[Cindyg]

Keeping bugs off the horses is one topic, but how do you keep them off yourself?

As soon as we have a warm afternoon here, they'll be back.

It's so hot here, and we get so sweaty outside that the chemical sprays are just gross. A lot of people don't even ride in the summer because it's so miserable. But I have this new horse, and I'm very motivated to keep up our work.

Is there any way to get relief from the bugs, or do I just have to "man up"?

P.S. I already do eat raw garlic every day (for my cholesterol), and I didn't notice it bringing me any relief last summer. Or did it? Now that I think about it, I rarely got bit last summer. Oh, the bugs were all over me and annoyed the heck out of me; but I didn't get many bites. Hmmm....

[Gloria]

If you don't like chemical spray like Deep Woods, you can soak your clothes in permethrin. Follow the direction how to apply. Each soak will last a few wash. You will need to wear long sleeves though (something like Under Armor heat gear is great), because it won't protect exposed skin.

[Equibrit]

Great stuff;

http://pfharris.com/pages/swampgator.html


One for horses too;

http://pfharris.com/pages/horse.html

[Hulk]

Um I was going to suggest garlic, but it seems you have that base covered.

But now I am interested in the cholesterol thing. Is the garlic helping you with that? I can not take the statins the docs want me to , my veins look black and start exploding. That and I am too sick to get out of bed, and feel like I have bengay all over me, so yeah thats not gonna work. So I am trying to get it down with diet and exercise alone. I am wanting to winter more south these days cause I like to exercise outdoors jogging. Snow and cold are not helping. So I am constantly trying to boost the ante with my diet and food choices. So I am terribly interested in your garlic intake and the results.

As to mosquitos barn swallows are your friend. And you can grow citronellas, geraniums, and other herbs like rosmary and thyme.

[NorthwoodsRider]

Really??? I mean yes, I get very bad mosquitoes and even worse, black flies, but on a day when my overnight forecast is calling for -40 °C (-53 °C with the windchill) I come here and read a thread about summer bugs.... rub it in why don't you?

And for those wondering what -40 °C is in °F... it's the same -40 is where the two scales meet. Consider yourself fortunate if you've never experienced the meeting of the F and C scales!

[c'est moi]

Really??? I mean yes, I get very bad mosquitoes and even worse, black flies, but on a day when my overnight forecast is calling for -40 °C (-53 °C with the windchill) I come here and read a thread about summer bugs.... rub it in why don't you?

And for those wondering what -40 °C is in °F... it's the same -40 is where the two scales meet. Consider yourself fortunate if you've never experienced the meeting of the F and C scales!

Wow, I really can't even imagine cold like that.

[caballero]

I grew up in the tropics where it is humid 364 days a year and we just hosed ourselves with Off.

Guess we didn't know any better.

[gumshoe]

I never thought I'd be grateful for "only" -27C.

[Cindyg]

Really??? I mean yes, I get very bad mosquitoes and even worse, black flies, but on a day when my overnight forecast is calling for -40 °C (-53 °C with the windchill) I come here and read a thread about summer bugs.... rub it in why don't you?

And for those wondering what -40 °C is in °F... it's the same -40 is where the two scales meet. Consider yourself fortunate if you've never experienced the meeting of the F and C scales!

This is how I feel in August when you guys start posting about preparing for winter!

[Cindyg]

Um I was going to suggest garlic, but it seems you have that base covered.

But now I am interested in the cholesterol thing. Is the garlic helping you with that? I can not take the statins the docs want me to , my veins look black and start exploding. That and I am too sick to get out of bed, and feel like I have bengay all over me, so yeah thats not gonna work. So I am trying to get it down with diet and exercise alone. I am wanting to winter more south these days cause I like to exercise outdoors jogging. Snow and cold are not helping. So I am constantly trying to boost the ante with my diet and food choices. So I am terribly interested in your garlic intake and the results.

As to mosquitos barn swallows are your friend. And you can grow citronellas, geraniums, and other herbs like rosmary and thyme.

I'm doing way more than the garlic, so I can't say what is working; but my Dr. said my HDLs were the highest she has ever seen and actually high enough to be protecting me from heart disease.

Here are some of the things I'm doing, and I can't swear what is the "magic" piece. But you can research and see what you want to try.

