To ask what you use to stop yourself being bitten to death?

[HappySonHappyMum]

Every year I get bitten or stung by horrible little flying insects. I'm determined this year to find something that stops my wrists and ankles being bitten to death. They swell, they get infected - bugs just love me. Does anyone have something or do something that really works they could tell me about?

I'm very tasty to mosquitoes
Peppermint oil capsules?

I run in the woods most evenings through summer and also swell badly when bitten nut as I need to use repellant daily, I'm not inclined to use anything nasty.

I like the Superdrug children's spray. It dries and doesn't sit on you skin as oil, like some of them and it's reasonabley priced which matters when you use it every day.

I never get bitten when using it but you do need to spray all exposed skin, there's no point dabbling a bit here and there (with any insect repelant)

I think there is a gradient of how tasty people are to biting insects. Products like garlic, marmite, Avon Skin so Soft etc only work for some people.

People who are extremely attractive to biting insects will find these products don't really work, so they have to go for the heavy duty stuff containing DEET or icaridin/picaridin.

One thing that has helped me enormously is getting older.

Seriously, I was always bitten to death. Last year on holiday with younger, tastier people they took virtually all the hits. Especially the females. It must have an hormonal element.

I appreciate that’s not very helpful.

The best advice I ever got was in Cambodia where there were many bitey midges in the sand. They told me to use coconut oil. It did the trick! The biters can’t land on you properly so that stopped that! Plus makes your skin soft!

Especially the females. It must have an hormonal element.

I reckon it's - at least partly - this, given I was fine pre-kids!