# Mosquitoes



## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

It's been awhile since I've been in a mosquito infested area. When I was in a area with lots of mosquitoes they would attack my GSD's ears.

Once again I will be heading into a area with fleas, ticks and mosquitoes.

I will be using Frontline for fleas and ticks. Is there a product I can use in conjunction with Frontline to help with mosquito bites?


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## jamie lind (Feb 19, 2009)

i've been looking at this product. http://www.1800petmeds.com/K9+Advantix-prod10631.html does anyone else know anything about it? is it as safe as frontline? does it really work on mosquitoes?


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## Candy Eggert (Oct 28, 2008)

Hi Lee,

I've used Skin So Soft by Avon with very good results on my dogs. It repels mosquitoes, fleas, flies and other pesky varmits. You can even use it on your skin for the same purpose. I mainly put it on the dog's ears but you can spray and rub it in to the coat as well. It contains no chemicals, so it's +1 for me.

Hope this helps!


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## Julie Ann Alvarez (Aug 4, 2007)

We don't have flees or ticks where I am but we have terrible mosquitos. A few years ago a friend turned me onto Harts flee & tick drops. It also kills mosiquitos. I use it every summer now. It is cheap ($6 for a 3 month supply at walmart). You just put it on between the shoulder blades. 

It beats the heck out of spraying my dogs down every day with horse fly spray (what I used to use).

Julie


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## todd pavlus (Apr 30, 2008)

Candy Eggert said:


> Hi Lee,
> 
> I've used Skin So Soft by Avon with very good results on my dogs. It repels mosquitoes, fleas, flies and other pesky varmits. You can even use it on your skin for the same purpose. I mainly put it on the dog's ears but you can spray and rub it in to the coat as well. It contains no chemicals, so it's +1 for me.
> 
> Hope this helps!


I second this idea, that stuff worked great on those nasty biting flies when I was in florida.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Julie Ann Alvarez said:


> We don't have flees or ticks where I am but we have terrible mosquitos. A few years ago a friend turned me onto Harts flee & tick drops. It also kills mosiquitos. I use it every summer now. It is cheap ($6 for a 3 month supply at walmart). You just put it on between the shoulder blades.
> 
> It beats the heck out of spraying my dogs down every day with horse fly spray (what I used to use).
> 
> Julie


I think Connie had some negative articles about Hartz products. I don't know if it was this specific product.

Perhaps Connie will jump in here.


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

For Candy and Todd - Is it greasy on the dog's ears?


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## todd pavlus (Apr 30, 2008)

I used the cream, it's actually more like a moisturizer. But I think you can get it in an oil, a moisturizer, and maybe even powder. And that's all I know about Avon products:-\" :-D


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

WTF! I got on Avon's website. There is 55 different varieties of skin so soft! What one? ](*,)


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

_"It contains no chemicals, so it's +1 for me."_

Am I the only one who sees the humor in that?

When it comes to mosquitos, they leave everyone else alone and flock to me. I might have to try this stuff.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> I think Connie had some negative articles about Hartz products. I don't know if it was this specific product.
> 
> Perhaps Connie will jump in here.


Hartz, Sergeant's, and other OTC pesticides.
http://www.epa.gov/opp00001/factsheets/flea-tick-drops.htm (Too little, too late, IMO.)

The EPA announced last month that it was concentrating on products that had accounted for about 80 percent of the complaints of nerve damage and deaths (like Alco, Americare, Beaphar, Double Duty, Ford’s, Freedom Five, Happy Jack, Hartz, Hopkins, Kill-Ko, Protection, Rabon, Riverdale, Sergeant, Unicorn, Vet-Kem, Victory and Zema). 

These complaints were piling up at the EPA and shuffled around due to short-staff problems (or so I have read). 

These are lower-cost OTC treatments available in pet and discount stores, as opposed to products that must be purchased through veterinarians. 

