Mozzie bites or the plague? Advice needed.

mooncakes


Joined: 06/08/2008
Posts: 2


Message Posted:
06/08/2008 19:42

I've just spent a week at a friends place in NC. Day four saw a few red dots appear on my legs (I usually don't get hassle with insect bites and i have lived in Asia etc) day six they got bigger, watery and itchy as hell...and today my first day back in Blighty - they look like massive chicken pox blisters! GP has given me tons of stuff to sort it out - can any of you good people recommend what I need to do next time I visit?? My friend gets eaten alive and her villa is mozzie proofed to the Nth degree. I used repellent and covered up in the evenings.

Many many thanks for any suggestions.

simma


Joined: 03/02/2008
Posts: 264


Message Posted:
06/08/2008 20:46

Hi Moon cakes, welcome to the forum. there have been a few threads on this subject. try the google search at the top of the page and type avon skin so soft, this is a cream that has been reccommended loads of times and is on a 2 4 1 offer at the moment.

John.

tonyhickey



Joined: 13/06/2007
Posts: 140


Message Posted:
06/08/2008 21:10

THEY ARE SAND FLIES Tony

dirty harry


Joined: 01/07/2008
Posts: 29


Message Posted:
06/08/2008 21:38

Moon cakes



you cannot stop the little bleeders from biting ,but I can recommend a tried and tested cream which works wonders for instant relief****AVIL %1.25** it comes in a 25 gram tube and can be purchased at any chemist in nicosia.



DH

carmel


Joined: 18/03/2008
Posts: 8


Message Posted:
06/08/2008 22:38

I too suffer from these awful bites but before I went out last time I had read on the forum about a pharmacist in Catalkoy who gives an anti histamine injection. Within 24 hours I had numerous bites, so I paid him a visit and for 10YTL I had almost instant relief. I would certainly recommend it and it will be my first stop on my next visit. Situated on left side of road just before the Stop and Shop if memory serves me correctly.

scruff


Joined: 15/07/2008
Posts: 21


Message Posted:
06/08/2008 23:28

I too had the injection back in May. You can only have 3 a year. I do not have a problem with mossie bites but I do get bitten by sand flies. This year the itching has been much less & if I light a coil outside I don't have a problem at all.



The bites that the thread originator described don't sound anything like sand fly bites to me. They sound like an allergic reaction to mossie bites & the injection will work well for those because that is what it is primarily intended for.



For some reason BTW, I only have a problem with sand fly bites in Catalkoy where I live & nowhere else.

Jo Valentine



Joined: 10/02/2008
Posts: 136


Message Posted:
06/08/2008 23:29

Hi

Avon Skin so Soft Dry Oil Body Spray - the blue one (don't think it actually repells - I reckon it works 'cos the little buggers can't get a hold and skate off!)

Buy on Ebay if you don't know an Avon Rep

Garlic capsules & Vitamin B1 for a week or more in advance.

Autan Active Insect repellent (yellow bottle, pink top, buy in Cyprus pharmacists)

And the plug-in mozzie repellents.

Then there's dishes of vinegar on the window sills.

And Vic rub.

And my favourite one ever on this forum was sit in a darkened room with the microwave door open. Wait until they'd all followed the light in and then shut the door and zap 'em !

Any more?

Cheers

Jo Valentine

valentineremovals@hotmail.com

tyofidleness


Joined: 29/07/2008
Posts: 3


Message Posted:
06/08/2008 23:30

Hi. I tried skin so soft on recommendation because I am allergic to mossie bites. I wish I hadnt! Try it first before you stray too far from your repellent, it only works for some people.

Kath

jackeen


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 128


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 00:46

After visiting my GP with the worst bites ever and requesting something, anything to help me stop getting bitten the next time I went abroad, he said there was nothing on the market. His daughter had been bitten so bad it was nearly fatal, so no, you might be lucky and get one of the remedies to work on you but if the mossies/sand flies want to bite they will. Try all that is recommended but have simple things like bicarbonate of soda and vinegar available to take the pain of the sting away.....sorry.

cyprusishome


Joined: 31/03/2007
Posts: 571


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 05:13

I seem to be lucky with being bitten but the Boss regularly has one or two.



We have fly screens, she uses a mossie net over bed, spray the house before going to bed, have plug ins etc. Still bitten.



I would be extemely cautious with injections, anti histamine treatments can have serious side effects.



As I said not often bitten so do not know if the following works here. 5 years ago went to Namibia and the first thing when we arrived our driver/guide/ranger asked if we all had our anti malarial stuff? Of course we had that is what is recommended by all GP's, Pharmacies, MASTA etc!!!! That is good for their pockets but in this country a couple of G&T's every night is the best repellent.



Obviously we could not comment on reliability but this guy was brought up there, worked in SA police and was a park ranger. However, even if it does not work makes the evening more enjoyable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

littlenige



Joined: 24/12/2006
Posts: 1100


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 07:53

get a good supply of piriton, my wife was bitten and they were starting to swell took 2 piriton and within a couple of hours they had gone and no itching.



Beware they can make you drowsey though.

jakki


Joined: 23/10/2007
Posts: 256


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 09:20

Our friends (who sometimes do research work in the tropics) always takes with them a large bottle of gin and lots of bottles of tonic, apparently its the quinine in the tonic that keeps the little buggers at bay. So I think cyprusishome has got the right idea!!!

orangekazzie



Joined: 31/07/2007
Posts: 944


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 14:01

either that Jakki or by the time they've drunk all the gin they don't really care what happens.

