How to keep bugs off of the kids in summer at WDW and other places ???

elmonshea

I need a Disney Vacation !
Joined
Apr 25, 2004
Messages
440
I know WDW sprays but we intend to go to other places also during the summer while down in Orlando.
They are bad at our house also.
What works best to keep bugs ( mostly mosquitoes ) away ?

They love the kids and my blood.

TIA
 
I use Skin So Soft (Avon) original bath oil. I put some in a spray bottle and spray us down. No harsh chemicals. Avon also sells bug repellents in the SSS line, but I still love the original oil. It works on sand ticks also (DH swore by the stuff when he was in USMC).
 
Burts Bees makes a bug spray. It is all natural and works better than anything. My kids are allergic to bug bites so we looked hard for something that works that doesn't cover them in chemicals. It smells like lemon pledge. Fresh and clean! :teeth:
 
I'm presuming that you don't want to use a DEET repellant, for whatever reason? Just know that DEET *is* the most effective repellant for mosquitoes, but there are some less effective non-deet alternatives.

Mosquitoes tend to dislike the smell of fabric softener. Tucking dryer sheets into clothing (belt loops, sock tops, etc.) works fairly well, but the odor needs to be pretty strong, and you end up looking a bit odd. You can also buy bracelets that are saturated with geraniol (oil of geraniums); those also work well, but the smell can sometimes cause headaches; I have DS wear the bracelet on his ankle instead of his wrist.

Another thing that has been shown to be somewhat effective is eating *lots* of garlic. Apparently mosquitoes do not like the way it makes you taste, and will not feed as long if your blood tastes of it. I eat tons on garlic, and they seldom bother me. Of course, I don't react much to their saliva, either, so I can be bitten and not really notice it much.

As to your house, you need to prevent and treat. First off, eliminate any and all outside standing water; no ponds, pools, birdbaths, fountains, pet dishes, or open drains. No heavy lawn watering, either. Treat all your drains frequently with larva-killing crystals, so that any eggs laid in the drains will not hatch out. Stay indoors at dusk, when mosquitoes are most active.
 

Ditto to the DEET recommendation. See the Fradin and Day study in the New England Journal of Medicine. In particular, see Table 1 which has the results of their study comparing various DEET concentrations to other products including Bite Blocker, Buzz Away and Skin-So-Soft.

http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/347/1/13
 
My kids are allergic to bug bites. We generally use Skin So Soft, there is also something from BRU called Natropel(Deet free) and on occaision we will use OFF. Our Peds Allergist reccomends the Deep Woods Off b/c of new guidelines. So we use it when we go camping or spend lots of time outdoors.
 












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