how many mozzie bites to get immunity?

[troypiggo]

How many mozzie bites do you reckon you need to become immune to them? I don't care what number you throw at me, I reckon I got them all last night.

They were sneaky little stealth mozzies, too. Couldn't hear them buzzing around my hands. My fingers were bitten so much I could hardly turn knobs on the scope and type on the keyboard.



And how many thousands of millions of times have I told you... I don't exaggerate... :)

[Fossil]

I have found that using a radio jammer prevents mozzie bites here in sunny Murrumbateman.

The bludgers around here are so big that, when I don't have the radio jammer on, you can here them asking the control tower for permission to land.

I saw my cattle dog 'flying' across the backyard once and realised that a mozzie had him. I had to bludgeon the mozzie with a baseball bat before it would let him go.

With the radio jammer on they can't get the required permission to land and they go elsewhere.

:P :P :P

[mithrandir]

Have your heard of roll-on insect repellent? Even your optical surfaces have no objection to that. There is always one in my laptop bag.

Of course you don't exaggerate Troy. The other 4e9 residents of planet earth all agree with me on that. :lol:

[Fossil]

I find that insect repellent just annoys them and makes them angry. ;)

[troypiggo]

Haha. Yeah, the insect repellent doesn't even slow them down with me. I've seen them use it as mouth-wash after they've bitten me.

Fair dinkum, I can be at a BBQ with 20 people and if there's 20 mozzies in the room, every one of the buggers will go me and noone else notices but wonders why Troy is scratching like an alien is about to break out of his skin.

[el_draco]

You are going to hate me.... I don't get bitten by mozzies! Everyone around me gets murdered, but they can't handle my blood so they leave me alone.

Better half says they hit more caffine than blood and it blows their brains before they get a chance to do any damage...:rolleyes:

[rider]

Troy, I think you are using the wrong scale.
Over on the Bayside of Brisbane we use "litres of blood per minute" to determine mossie population.

[troypiggo]

Rom - I think I do hate you, in a nice way of course. :) I drink waaaay too much coffee too, doesn't seem to help me. Unless the effect of the beer cancels out the coffee...

Rider - my wife reckons I need to check myself into Wesley Hospital to get a blood transfusion. I came to bed last night and she said "Good-night Casper" I was so white and anaemic.

[multiweb]

Ouch! Sounds like you got bitten one too many times and you're developing some kind of allergic reaction. The more you get bitten the worse it gets. Gotta be careful. Roll-on aeroguard is the best for the dusk period. That's when they're at their worst then it dies down.

[troypiggo]

I may have been exaggerating a little there. But thanks for your concern :)

[gary]

Hi Troy,

They certainly can be a nuisance. I see that your location says "Brisbane" so
you might want to take steps to avoid getting bitten at all.

In recent weeks the health authorities have noted a mosquito infestation there
and are on the lookout for dengue fever spreading that far south. Apparently
in 1905 an epidemic hit 75% of the Brisbane population, so it is technically
possible to reach there.

Consider a repellent with DEET such as RID or Tropical Strength Aeroguard
(the normal one won't cut it). Watch this stuff on your plastic and rubber bits
and pieces though, it can eat into it. So wipe your hands before picking up
cameras or eyepieces or before typing on a keyboard. :thumbsup:

[troypiggo]

Thanks mate. I'd heard that "Easy Off" one is best around our gear, bit more friendly for lenses/rubber or something? I ran out, hence the post, although they do seem to enjoy the challenge of chewing me through the repellents.

[casstony]

Apart from tropical infectious diseases spreading southward, Ross River Virus and Barmah Forest Virus exist across most of Australia.(not sure about Tas.). There are typically ~6500 notifications per year for the two diseases combined. Symptoms include joint pain/fatigue of varying severity, but can be disabling in some individuals.

[Screwdriverone]

Hi Troy,

I have often found the reverse, there are HEAPS of people getting bitten by Mozzies and they leave me alone.

