Advice needed on severe mosquito problem at Tuscany holiday rental

[ZanyOpalPoet]

Hello

I would really welcome some friendly guidance please. I’m currently on a family holiday in Tuscany with my husband and two DDs (under 10). It’s a beautiful place with a pool - with 99% of reviews 5*. However, we are being eaten alive by mosquitoes. We have been here about 36 hours and between us have 120+ bites. We have bought local mosquito spray from a pharmacy, have bracelets, itch cream. The place is an old building so no ac. We knew this when we booked it. It’s also been extreme heat weather the last couple of days - topping 40 degrees. The neighbouring buildings have nets at the window but the place we are staying at has nothing. The host is away so there was not an introduction or any hand over welcome. The only protection the host provided was these vape devices (like calpol plugin) which he told us the morning after the first night. He said we need to plug in and buy the refills from the supermarket. Today after squishing two mosquitoes full of blood in a space of minutes after waking up after sleeping for about 2 hours the whole night- I messaged the host. He advised us to go and get a mosquito net from this ‘China store’ as it’s a national holiday here in Italy and everything closes. He only offered to pay when I said I wasn’t happy having to pay to so my family can be protected from mosquitoes. I have complained to the intermediary organisation I booked it through and at first after providing evidence they said they would connect me to an advisor who then contacted the host. The host has advised to put these vape machines on, open the windows to air the house and it should all be ok. We have said tonight we will try but within minutes misquitoes have flown in. We have also sat in darkness the last two nights. The intermediary company have said because the host has offered these vape devices he doesn’t have to honour a refund. I’ve paid a lot nearly £2k for a week as it is a special birthday. I don’t know what to do. If I was in England I would leave and go home but the flights are 1000 euros+ to get back to the UK. I am so upset. Can anyone offer advice please?

The host can't control insects or the weather, but OP is justified in complaining if there's no roof to keep the rain out, or net to keep mosquitoes out.

It doesn't work for people who are really attractive to mosquitoes. There is also no scientific evidence to support it.

Just normal fly killer, spray, shut doors leave a few minutes, go to bed and shut doors behind you. Mosquito nets as well would be good. I get terrible reactions to many bites including mosquitos, good luck.

I’m a moscito magnet. Once sat next to someone for 45 minutes, I had 12
bites and they had none. Sounds miserable and would impact my holiday too so I really feel for you. I’ll lend my weight to garlic. I know some folks rolled their eyes at it above but once I got off an LNG tanker in a rural part of India and had to stay in a very basic hotel for a three days. I was advised by a colleague to eat lots of garlic. Hate garlic but consumed about 4 cloves twice a day and I wasn’t bitten. Basically eat as much as you can tolerate (but make everyone in the family eat plenty so you can bear being around each other!). Might not work for you but did for me when I was without any other options.

Because Avon refuse to disclose the active ingredient that repels insects.

Also, some people aren’t more or less attractive to mosquitoes but some, including me, are allergic to the anaesthetic that they inject you with before they drink your blood and therefore get big itchy spots.

This isn’t my field but an acquaintance who worked at London School of Hygiene and Tropical medicine told me this.

Her job was to ensure female mosquitoes were bred and primed ready for experiments. There isn’t yet a complete repellent and nets are still highly recommended.

I use Skin So Soft as fly repellent on my horses and to ease the skin of one of them who has chronic progressive lymphatic syndrome as it eases itching associated with this complaint. This was recommended by a veterinary specialist. Amazon sell multi packs of the stuff.

To treat the bites we put a teaspoon in boiling water for a few seconds and then press the back of the spoon to the bite. It kills the toxin. Works on any bites or stings. Needs to be bloody hot and for 3-5 seconds.
They can only bite what’s bare so long sleeves, covered legs. Socks. Just like you would in the tropics.

When I lived in Italy 30 yrs ago they had plug-in contraptions that you put little blue tabs in that repelled mosquitos. I think they were called VAPE. If you search “VAPE zanzare” (VAPE mosquitos) a few options come up.

Extensive scientific research has been carried out to see what actually works. Deet and Picaridin work, all the other stuff is a waste of money.

Also IR3535 and PMD.

Also, some people aren’t more or less attractive to mosquitoes but some, including me, are allergic to the anaesthetic that they inject you with before they drink your blood and therefore get big itchy spots.

That doesn't explain why mosquitoes don't bite me, but target DH. So, I don't agree with that statement. DH doesn't just get itchy spots, they also become infected.

have done some further reading about Skin So Soft since I last posted, and the issue is that it does offer some protection, but it doesn't last as long as that provided by deet, Picaridin, IR3535 and PMD.

