Italy & mosquitoes

[starday]

We are going to Italy next week and I've heard the mosquitoes are terrible.

We are staying in a Euro camp type place near Venice. Has anyone been and how bad are the mosquitos and what do you recommend using as insect repellent?

Thanks

Yes there are a lot of mosquitoes during the summer! Unfortunately natural repellants don’t work (we’ve tried & I really wanted them too!). The only thing that works unfortunately is deet - it’s not a lovely chemical and you can only use a product up to 30% deet on kids (including babies). Put it on over the sunscreen which you should let dry first & don’t get it near mouths. Some people swear by Avon Skin So Soft but I tried it on myself in Costa Rica one day & got eaten alive! In Italy, it’s the evening and night time that the little biting b&stards come out. Take a plug in mosquito repellant for the room too & coils if you’ve got a balcony & plan to sit out.

They either eat you alive or ignore you - I think it's luck.

Keep the windows /curtains closed from late afternoon, use those burning coils/cones and think about taking a mozzie net.

Jungle formula works well for us and I have used the skin so soft too (and that even works on midgies).

DEET. Don't bother with anything else!

Ditto DEET. Nothing else works if you are a mosquito magnet. OH uses Jungle Formula.

Don't overdo it, though. DEET absolutely stinks.

I am allergic to mosquito bites and suffer terribly if I'm bitten. Take brewers yeast tablets daily for 2 weeks before you go and whilst you are there. I also use a spray but I'm fine if I do the above.

OH is very allergic to mosquito bites as well. Brewers yeast is just woo and doesn't work for him. None of the lentil weaving ideas work. He needs industrial strength DEET. If he misses a square inch of skin when applying it he gets bitten there.

I’m sitting in northern Italy, next to a lake, at dusk. My grandma is sitting next to me. I’ve got serious Australian-strength mozzie repellent on, cos they love me. Nonna never ever gets bitten, and thinks I’m crazy.

In the house, I have a plug-in mozzie thing going all night (window open). With those measures, I’m not having any issues.

I find the mozzies no different this summer, even though I’d heard reports they were worse. I’m pretty happy, the bites here seem to last forever and itch like bastards. I use strong tea-tree lotion for the bites, which helps.

If all else fails, drink more prosecco. Come armed and enjoy your holiday!

The tiger mosquitos in Italy are horrendous. Get products with DEET in - as far as I recall it's not sold over there.

Oh, and an Aspivenin bite sucker thingy. They work brilliantly.

Having lived in Italy for a few years, the best one to buy there is Autun extra strong, in a yellow spay can. Less strong but effective if you are less prone to being bitten is Autun family, in a stick like a solid deoderant.