Midges

Skin so soft... I think. No evidence that it works other than the fact it's
used by a lot of outdoors type folks who swear by it. There is nothing in it
that should work as a repellent, but the faithful say it's the best.
Rich
"Instep" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I recently read on the newsgroup a letter about midges and how to keep them
at bay.

The remedy was an Avon product (i think)

I should have taken note at the time I read it and now I can't find it.

Can anyone help please?

Ann

"It was "Skin So Soft" - but the last catalogue did not contain it.

It did work...

As said it is called 'Skin so Soft'. A lot of outdoor people swear by
it including the military. It doesn't have anything special about it
but as it is oil based I don't think the midges find the oil so
attractive to land on and therefore cannot bite.

A new repeallant, well I think it is new, is 'India Tree'. I haven't
used it as yet but it states that it repels mosquitoes, midges and
flies. Thinking of giving it a try although I would be interested in
hearing from anyone that has used it. It claims to be natural so
there is no deet in it.

Despite working outdoors I react badly to midge bites.

Lindsay.
www.caledoniahilltreks.com

"Instep" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I recently read on the newsgroup a letter about midges and how to keep

them

Quoted message said:

at bay.

The remedy was an Avon product (i think)

I should have taken note at the time I read it and now I can't find

it.

Quoted message said:

Can anyone help please?

Ann

You might find this page interesting, if you can stand the appalling
layout! It has a good appraisal of various repellents, including
Skin-so-soft - which doesn't get the unqualified approval rating that
other answers might lead you to expect 🙁

http://www.albawest.com/repellents.html

--
Sid B
Spamtrap in operation : ALL incoming mail to address shown autodeletes
unseen on receipt. To beat the trap, cut the [censored]!

"Lindsay" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

As said it is called 'Skin so Soft'. A lot of outdoor people swear by
it including the military. It doesn't have anything special about it
but as it is oil based I don't think the midges find the oil so
attractive to land on and therefore cannot bite.

A new repeallant, well I think it is new, is 'India Tree'. I haven't
used it as yet but it states that it repels mosquitoes, midges and
flies. Thinking of giving it a try although I would be interested in
hearing from anyone that has used it. It claims to be natural so
there is no deet in it.

Despite working outdoors I react badly to midge bites.

Lindsay.
www.caledoniahilltreks.com

I tried an India tree repellant in Glencoe last summer, and I'm sure that
the midges were actually worse after application.

Didn't get a single bite in Fearnan last weekend...don't know whether it was
the deet based spray or 30mph cross winds!

Lee
________________

http://lee-perry.co.uk

In article <[email hidden]>, Lee Perry said...

Quoted message said:

I tried an India tree repellant in Glencoe last summer, and I'm sure that
the midges were actually worse after application.

Didn't get a single bite in Fearnan last weekend...don't know whether it was
the deet based spray or 30mph cross winds!

I've got a theory that the blasted flying things actually /like/ the
repellant, and call their friends to join the party as soon as they
smell or taste it. And can somebody please explain how I've got bites
from the weekend round about where my waistband is?

I was wearing:

wraparound skirt;
top that came down below waistband;
tight belt around top just above waistband of skirt.

OK, I was in woods; OK, there were gnats and suchlike in abundance.
But that does not explain how some of the little hooters managed to
find themselves having their dindins at the Cafe de Midi-Fran. Grrrr.
--
/
Fran O(<|={
\

Fran said:

smell or taste it. And can somebody please explain how I've got bites
from the weekend round about where my waistband is?

I was wearing:

wraparound skirt;
top that came down below waistband;
tight belt around top just above waistband of skirt.

Isn't there a beastie like a bed bug that favours biting around cuffs,
belts and sock tops? Something like a chigger.

Whilst I remained bite free from midges I did succumb to something
that worked its way steadily up my leg from the ankle and left itchy
spots. I thought it was cat or dog fleas but they were redder, bigger
and without the characteristic spot in the middle.

AJH

Quoted message said:

Isn't there a beastie like a bed bug that favours biting around cuffs,
belts and sock tops? Something like a chigger.

I think you may mean a <fx: shudder...> tick...

Quoted message said:

Whilst I remained bite free from midges I did succumb to something
that worked its way steadily up my leg from the ankle and left itchy
spots. I thought it was cat or dog fleas but they were redder, bigger
and without the characteristic spot in the middle.

Ugh... that won't have been a tick. A snake, perhaps? Some sort of
toxic spider, or a scorpion?

<fx: scratch, scratch>

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Fran said:

And can somebody please explain how I've got bites
from the weekend round about where my waistband is?

I was wearing:

wraparound skirt;
top that came down below waistband;
tight belt around top just above waistband of skirt.

I dunno, but presumably it was the same method by which I got a tick
in the middle of my leg when I wore long trousers and gaiters all
day...

It's just not safe out there. I may take up needlework instead.

Quoted message said:

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

"Peewiglet" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's just not safe out there. I may take up needlework instead.

Somehow I don't believe you will :-)

--
Theo
www.theosphotos.fotopic.net

On Mon, 11 Jul 2005 23:11:47 +0100, Peewiglet <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Isn't there a beastie like a bed bug that favours biting around cuffs,
belts and sock tops? Something like a chigger.

I think you may mean a <fx: shudder...> tick...