Look particularly for etrachlorvinphos, carbaryl, propoxur, amitraz and permethrin on the label, and don't buy the product if you see any of these. (JMO.)

http://www.nrdc.org/health/effects/pets/pets.pdf

It's not just danger to the animal, but to children handling the animal or even the carpet, bedding, etc. Adults are not as vulnerable as small creatures, but these OPs (organophosphates) and pyrethroids are nothing I want introduced regularly to my house or my dogs.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

http://www.WorkingDogForum.com/vBulletin/f25/bio-spot-versus-frontline-10833/index2.html

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Pet_Products_Concern.html

http://www.hsus.org/pets/pet_care/what_you_should_know_about_flea_and_tick_products/


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## Candy Eggert (Oct 28, 2008)

Lee H Sternberg said:


> For Candy and Todd - Is it greasy on the dog's ears?


Hi Lee,

It's been years since I've used it (and you know how the memory fades :? ) but I remember it being a light oil, not a greasy feeling.Like Todd said more like a moisturizer. I didn't know they had a cream version but maybe for the ears this would be better. The product I used was in a spray bottle, sprayed on my hands and applied to the dogs. Depending on the activity of the pests and dogs, you may need to reapply.

For Darryl...hey it beats the chemical composition of OFF!! And so worth it if those disease carrying mosquitoes move over to everyone else


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## Candy Eggert (Oct 28, 2008)

Lee I just went to the Avon website and I think it's the "original bath oil"? Almost last page of the Skin So Soft products. If it's too thick, dilute a bit and put in to a spray bottle. I see Avon has caught on to this product as a repellent as they show products labeled as such now.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

Daryll,

What, all 6 that live in Colorado ??? LOL


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

For years, I have heard it said that B1, thiamin, was good at keeping bugs away. Makes the body produce a bad odor, so does not taking a bath once a week! How or if it works with dogs I don't know...the B1 that is...


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

It has to be in massive doses, and even then just cuts down the amount. They are water soluable and so would have to be everyday.


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

Jeff Oehlsen said:


> Daryll,
> 
> What, all 6 that live in Colorado ??? LOL


They can get pretty bad, when you live surrounded by Farmland and a non-flowing irrigation ditch crosses your driveway. With it's numerous lakes and reservoires, Loveland has their own "Mosquito Task Force" with two or three full time employees.

I think my wife would always use DEET (EPA approved) for the horses. Their website is http://www.deetonline.org/


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## Howard Gaines III (Dec 26, 2007)

Daryl I have a small ditch (18") deep and a pond on my farm. This year is one of the first that I have been seeing mosquitoes around the house. They are everywhere!!!!!!!! These things are in the pasture grass, cypress trees, outbuildings, you name it. I might figure out the fogger thing and blast them. With today's rain...they'll be out in force before you know it.


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## Dan Long (Jan 10, 2008)

We've been using the K9 Advantix for a few years now. It really does repel the mosquitos. Our area is pretty bad, we're near a marsh that is a huge wildlife refuge and we also get the smaller woodland type. You have to spray deet on yourself if you plan on spending any time outside, even in daylight. 

I've watched the mosquitos home in on one of the dogs, go to land, but never go any closer than a couple inches away. I know it's time to reapply it when they start to land on them. 

Howard, it's strange, we haven't been seeing many so far this year, usually they are out by now, but it hasn't been so bad. I'm sure the time will come soon enough though.


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## Candy Eggert (Oct 28, 2008)

~fwiw on DEET

http://chemistry.about.com/cs/howthingswork/a/aa042703a.htm


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Thanks for the advice, Candy. I found Avon Skin So Soft original formula at a local Avon store. I will be trying it soon on me and the dogs. I hope it works on no seeums too.

I can't try it locally because I never saw a mosquito or flea here.


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

There are "natural/organic" insect repellents, such as Crocodile Natural Insect Repellent and Natural Catnip Oil, "10 times more effective than DEET."
http://www.mosquitosolutions.com/crocodile.html
http://www.mosquitosolutions.com/catnip.html

What the two have in common, is rosemary. So, my question is this: with a product such as Grizzly Salmon Oil Dog Supplement, which contains salmon oil (of course), and rosemary extract, does/should anyone who use this product (or similar) have any reported mosquito problems with their pets?