* Psyllium
* Garlic
* Apple cider vinegar
* Olives and avocados every day
* Almonds and walnuts every day
* Niacin (the "flushing" kind)
* Phytosterols
* Flax seed every day
* Cinnamon every day
* Red wine every day (and I don't even like it)
* Oatmeal every day
* Soybeans every day
* Green tea every day
* Fish oil every day
* Should be walking every day, but I don't have time now that I have a new horse!

[Hulk]

Thankyou so much for your food list. The most help I get is from people like you. My doc is mad I am not taking the meds. And I also am having trouble with the wine (yucky) and exercise winter (brrrrr).

Those of you that live in colder climes than N PA I dont know how you do it. Gracious thats cold.

Now for the tropical living Caballero is talking about, now that I would like.

[BuddyRoo]

The only thing that has ever truly worked for me with regards to biting insects are the products that contain DEET. That said, I am with you in that I HATE how they feel on my skin especially if I'm sweating. I've found that I have fairly good luck spraying my clothing. If they're really bad, you might consider the long sleeved sun shirts so you can spray those too. (they're not hot--surprisingly!)

[Bluey]

Thankyou so much for your food list. The most help I get is from people like you. My doc is mad I am not taking the meds. And I also am having trouble with the wine (yucky) and exercise winter (brrrrr).

Those of you that live in colder climes than N PA I dont know how you do it. Gracious thats cold.

Now for the tropical living Caballero is talking about, now that I would like.

Get thee to an exercise club.
Walk the mall.
Get a treadmill.

Use your imagination, there are many indoor ways to exercise regularly whatever way you are supposed to do it, aerobic, weights, etc.

We have used Off for years for mosquitos on us and our horses and it works extremely well for us.
With encephalitis out there, WNV the latest, this is not the time to take any chances with mosquitos, for humans and horses, any more than we have to.

[trubandloki]

Bugs love to bite me. The only thing I have found that helps is a product with DEET in it. Like Buddyroo suggested, wear long sleeves and spray your clothes.

[Bluey]

Bugs love to bite me. The only thing I have found that helps is a product with DEET in it. Like Bluey suggested, wear long sleeves and spray your clothes.

Pssst, BuddyRoo made that great suggestion.

I think that, when it comes to serious health issues, like mosquito bites that can make you very ill or kill you, PC talk around using "chemicals" or not needs to take a very far off backseat to being sensible.

I think that avoiding being mosquito feeding grounds is too important to play around with unproven methods.
We have lost horses and even some people here to WNV.

[Nezzy]

DEET. Sorry but it's your best defense. since you are hot and sweaty i assume you are showering after the ride, so you can shower it off and only deal with it while riding.

[trubandloki]

Pssst, BuddyRoo made that great suggestion.

Oops, fixed it. Sorry BuddyRoo!

[BuddyRoo]

http://www.coolibar.com/home.jsp?s_kwcid

Here is a link for sun shirts. I was really reluctant to spend up to 75 bucks on a shirt I was just going to wear outside and get dirty . But I have discoid lupus which is exacerbated by exposure to sun (even if you wear a crap ton of sunscreen). So I've been adding these sun blocking materials to my outdoor arsenal.

I like this style: http://www.coolibar.com/product/Wome...244/155392.uts

[wireweiners]

Has anyone tried the dryer sheets? i've seen the infomercial where the guy says they will repell mosquitoes. Does it work. If you are standing in one place grooming or something, those repeller things work. But they are useless if you are moving around.

[NorthwoodsRider]

When they get really really bad, here in the northwoods, we resort to THESE. With long pants you're pretty well protected except for your hands. If it's really hot out, you can get the mesh pants to go over your shorts as well. I'm lucky where I live, I'm on sand, so the blackflies aren't as bad as where my parents lived - they were on what we call "black muck" up here. The blackflies really love black muck, so mowing their lawn for them in May/June was impossible without the full suit. DH (who has a ridiculous ability to ignore bugs and doesn't usually react to bug bites) has even resorted to using it on the occasional canoe trip. He doesn't need it often, but when he does need it he's sure glad he packed it. Worse than the mosquitoes here are the black flies. I get 1/2" diameter welts from them. When I do get bites (blackfly, mosquito or "no-see-ums" aka sandflies) I would be a mess without my handy therapik . It really does work.

I've also ordered a one of these in anticipation of the return of biting bugs in April/May/June.

The only other tactic I have is UNSCENTED EVERYTHING from the onset of bugs (late april/early may depending on the weather), to the first snowfalls. No perfume, unscented pitstop, unscented shampoo, unscented laundry soap and dryer sheets. Biting bugs are definitely attracted to anything scented.