Hi all, especially michiganers- What is the mosquito report for this year? I am really allergic to mosquito bites. The bites swell and the skin around the bite area gets hard and really really itchy, not mention I have had West Nile, Malaria AND Dengue Fever in my lifetime, so far... I am really trying to avoid lyme disease in this lifetime. I saw two ticks recently and a previous dog I had came down with it. \Knock wood..

Longtime posters here know I advocate using Catnip oil spray as a mosquito repellent. Some skeptical scientists in Michigan seem to think it works too:

http://www.miskeptics.org/2011/06/does- ... osquitoes/

I have found catnip oil to be as effect as deet, except I have to apply it more often. I particularly like to use it around my head face and neck because its nongreasy and nearly odorless with a very faint hay smell that is gone by the time it's dry. I do use deet products on my feet and legs. It is almost always my feet and legs that get the most bites as I try and cover up in the evening.

I tried picaridin last week and ended up with two bad bites.

Womyn2me, I think it was her, suggested taking a course of cetirizine (Zyrtec here in the states) antihistimines beginning before fest and taking everyday. Others suggest B-12 regime.

What methods are you all trying these days?

those off fans are fantastic. i love them. they cut down on a lot of bites. i swear by repel lemon eucalyptus. its all natural and makes a good fire starter for bbq's if you forget lighter fluid. i also use eucalyptus dr. bronners.

I like Repel Lemon Eucalyptus too! Plus, I find that it's really important to wash off any sweat before dusk and night stage. It seems to help me a lot!

www.bugshirt.com. . .
for those who are really sensitive to mosquito bites, I HIGHLY recommend getting a bug shirt. . . I'm more sensitive to black fly bites than mosquitoes (and, there don't tend to be black flies at fest). . .but when there is a big hatch of mosquitoes at fest, I have been reallllllly happy to have a bugshirt to wear. . .
and, fleece socks are great because they can't stick their noses through the fleece to get at your ankles. . .

For me using Dr. Bonners peppermint soap to shower at fest, no sugar starting 3 weeks before fest, ramping up the fresh garlic for the same time frame & adding nutritional yeast at every meal during fest makes a world of difference in only ending up with 1 or 2 bites at fest if I get any at all. Also removing all red meat from my diet for those 3 weeks prior helps as well.

suji

I live in Southeast Michigan and I've seen about 5 mosquitos thus far this year. Our crazy winter had me worried but the HOT in March followed quickly by COLD seemed to have helped - of course it ruined a lot of Michigan's fruit crops :( No idea how it is closer to the Land though.

For me, I shower with Dr. Bronner's lavender every day at fest (sometimes twice a day!), and in the past have used just lavender essential oil dabbed on neck/ears/wrist/ankles and I've been ok. The past two years I've been using natural bug spray from Mirasol Farm (http://www.etsy.com/shop/mirasolfarm) - they also have a booth in crafts at Fest. Their stuff is amazing, smells SO GOOD, and I usually get no more than 5 bites the entire week of fest.

Of course, as suji mentioned, food matters. I eat a crap ton of garlic all the time because I love it so much, and I put nutritional yeast on EVERYTHING at fest. SO GOOD.

Question about catnip - I'm growing fresh catnip - can I take some fresh cut leaves and rub them on me to repel insects??

Good question, tropidyke. Don't know..

Suji- thanks for the reminder about the nutritional yeast. I had forgotten about that. That is available at meals, right?

SKWD- I do wear more clothes than when I was younger and more image conscious than I am now. Still, I can't see myself in that bug shirt though, can you? I do have leggings and long sleeves I wear more often, but I am one of the costuming femme dykes that inhabit the land, haha! It's a great style for you though. You're, luckily, a lot taller too.

I don't think the picaridin is working so well for me.. More bites this weekend.. :( Still pretty bite free on the areas I use the catnip oil spray.

Hi Artemis, yes it is available at meals. They may run out by the end of the week so you may want to bring some with just in case they do. For me I noticed when it wasn't available I got bit more.

suji

i find the little gnats the most annoying at night and find wearing socks sprayed with repel work great for those.

Yep, Artemis, it is a bit hard to imagine you in that bugshirt. . .although it is very possible to accessorize it. When friends of mine had a handfasting outdoors on Memorial Day in the hills of western Mass (can you spell BLACK FLIES?), I gave up on being in the slightest bit fashionable and wore my bugshirt (and long pants tucked into socks). . .but I did wear a tasteful tiedye scarf with a pin over the bugshirt. . . the fashionable witches in long flowing dresses/bare feet/bare arms got LOTS of bites. .

Michigan mosquito report, at least for central MI (Lansing) is
"What mosquitos?"
It's been so dry here that they are just about non-existant right now.

Good to hear Gleweliz! Although if there is ONE I'm sure she will find me..haha!

SKWD, sad but true.. Skyclad moments are a rare event at fest these days..

I don't know about biting flies.. Sounds like I should be glad!