Have to wonder why you booked a place with no AC

I'm probably a bit late to the party here but, having moved abroad to a place with lots of mosquitoes, this is my advice:

• The plug ins do work. They contain insecticide rather than repellent, so will kill any mosquitoes that go near them, not instantly but pretty fast. I find the ones with liquid more effective than the tabs but don't know if there's any evidence for that. We keep them on during the day and turn them off at night, while we're in the room, but you could keep them on if you think there are any still buzzing about.
• Get fly spray - there is usually a can specifically for mosquitoes. The instructions will tell you how to use it, the one I use says to spray into a room for 8 seconds then close the door and leave it to work. Obviously be careful about spraying it into kitchens where you will prepare food or bathrooms if your toothbrushes are out.
• Deet for when you're out and about.
• Keep doors and windows closed.
• The bite zapper works great for me but is really fucking painful for the 3 seconds it's on!! Instantly itch free afterwards though. I got mine online years ago but I have noticed them in a couple of pharmacies recently.

A lot of people have given the same/similar advice, hopefully it will help!

Picaridin works best in northern Italy - it’s quite gentle ( well, more so than deet) also buy some catnip! It’s been found to work well

In general I find the plug-in mozzie killers with the liquid bottle work well and never travel abroad without them, plus jungle formula - spray on body liberally. It stinks but is worth it.
Worst I ever had was Turkey - biggest mosquitoes I've ever seen, seemed to survive the plug ins in the bedroom at night - at least some of them did. I went round splatting them in the morning, and they would leave a blood splat (my blood!) on the wall...
Hot spoon - not in boiling water, just v hot. Press against the bite for 30 seconds. Antihistamine tablet. Some sort of antiseptic/savlon onto the bite to stop it getting infected. Works well to stop the itching - but all my photos from Turkey show massive bites all down my arms, and even a couple on my face. Hate mosquitoes.

Hi OP, this may sound stupid but are you sure they are mosquito bites? My boss went to Tuscany last year, same happened to her, absolutely ravaged, thought it was mosquitos. She was in quite a bad state when she came back still, went to the GP and then to hospital as it was spider bites. She needed antibiotics. Doctors said they had seen this last year in several people coming home but they are similiar to mosquitos so people assume that’s what it is esp if they are mixed in with mosquito bites as well. Are you feeling ok otherwise bar the uncomfortable bites?

Have you got DEET-based repellent @ZanyOpalPoet ?

How can you have missed the multiple places in the OP where she explains these are the only thing the owner has provided?

Skin so soft only works for those people who don’t get bitten. When I used it I ended up very ill with over 30 bites, some of which got infected. I had to have medical treatment. It was the worst holiday of my life.

Agreed - a high powered fan pointing at every bed (even a desktop one, at the right height). Also close the door and turn the lights on brightly and kill every one you see before bed (they will land on the wall and you can whack them with something). That's my husband's strategy for where we are and it's proving effective.

I’m a little late to the party but electric fans blowing on you at night should help. The mozzies can’t land on you in a windstorm.

I suffer horrendously with bites. We holiday in Greece 3 x a year and now follow this procedure with great success on the whole.

1. DEET spray especially on an evening on all exposed skin. Choose maxi dress/longer sleeved linen tops etc.
2. Air apartment in the morning only.
3. Before going out for the evening we secure all windows. Close each room door. Replace the plug in tablets and spray the entire apartment with mosquito killer spray.
4. Keep doors and windows closed. Lights off when re-entering apartment.
5. Take daily antihistamines to reduce any reaction to any bites.

In your situation I would also invest in bed nets.
Hope you get sorted.

Yes this. You need the chemical knockdown spray. Spray the bedroom, shut the doors for 5 minutes. Treating your body won't deal with the presence of them.

Last sentence doesn't help .

• a Strong fan by the bed helps. The mosquitos are thrown off course by the air
• Burning mosquito coils can be very cheap and effective

on a side night, I once went on a two week holiday to Tuscany and couldn’t wait to leave by the end because I spent the entire time being bitten or stung by mosquitoes, horse flies, and wasps. You’re obviously in a very mosquito ridden area.

Just to add to the Avon discussion. Our first time in Florence, I packed precautions as I’d read about the awful mosquitoes and usually get bitten but DH was really blasé about it.

We both wore bracelets and had a vape plug in on. I sprayed myself completely with Avon Skin so Soft after morning and evening showers, but DH couldn’t be bothered.

After four days he had over 130 bites all over his body and face, whereas and I had one on my ankle, although this is possibly because I was sleeping next to a far more delicious feast!

Unfortunately he the developed skeeter syndrome and the mounds at every bite were insanely big and infected.

The experiment was repeated in Italy this summer with me and DD. She had bracelets and vapes but didn’t want to use the Avon spray and ended up being eaten alive and I had only two. So it’s now something I’ll never travel without and will forcibly dowse my family with!

I should add to the above that we can’t use DEET or strong mozz sprays due to eczema.