Garlic:
I am a big fan of fresh garlic, crush and pour the juice over your mosquito net every three days: This will prevent anything entering your tent.

Chilli:
Those African Birds eye chillies are lethal. The kind you find behind long drops. I used them as christmass ornaments a couple of years back, Nairobi to Cape town in 7 days for next client pickup; very lonely.

Cut them in half and expose the flesh and pips, then leave lying around your tent entrance and luggage. I have not been brave enough to squeeze the juice out of them, but imagine this would be extremely effective. Caution: These are extremely hot, always wash with soap and then double scrub your hands before peeing: I learnt the hard way. Nothing crawling will come near them.

Tabbard:
Insects are predatory, and many use exhaled (higher Carbon dioxide content) to locate their prey, such as bed lice, and my wifeys favorite, little blood sucking tickies! So ventilation of exhaled air away from you is a good thing, such as tents with air holes at the other end to your head.

Tabbard is an absolute essential for socks and shorts, re apply every second wash. This keeps pepper ticks off your legs. Trust me, they are there you cant see them but they are there.

Incidentally the bed lice look like maggots and crawl into your nose to drink then sneak away soon afterwards, its a good idea to be elevated to avoid these little buggers.

Whisky:
Camping on the east coast of Lake Kariba my mate and I got absolutely hammered on boiled Whisky (Thanks you mad french man whoever you were) and that was one of the first nights we were not attacked by Mosquitos, and there are a few there strong anough to carry an adult of a tent to give to their kids

Gin:
Gin and Tonic to be precise, not sure how effective it is but Tonic contains high quantities of Quinine, and everyone knows that the basis for treatment and prevention of Malaria is to load up on Quinine, in my book a few G&T's has got to be considered a medicinal preventative. But gin on the other hand is sweet and makes an excellent base for pork chop marinade, so I am not too sure it will help with the insect prevention side.
Thus Whisky wins for insect repellant, but Gin wins for Quinine content.

Conclusion;
well lets face it Whisky and tonic is vile, so G&T sundowners and Whisky nights.


Women:
As for women and stuff, not a problem, even Diving with tiger sharks off Aliwal shoal diddnt (to my disapointment) make them anymore interested. (...sharks the sharks that is)
Funny how Cape Town women divers always asked me aside to enquire about that issue!

If you are familiar with animals pulling a Phlemen expression it may be interesting to you to watch this, they are deffinitely more perceptive towards menstrual cycles than men. And being upwind of a pride of Lions it is interesting to watch the lionesses get all twitchy.

Catapult:
Oh and Baboons know the difference between men and women and pay scant regard to charging women armed with an axe, but will be terrified of a man holding a catapult! So on the female issue avoid baboons.
Another pest repellant: Catapult.

As for Lions, a can of African (highly flamable) insecticide eg DOOM, and a lighter; you will soon see whos the king of the jungle: the fire breathing human.

G

Quote:

Originally Posted by photographicsafaris If ever in East Africa, the branches of the small bushes that lions lie under are a natural insecticide.

first chase away the Lion........... hmmmmmmmmm on second thoughts, i will stick to the flies and insects thanks mate!

Not home made ... but natural.

When you run out of mossie coils, insence sticks .. burning dry cow pats is said to turn insects away..

__________________
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Regards Frank Warner
motorcycles BMW R80 G/S 1981, BMW K11LT 1993, BMW K75 G/S

You're talking crap.

OK - so who knows where to buy the Avon Bug Guard stuff in the UK?

I've seen a few places that sell it from the states (Amazon etc) but surely there's somewhere local?

Avon's UK website doesn't seem to list it...

I think the stuff you want is SSS ( Skin So Soft )
made by as you say Avon Cosmetics, its used by the Army, SAS, even used by ME so it cant be too bad. although i use it for another purpose than chasing bugs. when you peel a sticker off, its great for removing left behind adhesive! there is even a web page devoted to the 1000's of uses for SSS!

Martyn