be very highly effective (up to 10x more effective than DEET) article HERE & Pine Oil as another effective repellent (for some ticks aswell), article HERE perhaps a combo of these were used as some sort of soaking agent for the bark necklaces? I can't remember where they were in the film when they were given them so really don't know what sort of plants/trees could have been found there.

It was afterall a film, but based on what Weir was told by the French dude he included it, who knows if it works or is an old wives tale. I'd rather put a plant based product on my skin than a chemical one but that's a personal thing and I rarely get bitten anyway, don't think they like my blood, used to love the ex-wife's though.


Si

[Andy BB]

Personally, I'll continue to rely on good old DEET (and prescribed prophylactics for Malaria) to protect me against Malaria and Dengue Fever etc when I'm travelling!

[southey]

OOoof! not sure of using catnip! I dont like mosy bites but my dislike of cats is stronger!

[11binf]

take garlic tablets afew days before an outdoor trip and continue to the end of the trip...the garlic comes out in your sweat and i guess mosquitos hate garlic just like vampires do...both are nasty blood suckers...vince g. 11B INF...

[santaman2000]

have some citronella in my garden. I'll try it out to see if it works. Someone else could try different plants and share some real results...

Citronella should definitely work. Think about it; the citronella candles or citronela oil torches are sold to repel them from outdoor patios, campgrounds, etc. Aside from that cedar is used to make bug repelling furniture or to line closet to repel bugs. It should work on mosquitos too. The Indians used to use bear grease but that will repel pretty much everything (including you appetite)

[santaman2000]

Forgot to add Catnip which seems to be very highly effective (up to 10x more effective than DEET) article HERE & Pine Oil as another effective repellent (for some ticks aswell), article HERE...

Don't know about the article. But I do know that here there are denser tick poulations in pine woods than most anywhere else. Seems incongruous that pine oil would repel them?

[santaman2000]

...I'd rather put a plant based product on my skin than a chemical one but that's a personal thing and I rarely get bitten anyway, don't think they like my blood...

Do you eat lots of garlic? Not sure of exactly what other menu items but I do recall reading somewhere that diet has a lot to do with your attraction/repelling of them.

[Samon]

take garlic tablets afew days before an outdoor trip and continue to the end of the trip...the garlic comes out in your sweat and i guess mosquitos hate garlic just like vampires do...both are nasty blood suckers...vince g. 11B INF...

I've heard the same thing. Garlic!

can't confirm it working but I think it may help and people I know have said it helped when abroad.

[santaman2000]

Vince, where do you get your garlic tablets? I'd like to give it a try.

[Samon]

Vince, where do you get your garlic tablets? I'd like to give it a try.

you can usually get garlic tablets from health food shops. you could also try ebay, or simpley make your own.

I know people who make their own pills, they dry the ingredients, grind it up, mix it with a bulker of flour/sugar and put into a capsule press and they are ready to consume.

the contents often vary though

[Man of Tanith]

i have heard somewhere that elder leaves crushed up and rubbed onto the skin works as insect repellant
i also trust in marmite! two slices of toast with marmite on for a week or two before you go means the vitamin B is coming out of your pores like the garlic method mentioned. i've tried this and it works for me the only time i haven't done it is the time i got munched on massively(it was a spontaneous lets go camping so i hadn't been eating marmite)
for those of you who dont like marmite i believe you can can get vitamin b tablets

[treadlightly]

You don't need to bother with garlic capsules, just swallow a small clove or two with some water.

[swright81076]

My father in law lived in Goa. He found that bounce sheets (for tumble dryers) repelled mozzies. He swore by them.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2

[decorum]

i have heard somewhere that elder leaves crushed up and rubbed onto the skin works as insect repellant

I've found that quite effective ~ but, strangely, our Sambucus is a martyr to aphids . IIRC some people are sensitive to the sap / crushed leaves ~ so care needs to be taken before deciding to slather it all over in a 70s' Brut stylee

i also trust in marmite! <<<>>>
for those of you who dont like marmite i believe you can can get vitamin b tablets

I trust in marmite too ~ I can't abide the stuff but as I seem to be getting chomped on more and more I might attempt to build a tolerance to it .

At the moment, the best way I can think to improve marmite is to smother it onto Kendal Mint Cake ~ and then launch both vile concoctions into an unstable orbit

[Urban X]

Do you eat lots of garlic? Not sure of exactly what other menu items but I do recall reading somewhere that diet has a lot to do with your attraction/repelling of them.

Yeah I eat a fair amount of garlic I spose but I've never really been bitten much even as a kid when I hated garlic and 'foreign food', I always put it down to my blood group but it could well be something else that I eat? Definately not marmite though, can't abide the stuff. Perhaps they do bite and I just dont react to the bites, I've never really taken much notice to be honest cause they don't bother me much they're just annoying. Ex-wife would come out with lumps the size of half golf balls though, they used to eat her alive bless her.


Si

[cbr6fs]

Great timing, the mozies are starting to come out here.

No idea on the bark, but i have had a fair bit of success with the NosiLife clothing from Craghoppers.
No idea if it's the weave or something they put in the fabric (as they say it lasts the life of the garment) but apart from the odd determined mozzie getting through i'm mainly bite free the past couple of years wearing there stuff.

Great example was the other week while out hiking on Mount Kyllini (Peloponnese), my dog and walking mate were covered in ticks (we took 15 off the dog alone and shes only a small Jack Russell), yet i didn't find one tick on me.

I do still get the odd bite wearing the NosiLife stuff but it has dramatically reduced them in relation to before or when i don't wear these garments.





Cheers
Mark

[lucan]

I was watching the Programme Moonshiners on t.v. the other night, They were spraying themselves with minty mouthwash to keep the mozzies away , seemed to work

[Paul_B]

Used to eat marmite for alleged repellency properties. Never worked so stopped as it's vile stuff.

I don't get bothered by ticks, just don't bite despite being carried on my skin. Midges are my plague though. After a recommendation on here I got Wilma's nordic summer repellent. It works for me.

On an aside, my Dad never gets bitten much. He can wall through clouds of midges so thick it is like a storm cloud. However he doesn't get bitten,much. I've seen a midge biting him then dying!!! Seriously! He's toxic to midge s

[11binf]

Vince, where do you get your garlic tablets? I'd like to give it a try.

Sir you can find them at health food stores or at any drug/chemist store under the name "Garlek" please forgive my spelling guy's...vince g. 11B Inf...

[Urban X]

On an aside, my Dad never gets bitten much. He can wall through clouds of midges so thick it is like a storm cloud. However he doesn't get bitten,much. I've seen a midge biting him then dying!!! Seriously! He's toxic to midge s

Same here can be clouds of em (UK ones anyway), and they don't seem to bite they just get in your face and stuff, just irritating sodding things. I don't suppose you know what blood group your Dad is? Mine is AB Rhesus Neg, still wonder if that's it? I've never had a tick on me afaik so dunno whether they would bite me or not, def never had one I've seen anyway?


Si

[awarner]

May have to try some of the suggestions, have a district scout camp at the end of the month at Feney Crofts in the New Forest, the whole area around the site is marshland and most people complain about midges.
We are in the main field this year so it may be fun, normally I camp in the woods and it seems to keep them at bay for some reason.

And I love marmite so gives me a perfect excuse to eat more, just for scientific research you understand