Alaska Travel Forum

Hi! I'm going to Alaska for 6 weeks for work (end July-early Sept). I was last there in 2001 and at the time, I used mosquito repellents with a high % of deet. I'd like to stay away from that if possible. I recently found out about the Don't Bite Me Patches http://www.dontbitemepatch.com/ and bought a package here in NY. They seem to work, but I haven't been in an area with a lot of mosquitoes to really test them. Does anyone have experience using these patches in Alaska - places like Glennallen (the worst place for mosquitoes I have ever experienced), or Wonder Lake/Denali, McCarthy/Wrangell St Elias... or other places outside Alaska with heavy mozzie infestations?

I read somewhere recently that taking a vitamin B1 tablet daily helps make one less attractive to mosssies so if the patches release this or something similar they should work in theory.

Try Avon Skin-so-soft...it is a proven Mosquito deterrent and does not contain deet. I use nothing but and it has worked very well for me, even deterring the no-see-ums. Buy the lotion and not the spray.

Start eating garlic everyday for a about a week before you go and they should leave you alone. :)

...but that will drive everyone away, - not just the mozzies........d:o)

Thanks for the replies... I'm still not sure what I'm going to do. The patches do have Vitamin B1 and aloe vera. Those are the only ingredients. There are a lot of good reviews, but they don't seem to work for everyone... I was hoping someone had tried them out in interior Alaska. I used Skin-so-Soft years ago in New York and it didn't work so well for me. It was the spray though - so I will keep the lotion in mind. Thanks again.

Have you looked into catnip oil? You're right, Avon's Skin-so-Soft may not work for everybody and it's not an all-natural product. I talked about this on my blog recently. http://northerntourist.com/mosquito-deterrent/

I have no idea about the Don't Bite Me Patches. I have never tried them.

We had lost of mosquitoes in NE Montana. Wear long sleeves and long pants while there - that will do more than anything. They can bite through them, but don't like to have to do that and will look for an easier target. Do you smoke? If not - stand close to smokers, they don't like smokers.

I always tell people the best way to make neighbors is to by them a bug zapper. It draws all the bugs to their yard and they think you are great. LOL

www.mindfully.org/Pesticide/2002/DEET-Mosquito3jul02.htm

When a company tries to convince you not to use DEET (and instead buy their products, of course), and also clearly states that it's the best product for preventing mosquito bites, that's QUITE a recommendation for DEET.

Every year hundreds of Americans die from mosquito borne diseases, all of whom would have lived if they had properly used DEET. Meanwhile, there have been a grand total of fewer than fifty cases of just serious reaction to DEET.

DEET is dangerous if you ingest it. So is skin-so-soft, citronella, and eucalyptus oils. Use it as directed, and don't use it as not directed.

I'd rather feel vaguely guilty about using something that is artificial and WORKS, than dead from West Nile Virus.

I have decided not to go with the Don't Bite Me Patches. They claim that one patch works for 36 hours and I have read reviews where that works for people. The manufacturer also states that some people may develop a rash from the adhesive... When I wore the patch for up to 12 hours, I did see my skin start to develop something, but it was minimal and I wasn't concerned. I decided to test it out for 36 hours this past weekend. After 20 hours, I found that the entire area under the patch was red and a couple of open sores had developed as well. So for me, this is not the answer. I have sensitive skin to begin with, so this is just not for me. It seems to work for a lot of people though...

@northern_tourist: I don't know much about catnip oil. Have you used it as a mosquito deterrent? Do you mix it with other ingredients or use it on its own?

@Dymphna1: I usually always wore long sleeves/pants in Alaska except on warm days when we were hiking... it was just too warm...

@PR-7: I know that DEET works. I used Jungle Juice from REI which is almost 100% deet. I followed the instructions and only applied to my clothing. It stated not to apply to skin. Well, my clothing was not bitten, but any exposed skin was... So I applied the deet everywhere that I had exposed skin. It definitely worked. It also melted anything plastic I touched including my sunglasses and camera gear. If it's melting plastic, imagine what it does to your body... your skin absorbs whatever you put on it, so deet on your skin is getting into your body. From what I have read, Alaska does not have a problem with mosquito borne diseases, so I'm not concerned about that. I just don't want to get bitten because it is a nuisance. If I were going to countries where malaria and other diseases are prevalent, I would use deet if there were no better option.

I am looking at bug jackets such as: http://www.ems.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3926528 I am not finding any reviews at all about these. My employer in Alaska suggested them, but they have not gotten back to me yet on any specific brand. The one that I linked to, also has mitts. I don't care about what I look like with something like this on... When I was at Wonder Lake in 2001, I wore a head-net that made me look ridiculous, but someone still offered me money for it on the spot, because the mosquitoes were horrendous.

Thanks again for all your suggestions. If anyone has experience with the bug jackets/shirts with the netting, I'd love to hear about it.

I'm telling you...Avon Skin so soft

WorldTrekker: I've tried a lot of stuff but always end up going back to Deet. I recently bought some Badger's Anti-Bug balm but haven't tried it yet. I am sensitive to mosquitoes so always interested in hearing about what works. Let me know if something works for you and i'll try too.