CA-12 SEAMAGAZINE.COM MAY 2017
DEALER INQUIRY INVITED
concentrations from 2 to 100 percent.
In addition to insect repellents that rely
on chemicals, there are physical barriers
boaters can buy to keep between them and
biting bugs. From simple mosquito netting
to bug-proof suits, there’s a host of apparel
and accessories now available for thwarting
insects’ efforts.WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT BITING BUGS?
It’s tough to come up with anything nice
to say about these prolific breeders with
insatiable appetites; in fact, the only thing
they have going for them is that they’re afood source for species on the low end of
the food chain.INSECT ATTRACTANTS
For such small organisms, these
persistent feeders are equipped with
complex systems to locate their next meal.
Entomologists have learned that the
most powerful attractant humans have to
mosquitoes is the carbon dioxide (CO2)
we emit through our skin and when we
breathe. In fact, it’s the CO2 given off by all
warm-blooded creatures that alerts skee-
ters and others to our presence. The insects
can detect our scent from as far as 75 feet,
ringing the dinner bell for the females and
their young. There is no escaping them.
They discern the presence of octanol, a
chemical released in human sweat. Heat
sensors around their mouth can detect the
warmth of your body and help them locate
the best capillaries for tapping.
For whatever reason, some humans
give off a scent that is more attractive to
biting bugs than that emitted by our peers,
and men are usually more attractive to
mosquitoes than women. That’s why some
of us may be bugged while our boat-mates
go unbothered. I’ve read reports that show
scented toiletries such as shampoo, after-
shave, perfume, deodorant and hair spray,
as well as the color blue, are especially
attractive to mosquitoes.NONTRADITIONAL TACTICS
To thwart the advancement of mosqui-
toes, horse- and deerflies, some people
swear by vitamin B1 or B12, which they
start taking a month ahead of any boating
trip planned for bug-infested areas. They
take 500 mg of B1 or 1000 mg of B12 daily
in tablet form, and they claim a chemical
reaction takes place that creates a body
odor that humans can’t detect but insects
avoid. Some boaters claim that when they
take such supplements and do get bitten
that they don’t itch as badly or for as long
as they do when not on the vitamins.
Other boaters claim that taking a zinc
supplement in the same manner, ingestingMosquitoes, various flies and other biting insects
can’t be completely avoided, but boaters can
take steps to minimize their presence.Some boaters use mosquito coils and citronella
candles as a defense against the bugs, but they
emit an odor that not everyone finds desirable.