How do I become less attractive?

[Littleredboat]

... to INSECTS, that is

It’s been summer for all of ten minutes and I’m covered in insect bites that always swell up. I could quite cheerfully hack my right leg and arm off right now they’re so itchy.

Please help meeeee??

Avon does some kind of spray that keeps horseflies at bay. It’s not for bugs... I’m sure google can help finding out what it is. A super posh spa was handing it out as they had the flies in the woodland by them.

Eat either more or fewer tomatoes. I can't remember which..

I'm like catnip for mozzies! Used to live in the Med, we'd sit out in the evening and I'd be the only one covered in bites. Even those citronella smoking things didn't stop me from getting bitten. I'd have huge swellings on my arms and legs. I'm now covered in scars because I'd scratch like mad.

Cover yourself in jungle formula

When I went to Kenya I was told to eat lots of spicy food, marmite, and strong citrus flavours (not together, thank god) to keep mosquitos away. These are my favourite foods anyway and I hardly got a single bite. Apparently they like people who eat lots of sweet things, but not strong/ sharp flavours.

Deet is really effective but it absolutely buggered up my nails. After a week they were super weak and splitting. It acts like nail polish remover as well, so be warned!

If you figure it out, let me know.

In my teens I was bitten on the ankle by a blandford fly - it swelled so badly I couldn’t get my baggy purple DMs off (yes I am old). Then the following year the same bastards got me, three bites on one arm. Like something out of the Elephant Man.

The worst was in Venice - huge bites with a 4” purple bruise around each one. Never seen anything like it.

DEET is the only thing I’ve found to work. There used to be a really good spray in Boots, think it was in a grey can... absolutely toxic though!

BlackAmericanoNoSugar
Are you sure that you weren’t bitten by bedbugs, same thing happened to me and not DH. We slept above the sheet after and I had no more bites.
I get bitten all the time, can’t take antihistamines because of BP medication. I’m trying the Avon Skin So Soft next.

The only things that really worked for me were a) getting pregnant and b) the menopause. Apparently it's something about hormone levels or pheremones. Oh, and being on the pill kept them at bay, too - don't know if that's a possible option for you.

Ugh, the O neg thing explains why I get bitten to death. I use Avon SSS, Vit B, Marmite and some lovely citronella mossie stuff from Boots. It all helps. (I'm also allergic to Deet)

“They bite men less, apparently.”

Utter nonsense. OH is a midge all you can eat buffet. The only thing that prevents him from being bitten is industrial strength insect repellent. Absolutely nothing else works. If he misses out a square inch of skin when applying insect repellent he gets bitten there.

Marmite, garlic, beer, extra vitamins, washing, not washing etc are all just old wives tales and just don’t work.

I don’t get bitten but my husband does.

Jungle formula worked for me in the non identifying tropical island I visited recently, I wasn't bitten at all apart from one evening I forgot to put it on.

This shower gel helps

We were in Malaysia Prestons (DH is Malaysian, and considerably cooler to the touch than me) and there were a lot of mosquitos around so it was definitely mozzie bites.

Got older and scruffier and more unkempt.

But yes marmite works well.

Avoid eating bananas. Something about eating them makes you more prone to bug bites.

They are really sophisticated. They did studies and they are attracted to this complicated combo of smell, heat, movement... Pretty hard to trick them. Apparently they are even more attracted to people with malaria, as that helps them continue their life cycle, they did tests using socks or something to prove it. One of those shark cages wrapped with a mosquito net?!

Marmite, garlic and spray on oil of citronella

Isn't the quinine in tonic water supposed to help??

Or that just a perfectly good excuse for a Gin & Tonic

I am another magnet, ditto daughters.
B vitamins are supposed to help, I have no idea if they do though. I have an Italian cologne from Victoria Health that is supposed to repel them, smells nice, so let’s hope it works.
I’m allergic to wasp stings so really want something that will repel wasps, any thoughts ?

Brewers yeast tablets. One a day. Great if you don't like marmite. Works a treat. It gets in your blood and they dinna like it, not at all.

Yep - another vote for Avon 'Skin So Soft', the original one. Even repels Scottish Midgies in my experience.