I read somewhere that they "navigate" to their prey by the amount of CO2 the animal is emitting similar to the way leeches can detect the heat of a warm blooded animal (e.g. us).

I have no way of knowing how much CO2 I am emitting (no, I dont mean CH4 which is methane from the other end) from your skin and breath, but I assume its a LOT less for me than the others like my wife and kids as they seem to get swarmed and I am fine, kicking back, not getting bitten?

I think the repellents mask the co2 or taste yuck when they do land and bite you, but I am puzzled as to why I am spared more often than bitten. Could be diet? Could be skin type, dunno.

Food (pun) for thought...

Cheers

Chris

[pvelez]

In the immortal words of Mdme Hanson - Please explain?

Pete

[TrevorW]

Try Vitamin B tablets

[troypiggo]

I tried that, but the mozzies wouldn't eat them.

[gary]

Hi Troy,

Who has considerable professional expertise and advice with regard mosquito
control is our very own forum regular Scott (aka Wavelandscott) and possibly
he might see this thread and provide additional advice on current best practice.

The company Scott works for produces a sizable percentage of the world's
mosquito control larvacides and also developed, manufacture and distribute those
marvelous permethrin impregnated washable mosquito nets that have been
deployed in parts of the third world in their millions. One can only speculate
as to how many lives they have probably saved by now.

Certainly when I visit parts of the world where there is a risk of malarial
or other mosquito borne infection, I always pack a roll-on repellent with
N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide (aka DEET). Unfortunately DEET has the side
effect of eroding some plastics.

A cold shower before going out for the night and the wearing of light colored clothing
can often provide additional help at keeping mosquitoes at bay.

As Chris mentioned, some people seem luckier than others.

[multiweb]

:eyepop: That's it. I'm definitely getting off the Heinz Beans now! :question: Oh. no wait. That's methane. :) All good then :thumbsup:

[troypiggo]

Thanks for the detailed reply, mate. TBH, I think the reason they're attracted to me is sweat. My body has a temperature control issue and I run a little hot all the time and do sweat more than most.

[multiweb]

Doesn't everybody sweat in QLD? :P Got a mate coming back from Cairns who told me it's a 24/7 wet t-shirt contest up there :lol:

[Fossil]

Pete

The flamin' mozzies around here are so big they require air traffic control to navigate safely. :eyepop:

The use of a radio jammer prevents them from communicating with air traffic control or each other, thus preventing them from landing.

I also found that a 50 cal. machine gun worked pretty well on them, but Mr Plod objects to the use of them in built-up areas. ;)

[multiweb]

Yep... My dad went fly fishing in May in Northern Sweden and he reckons a good tennis racket is a must. :thumbsup:

[wavelandscott]

Thanks Gary and I'm just catching up to this thread...

Bottom line is that there are no magic bullets but there are some things that can help reduce Mozzie populations...Because of the highly regulated nature of pesticides around the world I will try and speak "generally" and not name brands...we manufacture a large percentage of the activie ingredient in many of the materials used to fight mosquitoes around the world . There are 5 reasonable ways to reduce mosquitoes now in practice...some easier than others...

#1 Drain and get rid of any excess water...a surprisingly large number of mosquitoes are generated by old standing water (old tires, poor draining ditches, flower pots, gutters, water storage tanks, etc.)...In many parts of the tropics there are "police" that go around households and look for standing water...

#2 Use of larvicide to control mosquitoes in long term standing water...this is largely what coucils due. Without naming brand names, there are both traditional chemical larvicides (IGRs usually) and "organic" larvicides...they work exceptionally well and there is lots of data available that show that larvicides used well can be very effective.

#3 Adulticides - Largely these are synthetic pyrethroid based insecticides now but there are some other (chemistry classes) that are also very effective...Very effective at "knocking down" any adults but longevity varies by product and some are concerned with the "fogging" needed for coverage.

#4 Repellants - can be applied to skin but there is also some clothing that is treated with permethrin (largely) that can also be very effective. There is also a new class being introduced (available in the USA but not yet in Australia) that is a "fan driven" repellant from a new kind of product...it is pretty nifty stuff!

