Mosquito Repellant on Synthetic Stocks

It's citronella that was the key ingredient in original SSS. You can get a version that includes it but I didn't think it worked at all (although midges seem to find me particularly appetising unfortunately...).

I've started using Smidge and it seems to work well, although I double it up with DEET - Smidge going on exposed skin and also using a DEET spray on my hat, buff neck gaiter thing, and on the backs of my gloves. Smidge stops them biting but doesn't repel as strongly as DEET so I find using both keeps them at a distance better. Just Smidge can still leave you miserable in a cloud of the little feckers landing on you and getting in your eyes/nose/ears etc.

Skin so Soft is fine if you are watching an especially tricky episode of Countryfile. There was an older version of it (I think they are now making it again specifically as a midge repellent) which contained an extract of lemon oil (something like that) which some people believe is a mild/moderate repellent for midges but they changed the formula and so more recent versions, except the one specifically marketed as an insect repellent, contain nothing at all that will repel insects. I suspect some people get it to work by applying a layer thick enough such that the midges can't get through or stick to it and drown.

DEET is OK, but melts everything including your car, rifle, fly line, fishing rod...

The active ingredient in Smidge (and some other preparations) was produced by Bayer to repel midges - they did the science and produced the product. Even when the midges are bad it works with the big positive that it doesn't melt anything and, as I understand, even the EPA consider it safe to use on kids. On this basis it would be my recommendation - get something designed to do the job rather than something that might work a bit if you get lucky. The active ingredient has been marketed under a range of names including saltidin, icaridin, bayrepel and picaridin so look for something with one of those in it. The Smidge people claim their unique selling point is that their preparation is waterproof and my experience is that this seems to be true providing common sense is applied. The other advantage with Smidge is that just about every Tesco, fishing shop, post office, ourdoor shop etc. north of Perth sells it :)

Interestingly I've been out in Ireland on a few calm days recently and have not found the midges at all bad, despite conditions being ideal, but they have been bad in Scotland. Bad is a sort of relative thing though as even a modest attack can make your life a misery.
 
This thread is what SD should be about ......not that politics and other crap.

Plus I've decided I'm not using Deet anymore ....if that ****e can do that to so many plastics it just can't be good for you ?

I can't remember if article I read was here or a Facebook group page but a lab rat type woman did her own informal testing of various repellents ....looking for Deet free for her kids ...and wanted something known to work on tick as well as midges .....her unofficial recommendation was
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I'm in Thailand just now and I'm using smidge for 1st time and seems to keep mozzies off compared to last couple trips .
I really like smell too .
I'd heard the reports about skin so soft changed but didn't know they had it out marketed as a repellant .....I liked that as well .

Will have to try the Mosi-guard when I get home .....anyone report on that one?

At least seems to be a few less harsh chemical variants about now ....coupled with a highlander head net


Paul
 
:stir:
Hello
Setting off for Scotland next week and I am told the midges are horrendous this year
I was intending to use a 'mozzie repellent - Jungle Formula - that contains "Deet" and I was wondering if it has any effect on synthetic stocks at all?
I have always used it against leeches and mosquitos but have been careful not to get into onto optical equipment so I don't know how it reacts to plastics or polymers
Any clues anyone?
Bloody hell Ed it's only a Blazer. I'm not worrying to much about my PH, see buy cheap don't fret. Not worth the stress.:rofl:
 
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:stir:
Bloody hell Ed it's only a Blazer. I'm not worrying to much about my PH, see buy cheap don't fret. Not worth the stress.:rofl:

I will treat that remark with the contempt it deserves - at least until I can think of a better 'put-down!!
By the Way John it is spelt - BLASER. - see you Friday
 
+1 Avon SsS , Deet is good but as others have said it eats plastic .I still have a bottle or 1977 stuff we were issued for a hot sticky land bloody stuff melted my basher / poncho to bits . I now use Thermacell but would add its no good for walking but sitting up its the nuts . Give the Skin so soft ago , if it don't work for you can always smell nice when you get home lmao.
 
Is this statement based on your testing of every single insect repellent on the market, on many people, or just what you find works for you ? I was told by a friend who used it regularly, that the formula had been changed, and no longer had the repellent element ?

That said, I have a bottle of the old version, I stole from him (thanks Orion ;) ) and it works ok, and keeps my hands nice and soft. Smells better than Jungle Formula too.

I find Jungle formula works better for me, but it stinks, and likes to eat some rubbers, and plastics. It destroyed the rubber coating on my old Pulsar thermal, which was kindly replaced under warranty by Thomas Jacks, but be very careful with it.

Ok, I embellished... this stuff is the best midge repellent *that I have ever tried...bar none. It's the only thing that has allowed me to work outside on the occasional windless day we do get through "summer" up here when the midges are in full force (torture!). Jungle formula, Smidge, or any other deet containing spray on, roll on, cream or lotion that I've ever tried, can't hold a candle to hit...speaking of which, the citrus candles you can buy aren't worth a penny either...in my opinion. :D
 
Ok, I embellished... this stuff is the best midge repellent *that I have ever tried...bar none. It's the only thing that has allowed me to work outside on the occasional windless day we do get through "summer" up here when the midges are in full force (torture!). Jungle formula, Smidge, or any other deet containing spray on, roll on, cream or lotion that I've ever tried, can't hold a candle to hit...speaking of which, the citrus candles you can buy aren't worth a penny either...in my opinion. :D


LOL......................... I'm sorry, "unqualified", bold, sweeping statements, are a pet hate, because they can be very misleading. I'm getting to the end of my stolen original bottle of SSS, so save it for when I'm out socially, and use the JF for hunting, unless I'm in a high stand for boar, and then use a Thermacell, which is excellent.
 