No I know what a tick is, they just stick to one point until they're
bloated and then drop off. I have checked chiggers and they are what I
meant but the references seem to be for hotter climes and later in the
season.

Quoted message said:

Quoted message said:

Whilst I remained bite free from midges I did succumb to something
that worked its way steadily up my leg from the ankle and left itchy
spots. I thought it was cat or dog fleas but they were redder, bigger
and without the characteristic spot in the middle.

Ugh... that won't have been a tick. A snake, perhaps? Some sort of
toxic spider, or a scorpion?

Not a snake, though a lady here was bitten on the leg last week, she
got shipped quite a long way to find somewhere with anti venom.

I saw a girl with the spots I describe and her legs were absolutely
covered in blotches.

I wonder if there are differences due to personal allergies, I was
surprised to see Judith mention blistering on the spots as I have only
experienced this when bitten by what I take to be spiders.

AJH

Avon Skin-So-Soft Moisturising Body Oil - the fragarance favoured was
Woodland Fresh but is now Soft and Fresh (I think).

As has been pointed out, this isn't so much a repellent as a deterrent.
The oily film seems to prevent them from biting.

There's no empirical proof that this works, but loads of testimony.

druidh

Sid B said:

"Instep" <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

I recently read on the newsgroup a letter about midges and how to keep

them

Quoted message said:

at bay.

The remedy was an Avon product (i think)

I should have taken note at the time I read it and now I can't find

it.

Quoted message said:

Can anyone help please?

Ann

You might find this page interesting, if you can stand the appalling
layout! It has a good appraisal of various repellents, including
Skin-so-soft - which doesn't get the unqualified approval rating that
other answers might lead you to expect 🙁

http://www.albawest.com/repellents.html

1/ The SSS product mentioned is the one containing IR3535 which is *not*
available in the UK.

2/ The test reffered to was carried out using the US (IR3535) variant.

3/ The test was on mosquitoes - *not* midges.

druidh

On Tue, 12 Jul 2005 09:53:15 +0200, "theo" <[email hidden]>

Quoted message said:

"Peewiglet" <[email hidden]> schreef in bericht
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

It's just not safe out there. I may take up needlework instead.

Somehow I don't believe you will :-)

:-)

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Quoted message said:

I wonder if there are differences due to personal allergies, I was
surprised to see Judith mention blistering on the spots as I have only
experienced this when bitten by what I take to be spiders.

I'm not exactly what it is that bites me that causes the blisters but
I don't *think* it's spiders. I think I would notice spiders crawling
over me and biting chunks out of me!

I have one bite/blister just above my right heel and one on the top of
my right foot at the moment. They are very uncomfortable until the
blister bursts - usually accidentally by catching on something but I
did burst one deliberately last week because they don't half hurt.

I also have about a dozen non-blistered bites. Despite regular Deet
applications I was dinner to many midgy things this weekend. I must
just be very popular in the biting insect community.

Judith

Quoted message said:

No I know what a tick is, they just stick to one point until they're
bloated and then drop off. I have checked chiggers and they are what I
meant but the references seem to be for hotter climes and later in the
season.

Oh yuk.... I've just looked them up. Please tell me we don't get them
over here. I don't think I could face them too!

Quoted message said:

Not a snake, though a lady here was bitten on the leg last week, she
got shipped quite a long way to find somewhere with anti venom.

<fx: little shriek!> Where's 'here'?

Quoted message said:

I saw a girl with the spots I describe and her legs were absolutely
covered in blotches.

Horrible. Sounds like my Snowdonian midge bites.

Quoted message said:

I wonder if there are differences due to personal allergies, I was
surprised to see Judith mention blistering on the spots as I have only
experienced this when bitten by what I take to be spiders.

I think there could be. Only y/day I saw a woman in a supermarket
complaining to the cashier about a couple of mozzy bites she'd had,
and how her finger and waist had swelled right up in angry reaction.
My parents used to have similar reactions.

I hope your bites are improving now :-(

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

Judith said:

Quoted message said:

I wonder if there are differences due to personal allergies, I was
surprised to see Judith mention blistering on the spots as I have only
experienced this when bitten by what I take to be spiders.

I'm not exactly what it is that bites me that causes the blisters but
I don't *think* it's spiders. I think I would notice spiders crawling
over me and biting chunks out of me!

Not necessarily. They're probably doing it when you're fast asleep in
bed.

:-)

Best wishes,
--
,,
(**)PeeWiglet~~
/ \ / \ pee AT [guessthisbit].co.uk

[email hidden] wrote:
<snip>

Quoted message said:

I wonder if there are differences due to personal allergies, I was
surprised to see Judith mention blistering on the spots as I have only
experienced this when bitten by what I take to be spiders.

AJH

British spiders don't bite(1). Ticks do have eight legs though...

Andy

(1) at least, not hard enough to get through human skin. Flies have a
different view!

In article <[email hidden]>, Peewiglet
said...

Quoted message said:

Fran said:

And can somebody please explain how I've got bites
from the weekend round about where my waistband is?

I was wearing:

wraparound skirt;
top that came down below waistband;
tight belt around top just above waistband of skirt.

I dunno, but presumably it was the same method by which I got a tick
in the middle of my leg when I wore long trousers and gaiters all
day...

Eeep?

Quoted message said:

It's just not safe out there. I may take up needlework instead.

"__!!__"

--
/
Fran O(<|={
\