Do you make your own bug spray? Do you buy a cheap, but natural brand?

I would if I could find dryer sheets I'm not allergic to. They've got to have some chemical in them or some perfume that messes with my head.

If I can find one that is hypoallegetic, then I will try. Thanks for the idea, never heard that one. Take care

Listerine, really? I've never heard that. Everyone says that where you live? Interesting. Must be it really does then. Camping, if in the woods, is a really true test, like where I live is a swamp, that's also a really true test. Have fun camping and let me know how it works out and thanks!

Tried listerine, bugs were after me in a few minutes, as soon as I started to swet.

My Doctor had me eating a clove of garlic with every meal and I did really well with that, except there is nothing besides eggs that goes with garlic for an American breakfast and he told me raw only (it was for blood pressure, not for bugs). That did work, but after about a month I couldn't stand it any more and no one wants to talk to you because you smell like a humungus garlic clove! (lol)

Never seen a Palmetto bug up here, that I know of. I live in the land of three seasons, Winter, about 8 months of the year, a funky spring/fall kind of thing for about 3 month of the year, and summer is July. We have three kinds of winter in one winter, sleet, sub-zero, and mixed mess (rain to sleet to snow and back to rain again). Wasn't like that when I was a kid. Sub-zero was maybe 1 to 3 days a year, now it's 3 to 6 weeks a year and we never, ever had that mixed stuff that goes on for weeks. So I suspect the Palmetto bugs get up here on semi-trucks (most bugs hitch a ride that way, although a lot of vermon get here by boat) and then die in one of our wonderful winter seasons.

So if you can manage a clove of garlic a meal, raw, you, too can probably be bug free like your friend.

Someone once asked me how much garlic powder I wanted on my chicken, he kept putting little sprinkles on. I finally took the over off the thing and dumped it on. I could roll meat in garlic powder (no salt-added kind) like breading. I suspect your friend is like me. But other than with meat, it's a real challenge for me to eat it all the time. Roasted is great, but it kills the active ingredient, even dried isn't supposed to be very powerful.

Have you Googled Palmetto bugs? Maybe there is something on the internet to help you. Here, our Cooperative Extention tells us 2 teaspons of dishwashing liquid in a pint of water sprayed on things gets rid of most bugs. That's for plants, but for your house, not sure how that would work. Peppermint oil sprayed outside the house and around the edges of our floors helps keep ants from invading homes. Beyond that, I don't know (not sure how that would work for all floors or plants outdoors either, we're in different area with different things.)

That should be cover, not over, sorry for the confusion.

Do you think garlic pills work? Thanks for the advice about Googling it.

Now, about that weather, how do you function? It must make getting anywhere difficult. I went to New York once, and I had to wear so many layers of clothes I could barely move! The snow was really beautiful when it was new, but it got dirty and ugly and sloppy very quickly. I admire your ability to survive! Here we just need to find reief from the heat, and that's fairly easy.

Very good question, I don't know the answer, though. I'd read the packages carefully and try them. If the active ingredient is still good, then I guess it would work, but if it's been cooked or altered too much, it wouldn't work.

Snow, piece of cake! We have snow tires and we take our driving tests in winter. Snow plows keep the streets passable. Sleet and ice, that's different. I stay home. Once the sanding trucks go though and then awhile later, the plows, the road is often mostly bare. We dress in layers, only way to go. Gets warmer, take a layer off, gets colder, put a layer back on. Sleep in sleeping bags, sometimes with ground pads on top of the beds. It's rain and humidity that get to me because I have arthritis. Woodstoves and regular heaters of all kinds help us out. It costs lots of money to live up here. Clothes, heaters, snow plowing your driveway, if the cost of fuel stays up, many people will die this year or have to live in shelters.

I can always add more clothes, but society says I can't run around naked, so heat and I aren't friends. On blood pressure meds and going through menopause, I'm boiling or freezing all the time reguardless of the actual weather, so right now it doesn't matter too much.

This has been an interesting discussion. I wish springlike weather of 65 to 70 degrees was all the time, but those temps are seldom up here. Take care and thanks for responding

Oh yeah, try a snowmobile suit next time you're up here, you don't have to wear quite so many layers outdoors.

Interesting name, I had a Naturopathic healer give me cobra venom medicine for a little while, interesting stuff. It was cut over 100xs and only about 100th of a drop in a tiny pellet I dissolved in my mouth. Was supposed to lower my blood pressure, didn't. Was also supposed to make me able to really get after some one who got after me first, now, that, it did. They were calline me the mouse that roared.