#5 Physical barrier...screens, nets and fans...as Gary mentioned we now make a net that also has a pesticide in it so that landing mosquitoes are killed and also repelled...used widely to fight malaria. Some people have enjoyed the protection of a "fan" that can also help keep mozzies from landing on you.

Hope that helps and gives you some idea...all of the idea and uses above are pretty widely recognized and there is a lot of science to support their efficacy...

As the temperature here is below freezing, I should also add that cold weather will also help! I can't imagine mosiquitoes can fly thorugh the snow!

Cheers,

[troypiggo]

Thanks mate. Very interesting. Some obvious, some I hadn't thought about.

I was sure I'd seen a documentary one time about some guy who did a lot of field research in the Amazon, and he's developed an immunity to mozzie bites. They still bit him, but his skin didn't react with the traditional mozzie bite type bump and hence didn't irritate him any more. Lucky bugger. (The documentary wasn't about his mozzie immunity, that was just a side trivia, it was about insects in the Amazon or something)

[wavelandscott]

All mosquitoes are not equal...some species are much more aggressive than others. Also, people's tolerances for bites can vary a lot. My kids swell up at the slightest bite...I on the otherhand don't seem to be too bothered by them.

Do be careful, there are a lot of nasties that mosquitoes can be vectors for...if you develop a rash from the bites and or aches, fever, flu symptons get to the doctor...

[Ric]

Hi Troy, I've found wearing those lightweight cotton gloves helps my hands from being bitten.:thumbsup:

Strangely enough we haven't had any this year around my way.:confused2:

They may have packed up and gone to Fossil's place by the sound of it.:lol:

[Fossil]

I live in a rural residential area and I've been told that a capful of kerosene in things like the septic (where mozzies can breed) alters the surface tension of the water and they cannot 'walk' or lay their eggs on it.

[Ric]

Hi Jonathon, I'm in a rural area as well. The only large body of water is our dam about 40 metres down the hill. I think between the frogs, dragonflys and the mosquito fish the larvae really don't get a chance to build up into large numbers.

[Fossil]

They may have packed up and gone to Fossil's place by the sound of it.:lol:[/QUOTE]

That's possible Ric. I have noticed a few Wamboin mozzies around here lately... I can pick them out because they're the ones in private jets :D

[Ric]

:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Kevnool]

Use mozzie repelent .......cant be bothered looking back at the old threads

[pgc hunter]

Yep I went there in May and even then I was sweating like an animal :lol:

As for the mozzies...they are regrettably part and parcel of summer, no matter where you live :(
I personally can't stand insect repellant, the smell and that slimey feeling on your skin is just wrong and I'd rather put up with being jabbed a million times in a night.

[Roobi]

Maybe i should invent an observatory net, just think of an aviary with an open top, but with mozzy repellents that spray into fans every few seconds to keep then from coming in the top, could even put a few lasers in there so if they come in they get fried oh and some of those big electric zappers....... maybe not.

[Wavytone]

Just chew a couple of cloves of RAW garlic and wash down with a glass of milk (i don't think anyone can swallow raw garlic without the milk) a few hours before an observing session. The mozzies will leave you alone for the night.

As one who suffered horribly in past years - the mozzies would drill through sandshoes and socks to get to the motherload (my feet), I can vouch that this does work. I used to suffer dozens of bites per night before I resorted to garlic.

The snag comes when you go home as anyone will smell it too.

The latest dry sprays (OFF ! and Aerogard) do seem to work but keep them away from your optics (they will ruin coatings) and anything plastic.

The last solution is one I used at Mt Bowen occasionally in calm conditions - take a whole box of mozzie coils and encircle the entire observing site with them, spaced at about 1 coil every 2-3 metres. Light the lot and a whole group can be reasonably free of these pests for several hours.

