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Calling all who live on Bribie Island, my wife and i are going to spend a couple of weeks on your island paradise and would really appreciate advice from the locals on the best area to stay because of our fervent dislike for mosquitoes and sand flies. We are favoring Bongaree Woorim and Banksia Beach at the moment but do appreciate that the likelihood of zero bugs would be improbable but least annoying areas would be appreciated. thanks all 8-)
Remember the aeroguard. At sundown all bets are off.
yeah, start putting the aeroguard (or alternative as long as it has deet )on before you get in the car / plane. stop when you get home. Just a fact of life being near any mangroves.
We live 6km from the bay and an easterly wind will bring those mongrel little black chewing things to our place!
Find midge screened areas and enjoy the outdoors from inside
It takes years of persistent work to reduce midges in a location but every new moon they breed so the war begins again. Traps work to an extent but takes a long time to reduce the breeding population. For the short time you will be there head for cover when they start to feed on you.
Also fyi Professional advice ex THT
ARLawrence
Senior Member
Join Date: Jul 2010
Location: Tinker AFB, OK
Posts: 251
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i can 100% recommend NOT recommend skin so soft, it is an old myth, if anything it attacks more due to the fragrance added. (trust me on this, i am an Air Force public health technician who's responsibility's include mosquito control and prevention of vector borne diseases)
skin so soft bug plus, according to studies conducted by the Center For Disease Control, active ingredient is 7.5% IR3535 which is added to its normal skin-so-soft, it will only be effective for 23 minutes. it does not contain citronella.
i would use OFF! DEEP WOODS. i think its the highest concentration available to civilians.
i recommend anything with a high concentration of DEET for skin, and getting a Permethrin based spray for clothing, when treating your clothing with permethrin spray it will last up to 6 trips to the washing machine. i use it on my uniforms, when i was in Texas i stood on a red ant hill and they would craw up my boot and when they got to my pants they would fall right off. highly effective.
On the other hand there are risks Also from THT
ie I bought the deep outdoors but use it with caution from reading articles like the one below.
Use Caution When Using DEET Every year, approximately one-third of the U.S. population uses insect repellants containing DEET to ward off mosquitoes and other pests. At present, DEET is used in more than 230 products with concentrations up to 100 percent.
However, DEET should be used with caution due to its possible damaging effects on brain cells. Studies have shown that DEET causes brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats after frequent and prolonged use. This exposure causes neurons to die in regions of the brain that control muscle movement, learning, memory, and concentration. Rats treated with an average human dose of DEET (40 mg/kg body weight) performed far worse when challenged with physical tasks requiring muscle control, strength and coordination. These findings are consistent with reported human symptoms following DEET's use by the military in the Persian Gulf War.
With heavy exposure to DEET and other insecticides, humans may experience memory loss, headache, weakness, fatigue, muscle and joint pain, tremors and shortness of breath. These symptoms may not be evident until months or even years after exposure. The most severe damage occurs when DEET is used concurrently with other insecticides, such as permethrin, for prolonged and frequent periods of time. At this time, there is little information about the short-term, singular and occasional use of DEET. Further government testing of the chemical's safety is necessary. However, frequent and long-term use of DEET, especially in combination with other chemicals or medications, could cause brain deficits in vulnerable populations, particularly children.
There is more at this link.
