Bug Spray Test for no-see-ums

We mostly stay in the hill country above 5,000 feet where we see few biters. Beaches are nice for a bit but interest seems to fade quickly for us.

Yes, no see ums are a *****.

We find that avoiding the bad times, sunset and sunrise helps. Not a solution, but still....

Also, we take massive amounts of garlic night and morning, and it seems to work as well as everything we have tried, including the skin dissolving 100% DEET. We also use the orange label OFF, available all over Mexico. It doesn't stink, doesn't eat our skin, is in a pump bottle, and when it's really bad, we run inside and hide.

Yes, we are incountry at least 5 months a year.

I wouldn't try an enema with it, either...

But it's a hell of a lot safer than DEET.

ONE SINGLE SOLITARY DROPLET

On the hands and then spread over every square inch of exposed skin. At Rio Chuta I had a Tabano skid to a stop on a knee glistening with pure DEET. It bit right through the REPEL 100% DEET.

When high ocean waves leave salt water puddles on a beach the following day there will be a major hatch of jejenes.

Small insects that tickle but don't bite are referred to as "Bobos".

An empty Windex bottle refilled with water + a couple teaspoons of bleach can be sprayed over top a campsite and for a few days this will measureably reduce jejene numbers.

California banned the sale of Pennyroyal oil because women were chug-a-lugging it trying to cause an abortion. Stupid stupid. Drink an excess amount of water and it will prove fatal. Arguments can be made for excess oxygen, protein, vitamins, using a crosswalk without looking, sticking your tongue on a sub-zero door handle. Urinating on an electric fence. The list of "Danger Will Robinson" is awesome (and hilarious).

It looks like Pennyroyal Oil is same toxic as DEET.
Not to be inhaled. - scroll down to the last paragraph, ignore other info on the page. The only established properties are toxicity, insect repellent and abortifacient (to induce abortion).

Therapik

This thing really works for the NoSeeUm bites. If I have to be outside during "the season", I use 100% DEET. I still get bites (humongous welts) just going back and forth to the car, and use my Therapik on them.

You can buy 98.11% deet spray from Amazon and it will ship to Mexico.

HEREThis one has worked perfectly on the central west coast of Florida for the last 25 years. It is called Calgon Morning Glory. A little spritz here and there will keep them off you for about two hours. Only the morning glory works the best. BEWARE men, you will smell very pretty after you put it on. Can be purchased at Walmart

rockhillmanor wrote:
Have you tried treating your site?
They are active in the am and pm and lay low on the ground until disturbed. That is what I observed. Their bites are horrific.

I picked up a bottle of Ortho Home Defense (do NOT be tempted to buy the less expensive one Spectrocide this is bad stuff for pets).

Ortho Home Defense comes with a sprayer and long wand. I sprayed the ground with a sweeping motion. I use it around the entire perimeter of the house and it does work/last for all other bugs for an entire year. So I thought I'd try it on the ground for the no-see-ums.

With the no-see-um issue I gave it a second dose a day later sweeping the ground and they were gone.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ortho-Home-Defense-Max-1-33-Gal-Perimeter-and-Indoor-Insect-Killer-with-Wand-0196910/203052911

I do use Home Defense around my MH for the ants & such but when you are next to a Coconut grove and Ag with no one else spraying it is useless for flying critters. Thanks, rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

MEXICOWANDERER wrote:
Ask a Mexicano about Aután and they will double over with laughter. The last load I brought to Michoacan contained vials of 100% DEET for las garrapachas y tabanos, and there is only one treatment I know of the repels all (several hundred) varieties of of jejenes (No-See-Ums)

PENNYROYAL OIL EXTRACT

Not available in Mexico or California.

I treat the legs of my granddaughters up to the knees and they suffer no bites. Friends and neighbors are sharp and before a week passed I had orders for a lot of pennyroyal oil. So I purchased in bulk four quarts in the USA.

Even though pure DEET is effective against jejenes, I don't like to use the stuff on my kids.

But Aután, and Mexican "Off" cream are useless on bug magnet people. The local joke, is to call "Off"

"On"

Thanks MW. Had your post of old and tried to find some pennyroyal oil in USA before we left but could not. Ask at a specialty store near Mega and they did not have it.

rocmoc n AZ/Mexico

Have you tried treating your site?
They are active in the am and pm and lay low on the ground until disturbed. That is what I observed. Their bites are horrific.

I picked up a bottle of Ortho Home Defense (do NOT be tempted to buy the less expensive one Spectrocide this is bad stuff for pets).

Ortho Home Defense comes with a sprayer and long wand. I sprayed the ground with a sweeping motion. I use it around the entire perimeter of the house and it does work/last for all other bugs for an entire year. So I thought I'd try it on the ground for the no-see-ums.

With the no-see-um issue I gave it a second dose a day later sweeping the ground and they were gone.
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Ortho-Home-Defense-Max-1-33-Gal-Perimeter-and-Indoor-Insect-Killer-with-Wand-0196910/203052911