I find stuff like this interesting. Many people on a lot of forums say that taking vitamin B1 or using a Bounce Sheet works for them, but according to the "experts" these and a few others are urban legends and have been shown in various studies to be ineffective.

http://www.snopes.com/oldwives/skeeters.asp

I'm not blasting AnnNYPicses or Mel or anything else, so don't take this the wrong way. If these things work for you, great! I just find it interesting that so many of these home remedies seem to work for people but seem to have no basis when tested.

When we are on STJ I'm going to do a non-scientific test. We are bringing Off with 30% DEET and Cutter Advanced with Picairdin, which is supposed to work as well as DEET but without the possible side effects of DEET. I'm going to put some Off on one leg and the Cutter on the other and see what happens! (Yes, my family thinks I'm nuts 🙂 )

Fabric sheets holy cow I forgot about them!!! I live in MO and we do that also...along with some other bizarre things... and they do work lol..
For those of u who just came back from the island.. Did you have any trouble with bites or stings in the water?? Something about either ~OCEAN LICE~ Or ~JellyFish larve~ I read it on one of the older postings on here.. there was even a link to show you what the after math of getting into this stuff was... If i can find it will drop link......but havent seen anything recent from folks just getting back....
Anyone?

well i say don't knock it till you've tried it. we just got back from jacksonville, florida for a lacrosse tournament which was outside and the dryer sheets worked wonders. we had a few skeptics but once they stuffed one around the neck of their shirts they quit teasing me. it's something that you most likely have on hand so there's no money to waste trying.

My problem is not only that I get bitten, but that the bites swell to the size of a nickel. By day 2 I always have about 100 bites....yes, we count them as we put the hydrocortisone cream on. Some are right on top of eachother...it's pretty freakin' disgusting. So, does anyone out there swell up in the same manner, and if so, do these remedies work for you?

Before you use Bounce all over, test it on a small part of your body first. I tried it this past summer and quickly broke out in a red, itchy rash. I'm sure it works for some people, but I'll never use it as bug protection again. Just a heads up.

Crystal,
Tho this does not happen to me (I'm old blood 🙂 ), I see it happen to quite a few people, so you are not the only one. Sorry to say, I have no remedies for ya, wish I did!

Have tried both Cutter cream and Deep Woods Off and both were ineffecective for me. When we return in May, I'll try SSS, Bounce, Gin rubs or whatever anyone recommends(so keep them comming). What I want to find out is why do those pesky no-seeums eat me alive (no perfume, no sceanted lotions, no make-up, no hair products) and Hal sits next to me and is avoided like the plague?

MY husband and I are the same way we were out side playing with he kids just last night and he was getting eaten alive from mosquito's the kids and I didn't get a bite.. very strange... I'm thinking its because we all have our own natural body odor maybe his is "comeandgetme"

We are going to Water Island the last week of April, can anyone tell me just how bad are the bugs and are they out all day?

Jim, we've just returned from Water Island (you know me.....I'm J with Flamingo Point Estate). It has been very dry and only just got some decent rain on Water Island starting on Tuesday. We didn't have any mosquitos the whole month of March at the house. Nice and breezy on the Point. We did experience a few (literally) mosquitos down at Honeymoon Beach in the evening but the no-see-ums came out kinda annoyingly at the beach but of course only around sunset and then they were gone. We keep bugspray in the leftmost kitchen cabinet in case you need. If it continues to rain, mosquitos will be more plentiful. But, again, should be fine on the porch and in the house as this time of year expect you should have constant breeze. (And of course we have screens on doors & windows. )

Cherokee - We just got back - March 14. No stings in the water,no bites on the beach, in fact, no bugs at all. I don't take B-12, but I drink lots of wine!! My daughter doesn't drink, but she didn't get bit either. I was concerned about it because we didn't rent or take beach chairs - we just sat on the sand or on our towels. It simply wasn't an issue. I was worried enough to rummage through all our summer boating stuff to find the Deet - but it wasn't necessary. Also - "Afterbite" - is simply ammonia in a convenient (albeit expensive)applicator. Have a great trip!!

My husband and I spent a couple of weeks on St. John back in late Nov./early Dec. and the worst bug action we got was at around 4 pm on the beaches, when the nosee'ums came out to dine. The bug repellants we used just didn't seem to matter, so we just learned to get off the beach and head back for happy hour! The mosquitoes weren't bad if we used Off spray in the evenings. If you are staying near Cruz Bay there is a small mall, anchored by the Starfish Market. The mall has a pharmacy that seemed to carry every sun block and bug repellant known to man, so if you need to try something different check that place out.

Try "Mosquito Coast". It's in a bright green bottle. It about $7 - $8 for a small bottle but it worked for my daughter who is 12.

I was on St. John for my brother's wedding this past November. I was the only one who literally got ate up, and realized that I was the only one who "buried" myself in the sand...personally I don't think it's anything in the water, I think it's unseeable sand crabs. When on the beach sit on a towel or in a chair. Had no problems in the water.