[Octane]

I can't remember where I read it, but, I was quite young at the time. Apparently mosquitos work in pairs. The male typically buzzes around your head to distract you while the female goes for gold. It could be the other way around.

Think I might have to do a bit of Googling.

Fascinating creatures as annoying as they are. I've gotten used to putting up with their bites. It's mind over matter not trying to scratch them -- see how mentally-physically strong you are! If you ignore the itch, it goes away. The same can't be said for telescope/camera equipment.

H

[BerrieK]

Haha H, I thought I would visit my friend google and found this...apparently mozzies sing in harmony together whilst sizing up their prey! ...........

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2006/07/mosquito_love_songs.php

Kerrie :)

[troypiggo]

Wavytone - garlic and milk - I'm sure that'd keep more than just mozzies away. Lol.

Humayun - not sure about the working in pairs, but Dr Karl on Triple J has said in the past that it's only the females that bite. Male mozzies don't bite at all apparently.

[kustard]

Yeah the females are the only blood suckers, they use the blood for growing their eggs.

I don't often get bitten but I had an old school friend who'd suffer bites all the time, he was like an attractor, and thinking about it he was kinda stocky so maybe they could tell he had lots of yummy blood.

[multiweb]

:lol: As Paule would say: "I don't want to start nothing but...." ;)
Only the female mozzie bites and make noise. The blokes are easy going and go around their business with the ladies. There are some devices that emit ultra sound noises that are supposed to repel the females. It's the noise a male mozzie will do. Only fecondated females will bite (and make noise). So it keeps them away coz they're not interested in going for "seconds" [see wedding cake theory]. Now feel free to tell me I'm full of it. That's my story and I stick with it. :lol: ;)

[Baron von Richthofen]

I am on a cocktail of heavy duty drugs mosquitoes just take one bite and drop dead:lol:

[troypiggo]

Reminds me of the Far Side cartoon - one mozzie is biting an arm and is all bloated and huge, the other mozzie is saying "Pull out, pull out! You've hit an artery!"

[Baron von Richthofen]

I thought that it was "Pull out, pull out ! He's got High Blood Pressure"

[pgc hunter]

Anyone else agree that the high pitched buzzing sound of a mozzie is quite possibly the most irritating sound on Earth?

[Baron von Richthofen]

No Kids and babies crying

[Roobi]

or that god awful sound Jim carrey makes in dumb and dumber.

[M54]

I read somewhere once that they like people with 0 neg. blood. I'm 0 neg. and always get eaten alive. I don't know if this is really true, but I'm curious to know if others who regularly get bitten are 0 neg. too. :shrug:

[that_guy]

I'm a prime targets for those demons so called mosquitoes, and my blood type is B.. So is the rest of my family but we all get bitten in different qmount

[M54]

So the 0 neg. thing is rubbish then.:rolleyes:

[mithrandir]

O+ doesn't discourage them.

I think the answer to the original question is:
א-zero


I'll let the non-mathematicians look that up.

[Karls48]

I drink and smoke to much. Critters like mozzies and spiders generally avoid me. It is simple survival instinct. If they bite me they get poisoned and they die. I have been outside since 8.30 PM and got bitten once. No repellent or any of those things that can give you cancer. Just drunk half a bottle of Schnapps and smoke more than half of packed of White Ox.. I’m imagining VY CMa. 35 minutes exposure and I pop in because it is getting bit cold outside. 20 Deg .right now. The seeing is very good. the stars are rock steady. There seems to be bug in latest Synta firmware. If you select SAO and execute GoTo you can not nudge scope afterwards.

[Roobi]

LOL



and then in the next sentence




gotta love it.

[troypiggo]

I like Karl. :)

[Baron von Richthofen]

I was bitten by a mosquito while I was in North Queensland, I got the parvo virus and glandular fiver from it, I was very sick for 12 months and I still get recurring bouts of the virus:confuse3:

[Ric]

Yep, especially when they fly into your ear. :eyepop:

[pgc hunter]

After experiencing a little girl crying at close range recently, I must say, the Mosquito is infinately worse.