Just Smidge can still leave you miserable in a cloud of the little feckers landing on you and getting in your eyes/nose/ears etc.

Yes, it seems to me that different people have different sensitivity to midges buzzing around them and landing on them. Many people I know who claim to have been murdered by midges haven't actually been bitten, they've just been annoyed by the presence of the midge or by having it walk about on them. DEET seems better at helping keep midges at a distance, at least a bit, but I don't think Smidge is as good at this though it does help. What Smidge does do is stops them biting you and that is sufficient for me. I took the following a few years back while camping, my timing wasn't great so I'd two days of this :) I didn't have any bites but I know people who faced with this would claim they were murdered by the midges, even if they also had no bites:

 
Thank you all for your opinions - quite by chance I will have the Avon and Smidge when I go
Will report back
Wish me luck!

Thanks again
Ed
 
I was out in one of our fenland woods yesterday evening, sitting in the shade on my idleback chair, waiting for Muntjac to appear.

As it was so hot, I wasn't wearing gloves but well covered in Smidge. Along came one of our mosquitoes, that had a good buzz around before landing on the back of my hand.

I just watched it walk around, obviously looking for somewhere to bite. It moved about for a couple of minutes before giving up and departing.

This would seem to support Caorach's experience with the Scottish midges......they will land but not bite, with Icaridin products.

I had sprayed my old bush hat with Jungle Formula 'natural', which seems to keep them away effectively but now smells strongly of 'lemon'. Any article of clothing that I have sprayed with this in the past has been banished to the shed......by order of the Chief Fairy herself :) on the grounds that it stinks the whole house out.
 
Couple of years ago I was stalking near Moffat in June, staying in a cruddy caravan on the land. I had been meticulous about applying repellant but one night was awoken by a 'call of nature' and unthinking went outside to answer it without re-applying. no sooner had I got the ol' chap out, I was set upon by a swarm of midges. It was very much a case of "doctor can you leave the swelling but take away the pain".. Since then Smidge seems to have done the job for me.. paying particular attention to 'sensitive' areas!!
 
This would seem to support Caorach's experience with the Scottish midges......they will land but not bite, with Icaridin products.

I think this difference in performance of the various potions also explains the differences in reported efficacy in the sense that different people react to the presence of the midges in differing ways and for a goodly proportion of people not being bitten is not enough, they react badly to the actual presence of the midges. It must be said that I think Smidge reduces the number walking on you by maybe up to 75% so it makes a big dent in them but when they are literally too thick to open your eyes this still means a lot of midges walking on you.

Amazingly we have, basically, none here in the northern part of Ireland this year. I was out today in a perfect midge storm - muggy, warm, overcast, windless, in commercial forestry on ombrotrophic moor beside a stagnant pool. I sat and made tea and drunk it and only one or two midges ended up floating in my tea and there were not huge numbers flying about. I don't think I've ever seen so few. I guess maybe we are between generations as that does happen with midges but even so I've been out in similar conditions on 3 - 4 occasions over the past month with the same vanishingly low midge count compared to normal. To put this in persepective this photo was taken in the same place, attempting to make tea, in June either last year or the year before, the black sludge at the bottom of the pot is dead midge that sunk:

 
I'm not a hippie but do worry what these chemicals do to our skin given they 'eat' bino rubber/glass/synthetic stocks. To that end I went over to Skin so Soft only a while back and the last couple of years Bug Soother (I stalk in Galloway and Mull so well tested!) - both good on midges and mozzies, nowt stops cleggies though I'm afraid!
 
I used to be a great believer in SSS but it is rubbish now, complete waste of time

As an aside it never has been a midge 'repellant' but more a barrier cream that midges don't like to bite throu (as coaroch and uncle norm have already said)

Smidge is pretty good but can sting ur eyes if ur sweating a lot with it on. The kiwi's use a mixture of baby oil and detol against sand flies which works quite good too, neve tried it here against midges thou.

As for deet, if something is so strong it melts ur plastic bino's/rifle butt and u want to be wearin it on ur skin for 12+ hrs a day!!
Not for me

Ur best bet is a midge jacket, a fine mesh hoody with face viel, u hardly know ur wearing it and real easy to leave 1 in ur motor/stalking bag
Thingaby on here sells them, remembered Moray Outfitting (from way up north) worth every penny (althou not moth/mice proof, little bugger have ate holes in 1 of mine althou only lower down so still useable)
Really handy thing to have, esp if u wear a cap/sun hat under it to keep the face bit away from ur face
 
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Tried avon skin so soft... didn't work at all for me!

Smidge works 100% in my experience... they will land on you but they don't bite... great stuff, always take some with me
 
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