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Daryl Ehret said:


> There are "natural/organic" insect repellents, such as Crocodile Natural Insect Repellent and Natural Catnip Oil, "10 times more effective than DEET."
> http://www.mosquitosolutions.com/crocodile.html
> http://www.mosquitosolutions.com/catnip.html
> 
> What the two have in common, is rosemary. So, my question is this: with a product such as Grizzly Salmon Oil Dog Supplement, which contains salmon oil (of course), and rosemary extract, does/should anyone who use this product (or similar) have any reported mosquito problems with their pets?


I use Kronch Salmon Oil which is substantially cheaper ($59 for 84 ozs.) than Grizzly. I don't see anything about rosemary on the Kronch ingredients label. Is that ingredient specific to Grizzly?

If Grizzly also keeps mosquitoes away I will switch and kill two birds with -------. In fact maybe I will take it too a kill three birds. :-D


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## todd pavlus (Apr 30, 2008)

Just to let you know, Sam's club online has wild alaskan salmon oil, with rosemary extract for $17 per 32 oz. It's good stuff and cheap


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## Gerry Grimwood (Apr 2, 2007)

Smear the top of the dogs head with chainsaw bar oil, they will stick there and you can wipe them off at your leisure.

Seriously, why don't you just ask the locals ? they will know for sure what works or if anything helps at all, or if they care.

You could just lose the dogs and get some grunt to lay on your porch, might be cheaper in the long run :razz:


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Gerry Grimwood said:


> Smear the top of the dogs head with chainsaw bar oil, they will stick there and you can wipe them off at your leisure.
> 
> Seriously, why don't you just ask the locals ? they will know for sure what works or if anything helps at all, or if they care.
> 
> You could just lose the dogs and get some grunt to lay on your porch, might be cheaper in the long run :razz:


The locals don't get bitten. This includes my wife who really has not been a "local" for years. The locals could care less if their dog gets eaten alive. Dogs are not held in very high esteem there. A old dog in Central America is 4 years old.


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

The link I put of Grizzly is a sale price for the new 64oz. bottle, at $47. So thats 73 cents per oz., compared to Kronch at 70 cents per oz., but Wild Alaskan at 53 cents per oz. sounds great too. With the Grizzly, add $4.95 for ground shipping, and it wouldn't cost a whole lot of difference to at least try it out.

From what I can gather, the rosemary extract is added to help preserve the fatty acids in the salmon oil. If salmon oil is exposed to the atmosphere for an extended period of time, it causes the highly reactive fatty acids to be oxidized by the air. The oil then loses its fresh pure scent, having less potent partially saturated fatty acids. Even in the production process, _"A totally enclosed and continuous in-line extraction process ensures the oil is kept away from air until it is pumped into your pet's food bowl!"_

My real question is then; can a substance (rosemary) that proves so effective when topically applied to repel mosquitos and fleas, also benefit in a similar manner when ingested? I know that a high sodium diet (like mine) _can attract them to you!_


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

todd pavlus said:


> Just to let you know, Sam's club online has wild alaskan salmon oil, with rosemary extract for $17 per 32 oz. It's good stuff and cheap


Good tip,Todd. After I run out of the years supply that I'm taking there with me, I will remember that!


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## Lee H Sternberg (Jan 27, 2008)

Daryl - So it's the sodium that getting me killed? I always blamed it on "them" having some sort of immunity after years of exposure. Then I thought maybe it was the darker complexion.

Anything but being a RIPE sodium filled ******. :lol:


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## Daryl Ehret (Apr 4, 2006)

There's also a sardine oil that also has rosemary in it, but recommended dosage (for some reason) works out to be double what it is for salmon oil, .64oz/day sardine oil vs .32oz/day salmon oil for a 75 pound dog. Not only that, but around $1.16/oz.

Additional listed benefits to rosemary include less mental fatique, enhanced memory, increased concentration, stimulates mental activity. I'm liking the _three birds _idea, here.


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