Mozzie repellant

Has anyone got any advice/preferences on a good, natural mosquito repellant? I won't use deet 'coz I want to live.

I use a citronela based one - but I cant remember what its called. (But Moziguard rings a bell?)

Not tried it anywhere really bad yet though.

Anyone else with a helpfull answer? (as opposed to my unhelpful one).

I know Lakeland sell an electronic thing that you clip onto your belt and it sends out some pulse that is meant to stop the mossies. Dont know if it works.

Anybody know if it also works for midges?

Not heard of this electronic gizmo before, sounds interesting! I bought some citrus based stuff on Skye a couple of years ago which worked really well, especially against the midges, but I can't remember what it was called. I shall be going to Alaska for August, September and October, so I need something heavy-duty, but I really do not want to use deet or some similar poison.

Oil of citronella. Buy from chemist. Cheap.

Thanks for that, Jeannie. Oil of citronella it is. Hope it repels bears, too!

It's quite pungent in a lemony way. If you wear it don't sit outside a pub in summer drinking as it fair gets into everyone's beer. (as they say round 'ere)

Just bought some natural repellent - new brand I haven't seen before: All Terrain Herbal Armour - its distibuted over here by Rosker Ltd PO12 4LJ. Since I have to work quite a bit in an area which is used as a scientific breeding ground for lots of nasty biting little ****s I'll be trying it out quite a bit in the next few weeks and let you know how well it works.
Active ingredient for those in the know about chemicals are as follows:
Cymbopogon Nardus, Cera Alba, Mentha Piperita, Cedrus Altantica, Cymbopogon Schoenathus. Not being a botanist I have absolutely no idea what any of those are!

Java citronella, dunno, peppermint, cedar, another citronella.

Delete 'dunno', insert '(bees)wax' (looking in the wrong place).

The common Catmint (nepeta cataria) is alleged (by those selling it) to be more effective as a general insect repellant than citronella. As it obviously attracts cats (who roll in it to get rid of parasites)it would seem to be doubly desirable. Splendid chaps, cats.

Hey, I don't even mind if I smell like a cat as long as this stuff works.

Chris, I'll look forwards to hearing how you get on with Herbal Armour and where I can get it from. Thanks.

Avon skin so soft! Apparently works incredibly well. Even the SAS use it during jungle training. I have yet to hear anyone say different that have actually tried it.

Not everybody...

http://www.freep.com/money/consumer/guide2_20000702.htm states:
"What does MSU bug expert Walker use?
Deet.
"There are lots of different commercial products," Walker said. "The most effective ones have deet."
Walker said he uses deet on his two children, ages 3 and 5. He uses a concentration around 6 percent but uses a higher concentration for himself.
"Deet has an outstanding human safety record," he said.
Consumer Reports also found strong deet products to be effective. Among the products it tested, the most effective were Amway HourGuard12 and Off! Deep Woods for Sportsmen.
Off! Deep Woods for Sportmen, which is 100 percent deet, kept mosquitoes from biting for at least 11 to 12 hours. It kept ticks away for at least 4 hours.
Amway HourGuard12, which is 33 percent deet, kept ticks away for at least 9 hours.
BugOut, a 15-percent deet aerosol, worked for at least 4 hours against mosquitoes and at least 2 hours against ticks.

Avon's Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard did not protect Consumer Reports testers at all. Mosquitoes attacked at the first opportunity."

Please note that Avon do NOT call it a 'bug guard' and that name has been appended by the writer of the article I have quoted. Avon take pains to stress that it is an after-bath moisturiser and not an insect repellant.
Many university-research-based controlled tests have ended up with the same results - if it DOES work for some people, they don't know why.

I only know that it brings me out in an awful red swollen rash, DEET doesn't.

The Herbal Armour didn't really impress - seems about as effective as Mosiguard Natural - not as good as some stuff from Australia I got once called Outback