Dealing with Satan's Spawn?

[Atmos (Colin)]

How does everyone go with dealing with these little pests?
The forecast for Melbourne tonight is for high level cloud and strong upper atmosphere turbulence so seeing should be pretty bad. In saying that, I have thought about taking my 4" for some visual or even doing some wider field imaging (large pixels) where seeing isn't that important.

Instead I am sitting inside, why? Mosquitoes! I am one of those people that must have sweet blood. So much so that this time of year (mosquitoe plague due to the heat after all the rain) that by the time I have finished setting up the telescope my hands have started swelling up from 2-3 dozen bites. Taken 5 days for the swelling on my right ear to go down!

So, how do people manage Satan's spawn?

[inertia8 (Australia)]

Thermacell

[xelasnave]

Dont let them bite you.
I heard on QI that mosquitoes have killed half the human race.
Wear a net and gloves.
Dont kill any so as not to incite a revenge killing.
Alex

[miker]

Mosquitoes home in on the CO2 that you exhale. Stop exhaling!

[Sol-Skysailor (Sol)]

Reckon first think... if you were born one of them (see the other thread about fish and mossies). That could cool your blood down.

A mozzi-net tent with a hole or three for telescope openings.

Wear and wrap up with loose cool white cotton. Fingerless-gloves. Hat/beanie a must.

Sometimes better beaten and not bitten :-)

[casstony]

I find thermacell to be more effective than covering my clothing with rid. If there is a light breeze the unit needs to be slightly upwind, otherwise position it within a few feet of where you're sitting and you won't get bitten at all.

[glend (Glen)]

Just be glad you don't live in Qld. Your not likely to get the Ross River virus down your way.

[casstony]

You can still be unlucky in Victoria though. My Mum had RRV and I've had Barmah Forest Virus. Best to avoid being bitten by the nasty little vermin wherever you are. I'm really starting to prefer winter for astronomy.

[peter_4059 (Peter)]

Off

[MortonH]

Originally Posted by casstony

I find thermacell to be more effective than covering my clothing with rid. If there is a light breeze the unit needs to be slightly upwind, otherwise position it within a few feet of where you're sitting and you won't get bitten at all.

Wouldn't the repellant get all over your scope???

[cometcatcher (Kevin)]

I use something similar to thermacell. Have been using it for years when I used to image out the open house window. Now I use one in the observatory. They don't seem to affect the scope, but I wouldn't put it too close to it.

[casstony]

Originally Posted by MortonH

Wouldn't the repellant get all over your scope???

I'm a little careful not to position the unit right under the objective but I haven't seen any effects on scopes. The vapour isn't in droplets like an aerosol spray.

[inertia8 (Australia)]

And now is the time to see if any nearby Masters still have the refills at 90% off... I've already got 7 refill packs and will be modifying a couple of cartridges so I can refill them, as I find the pads last slightly longer than the butsm cartridges.

This has been the most effective thing for me in combating mosquitos.

I've been advised that I could also use a small fan to gently blow across my body but that not ideal.

[Kunama]

They particularly like A+ blood types ....... picky little pests....

[Nikolas (Nik)]

I'm a+ and hardly get affected by mossies

[w0mbat (Ian)]

One chemical repellant I would NOT be using is DEET or any repellant with DEET in it. I read an interesting article recently (can't remember where but it was a reputable site) about how by swabbing a smart phone screen the owner could be identified by the chemical smear from their hands left behind on the screen. One of the associated findings was that DEET could be detected four months after the last use by the owner! That suggests to me that it is absorbed into the skin and remains around for very long periods. Sounds like something to avoid to me.
Ian

[OICURMT]

Originally Posted by Kunama

They particularly like A+ blood types ....... picky little pests....

Type O, not A...

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15311477

[traveller (Bo)]

Mozzies are attracted to CO2, so just don't breathe when setting up
Alternatively, make a beer/yeast trap with a cut up 2-3lt soft drink bottle and leave that nearby while setting up (the CO2 attracts mozzies away from you). I never tried it, but it supposed to work.

[noeyedeer (Matt)]

have me nearby, I seem to get bitten consistently, even at work midday near the garden .. maybe they like the alcohol content in my blood?
they don't bother me though, I guess I'm use to it, and the itching only lasts 5 seconds before I move on to the next bite :/
Matt

[blekk (Blair)]

Just an FYI Rays Outdoors have 20% off store wide for members ends TONIGHT! Takes the Thermacell from $43 down to $34!