http://www.quantumhealth.com/news/dangers_of_DEET.html
Then again Also from THT
Quote:
Originally Posted by lemaymiami http://cdn.thehulltruth.com/images/buttons/viewpost.gif
As a guy who spends a lot of time in the saltwater Everglades (full time guide there the last fifteen years) I have some insight into what works and what doesn't when it comes to the various types of repellant. Deep Woods Off really does the trick for mosquitoes but doesn't slow down noseeums at all... The same stuff will slow down deer flies (local name for a very nasty biting fly the size of a housefly, sandy tan in color) but not enough... The only thing that I know that will stop noseeums in their tracks is oil - but the cure is as bad as the original problem. I was introduced to "Skin so Soft" more than thirty years ago (Johnson's Baby oil is just as good) and the stuff really will stop noseeums cold. The trick is you have to oil up liberally, and be willing to coat every square inch of exposed skin and hair... In recent years I'm sure the folks at Avon have added a few chemicals to their original product to capitalize on it's reputation as a repellant but that's wasted effort as far as I'm concerned. What makes oil so effective is that the noseeums just aren't able to reach your skin with the oil barrier. By the way, mosquitoes can still attack with the oil on, but when the noeeums are thick nothing stops them like oil. The problem with oil, and the reason I rarely use it, is that it's just plain obnoxious and you don't want to get any in your eyes... We're in noseeums every morning if we fish near the big mangrove trees (near the Gulf coast mangroves may reach 100' tall..) when there's no wind. The fish have to be biting strong for my anglers to put up with them. Usually after a few minutes we scoot to get some relief. Once the wind comes up the noseeums are never a problem, but at dawn they'll bring tears to your eyes even when you've covered up like a desert raider...
By the way, of all the biting insects, nothing compares to deerflies.... you'd swear they come equipped with an ice pick. The best defense against all the biters is your clothing. We wear long sleeved shirts and pants. They need to be loose fitting and in light colors (mosquitoes seem to love dark colors), add hat, gloves, and a scarf or face mask (I favor the Buff brand). Take some Deep Woods Off and spray the clothing liberally and you're set to go. Those of us that need protection 100 to 200 days a year try to avoid getting bug spray on skin. It doesn't take long before the stuff begins to bother you (mild allergic reaction in my case). It's nice to be able change out clothing and leave the bug spray behind....
I used to do mangrove and seagrass surveys in Florida Bay, either basing out of the Key Largo Ranger Station or Flamingo. I have been on many of the islands in any of the 12 months of the year.
Needless to say, I know bugs and how to avoid them. Everything you've said is 100% correct, absolute spot on.
If you do use a DEET based protectant (works well) just watch any plastic surfaces. It will ruin plastic car door trims beautifully.
Might have to reconsider where to spend the holiday.:-?
You could always find a place that has screening like this http://www.suncoastoutdoorliving.com...FUpxvAod0loM0Q
Or have you thought about Tasmania ? Ausfish member with acccomodation setup who might even take you offshore to catch stuff if you ask nicely.
C
C
Interesting read on the different treatments. DEET is effective but is nasty stuff, and has bad effects on plastics like some watch lenses, sunnies and the like.
When we know we are going to be in a high sandfly zone, we use a blend of one third each:
metho
dettol
baby oil
It is applied liberally (quite a solid coating) from a pump spray bottle.
It has successfully passed the Turkey Beach sandfly test for me, on several trips there.
I vividly recall coming back to our unit late one day and doing some filleting outside just before dusk. I had those neoprene fishing shoes on, one got a bit gunky with fish guts etc as I was working so I kicked it off. Within minutes my foot was almost black with sand flies where the boot had been, whereas above there where I still had a good coating of our TB sandfly brew applied, none.
FWIW....
Avoid Banksia beach at sun set and Woorim and Bongaree would be 10times better than Banksia beach.
Thanks for that chris69Quote:
Originally Posted by chris69
I had a bottle of Rid leak while in the door of the car and all the vynil bubbled up wherever it touched, didn't think Rid had DEET in it.Quote:
Originally Posted by scottar
One time up on the Daly River a mate put DEET on his legs where he had a cut, it blew up and got severely infected, had to take him to the local mission hospital for treatment. Nasty stuff.
I brought a product thermacell sold at BFC
It's a portable insect repellent gadget that uses a small gas bottle to burn a repellent insert
It seems to work I used it on the boat to clear out the midges before we put down the covers
I also throw it on the ground under the table when having a beer and it helps keep the bloody things from eating my legs
Cheers
Craighttp://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...b51b59d0e3.png
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it not camping or holiday if your not gettin eaten by sandfile and mosz, it the EXP i tell you!!!