I'm going to be heading back to TB in a couple of months (hurray!) and I'm really hoping to get far fewer bites this time than in the past. In July I think I must have had over 300 bites by the time I left for home! I've tried every spray and the candles and the coils--the kind you burn and the kind you wear--and I still get eaten alive. I followed the thread from a couple of months ago, and I'll be trying the patches this time, and I'll try to wean myself off sugar so maybe my blood won't be so sweet, and I won't wear so much dark clothing and all the other good advice.

One question, though: I've never worn perfume when I've been in JA, but I wondered if maybe the cocoa butter I use is having the same effect? And if it *is* what are my options? I have to use something, as my skin is quite dry, but I don't want to attract unwanted bug-attention!

Any suggestions?

I also use Cocoa Butter and came back last week bite free.Normally I get eaten alive and the only thing I did different this time was take Vitamin B for 2 months before I went and all the time I was there.I still used Off every night and burnt coils some nights.I was told that Avon So Soft helps and you could try killing 2 birds with one stone and use this as a moisturiser.I also got bitten very badly in July.You may be pleased to know that while we were in TB they were spraying the mosquitoes...this happened about 3 nights in a row.Even tho there is quite a lot of standing pond water there seem to be less of the little monsters!Have fun and hope this advice helps.

The thought makes me cringe, but I have used Deep Woods Off Sportsmens Formula.
It's 100% DEET.
But it works.
It comes in a very small squirt/spray bottle.
And it WILL remove your nail polish.

They seem to love my feet most so wierd as it seems, I slept with socks on and a lot of evenings sitting on the veranda, I also threw on a pair of socks.

I looked dorky, but my feet didn't itch.

However, I do believe that diet has something to do with the attractiveness to mosquitos.
Last year after about the first 10 days of a total Yard food diet, I hardly got bit at all. And ceased using the DEET.
The beauty of having 3 weeks a yaad... ;)

Please go to Burtsbees.com and get yourself some safe natural products to take with you on vacation. Repellent,Sunscreen,Lotion etc,etc.
If you do not like what you read then try "Buzz Away" all natural repellent 100% Deet-free so, it is safe for the whole family.

@barbara, which B vitamine of the vitamin B-group did you take then ?

Just a general B Multivitamin. I also ate a lot of Marmite which I don't think you have in US,Jamaica or Canada. It's also full of Vitamin B and is delicious spread on toast!!! It's a yeast extract (called Vegemite in Australia...my Aussie mate was also with us so she had that!!!)
Not sure if it was the reason but I have no other explanation as to why I never got bitten more than a couple of times.It was a customer of mine, who is a photographer, who told me.He goes to the Scandinavian forests in the summer to work and there are literally swarms of mozzies there.He told me it worked for him so I decided to give it a go!!

Thanks for all the advice! I will try any and everything. I don't mind a *few* bites, but *hundreds* is just so painfully unacceptable!

Thanks, all!

Does anyone think probably the area they are staying in could contribute to the mosquito bites? Reason i am saying this is, i was there in August and i stayed in i think the name is lenonwell (that area between sandy bank entrance and great bay entrance)and i was eaten alive. In December i stayed in Frenchman and i did not get one bite but my children spent one night during the trip in lenonwell and when they got back to frenchman the next day mosquito bite was all over them. Then a week ago i went to jamaica again this time i stayed in southfield didn't get any bites until the last night before i left and i slept in lenonwell.