I too get bitten and the only thing that works for me is anti histamine tablets. Having the fly screens have helped a lot as well though.

Karen

jock1


Joined: 06/01/2008
Posts: 663


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 14:21

Also heard about DONT BITE ME. You can buy patches here in the uk from any chemist.

techtrader


Joined: 06/08/2008
Posts: 14


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 15:34

too little quinine in modern day tonic water to have an effect i'm sorry to say!

I actually caught the bites when I was back in London from cycling along the canals (purely for exercise btw)!!

Chick-a-Dee


Joined: 16/06/2008
Posts: 212


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 16:17

Hi mooncakes



If anyone is going to get bitten - that'll be me. I too have just got back from the lovely TRNC, arrived via Larnaca, and got bit immediately by a mozzie!



Despite having every preventative going, I have to follow a strict regime:



Keep all windows closed in bedroom, and spray with strong fly killer about an hour before residing. No matter how hot - keep the windows closed. Use a fan or AC instead of opening windows.

Spray generosuly with Mozzie repellant - in my case enough to kill a cow!

Use the spiral smoking thingies under any table I am sitting at.

And in the event that I do get bit - I use neat Tea Tree Oil on the bite - which in my case does an incredible job of reducing redness swelling and itching.

I then when possible, squeeze the bite and get out the poison, this ends the need to use the Tea Tree Oil, due to the poison caused the itching and swelling.



I hope this helps!

turboturk


Joined: 18/01/2008
Posts: 77


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 16:53

Sand flies don t usually leave marks, if the bites are only around the ankles and feet, a good sign it could be fleas.

Lots of restaurants have animals lying around specially cats, under tables to keep cool they dont give them flea treatments.

Rose Geraniums work great and are in abundance, just rub a few leaves around your ankles next time.

mooncakes


Joined: 06/08/2008
Posts: 2


Message Posted:
07/08/2008 22:46

Day two in Blighty.... two lots of pills, two lots of cream and one syrup thing and am looking slightly less plague like. GP even called tonight to see how I was feeling!



Interested that some of the posters are in Catalkoy (which is where my friends villa is) also, I did pet various cats and dogs belonging to neighbors ...so do wonder if they were flea bites.... or maybe I was just unlucky with the mozzies/sand flies.



Thanks so much to you guys for posting - I got on the phone to my friend to tell her to check the site out, fantastic online community!



Off to order some skin so soft, marmite, rose geranioums and garlic to use for my next visit.



Failing that a few microwaves!

Tatlisu4me


Joined: 26/01/2008
Posts: 146


Message Posted:
08/08/2008 10:48

My mate was out in June and was only wearing shorts with no pants underneath and got bitten all over his ????. You should have seen the swelling !

His wife didn,t want the swelling to go down.

jackeen


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 128


Message Posted:
08/08/2008 13:01

OMG someone has recommended marmite I cant take it internally and do not want to think what else you would do with it..................I remember my hands looking webbed where the mossies had bitten me 1st day of my holidays and I was left with antibiotics,cream, medicated shower wash, medicated hand soap and the best of all was I couldn't touch a drop of alcohol for the whole of the holidays...opps till the last night and my lovely sandals were swopped for flip flops!!!!!!!!!!!

mitsi


Joined: 14/08/2008
Posts: 21


Message Posted:
14/08/2008 07:55

Liquid plug in VAPE is fantastic. Nothing else works for us but since taking vit B bites not so painful when we do get bitten on way home etc; Mosquitoes breed around stagnant water and easily sorted with citronella spray. Deet no use and harmful to skin,eyes etc; not to mention our environment. Many sand flies here in catalkoy and we cannot sit outside after 7pm, have to batten down the hatches, just like being in nick.

ROBIN HOOD


Joined: 26/05/2008
Posts: 20


Message Posted:
14/08/2008 14:24

Life's a real joy with sand flies. Especially as most are immune to fly sprays. Anyone got any tips for killing them? (preferably before they bite). Swatting individual flies isn't a helpful method. I'm thinkung more on the lines of, positively envronmentally damaging, chemical warefare grade insecticides.

fire starter


Joined: 19/06/2008
Posts: 190


Message Posted:
14/08/2008 15:29

we use one fly spray one day and another brand the next. that seems to be doing the trick. spray the bedroom about 2 hrs before bed and keep all windows closed.when going out in the evening wear long trousers. also use the keep off spray smells gross but seems to work.

lovelife


Joined: 07/07/2007
Posts: 179


Message Posted:
14/08/2008 17:19

http://www.dontbiteme.co.uk



LL

jackeen


Joined: 25/06/2008
Posts: 128


Message Posted:
15/08/2008 08:24

There is something that I have just remembered that I use on holiday to help myself not get bitten. On holiday I do not use: perfume, deodorant. The very cheap lemon water that you can buy to cleanse your hands after eating works for me. Last two years in Turkey we were on holiday by the coast and after showering I liberally sprayed myself with the lemon water from head to toe and not one bite. Along with all the other remedies its worth a try. My sister used deodorant and perfume and would not use the lemon water got bitten in the first few days then decided to copy me and the mossies did not go near her.