So how do you come by your name, I think it's an interesting one.

My students gave it to me. I teach 12th grade English at South Miami High School, and our mascot is a cobra. When I got my first computer, in the 1980s, they taught me how to use it and bestowed a screen name upon me. Since then, they e-mail me often. I love hearing from those who graduated long ago. I invited one of my favorites and her husband and daughter to join us on myLot. She sends me something to give me a little giggle every morning, just as she used to be the first one in class, putting the joke of the day on the bulletin board!

Oops! I hit the "button" by mistake.

I'm intrigued by your name. Please tell aabout it.

AAAhhh, so you're a teacher, too. My former students don't email me, they're ex (I hope)-cons. I used to work in NYState Prisons.

I wanted a name that I would have to live up to, something with a "writer" in it. I had to hurry up and think of something, people say my comments are edgey or even on the edge, sort of between what is cool and maybe what isn't, often with a double meaning. So "edge" popped into my head. It's not really as interesting as your name. I thought you might be a snake dancer, either from one of the Southern religions or from one of the Native American ones.

See #2 response above, she says listerine helps with some kinds of bugs. I've never heard of it, but she says everyone where she lives swears by it.

I think it's a combination of eat garlic and don't eat sugar. I think the bugs like the sugar in our bloodstream. Wonder if I'm right. Take care

Thanks. I wonder what would happen if I mixed a jar of garlic powder into a bottle of Listerine. It would certainly smell funny!

I tried the listerine and I tried natural defense for dog and cats. Bugs were after me as soon as I started to swet.

I'm discouraged, the bugs are so thick. I broke down and bought some deep woods off. Still had some mosquitoes after me. Not as many bugs or as many kinds, but seems like nothing helps this year. A friend told me lemons, tried that, didn't work either.

Let me know if garlic and listerine work, bet it would taste funny, too.

It seemed so ridiculous, I had to try it right away. There were three mosquitoes on the hand I was spreading the mixture with. I think they enjoyed a new cocktail! It didn't work at all!

My theory is this:

Survival of the fittest. If only the ones who drink blood despite listerine and garlic survive in an area and they mate with others with more access, say a farm, then whether it is a dominate or recessive gene, doesn't matter. I'm going to get creamed in my woods!

I think when I have more time, I will check out more of your discussions. Currently, I'm not discussing anything with another teacher. Teachers seem to come and go here, or I just don't have topics that go with their interests. Surprised I haven't run into you here besides this one topic.

Thanks and take care.

Thanks for the "best response". Are other teachers odd? We often get so overworked that we can't take even a few minutes out for myLot r anything else, but I enjoy the discussions (of all sorts) too much to give it up.
See ya!

That's 2 of you for mouthwash, #2 says listerine. So that must be a good idea. Since I garden and pick berries as well as other foods both tame and wild, as well as mow lawn, I really need to be outdoors and I really need help. Thanks and take care.

The information I read didn't say whether to dilute it or not. Guess you can try both and see what works best. I would, however, be concerned that mouthwash might cause dry skin because of the alcohol.

Good thing to think about, I would mostly put it on my clothes since I'm fair skinned and get burned easily. Even if I didn't, I'm on two blood pressure meds and a rosacea ones that cause me to get burned! Plus can't put any alcohol on my face because of the rosacea. But the ones coming at my face I can see coming. Maybe if I spray my hat it will be strong enough to keep them away from my face, too. Thanks and take care.

I think it's a great idea to spray it on your hat. Hope it works.

Didn't work, in 5 minutes they were after my arms and dive-bombing my face so fast, I had to get out of the woods. Oh well, need to keep trying. Thanks

Thanks for the feedback. I'll know now not to suggest mouthwash as a bug spray. Am sorry it didn't work. Years ago Skin So Soft, by Avon, was suppose to be a good bug repellant. It didn't work for me.

I remember that now. Someone at work sells Avon. I think it's the year, I broke down and bought deep woods off and my husband and I still had some bugs after us. Thanks and take care.

I wonder if we have such a thing in the states. I know we were working on such a thing, but I haven't hear commercials for it. Mostly noise ones and citronella types of stuff. Doesn't work on biting flies? That's too bad because we have tons of those, too. Thanks and take care.