Is there a food I can eat to make bugs love me less

Hopefully it's more garlic.

I cannot figure out why bugs are going after me with such intensity this summer.   Tried the basic solutions.   Now it's time to see if adjusting my diet will make a difference.

Any suggestions?

Onions also have some effect as does lemon grass.  The latter is used in Asia and seems to help. I have found that using pine tar soap seems to keep the beats at bay for a while.

I know nothing of pine tar soap, I just use the soap dear hubby likes.

Irish spring is a brand name.

I found out by accident, if I lather up but dont wash the soap off, I get zero bug bits.

Not too permie thought works for me...

the ones i’ve been told are tea of bracken fern or jack pine needles.

My buddies on forestry crews eat a clove of garlic a day, and swear it keeps ticks and bugs away.  

I remembered that I had posted about molasses and sulfur:

Anne said, He reminded me that I used to buy sulfur tablets which he said really worked and then I remember the article in Mother Earth News about mixing molasses and sulfur to take internally to build up a resistance to ticks and chiggers.

Here is a thread about foods to eat to build up a resistance to them:

https://permies.com/t/148358/kitchen/diet-discourage-bug-bites

https://permies.com/t/178016/woodland/Ticks#1398627

I've heard of an opposite food - one to avoid eating is bananas. Don't know if it's an urban legend or not.

woot, permission to eat more onions and garlic.  On it.

Not sure about sulphur, that doesn't sound delicious.  I guess I could eat more cabbage family plants?  

I swear by garlic as a deterrent. I like a whole clove stuffed in an olive but that is just being bougie.

I have heard but have not tested that thiamine rich foods are supposed to have a similar effect. Asparagus and tomatoes for example.

I slow fried a dozen onions in butter, then once caramelised,  added balsamic vinegar to make onion marmalade.

It goes well with everything and I expected will be gone by this time tomorrow.

We'll find out if it makes a difference.

r ranson wrote: We'll find out if it makes a difference.

My question would be, does the onion and garlic have to be fresh, rather than cooked? Does cooking change the ingredient that is naturally pest resistant from something that repels them, to something that makes no difference.

Hmmm... I wonder if garlic grated in a bit of fat (maybe coconut oil) and spread on the skin would discourage them? I tend to find some of the nasties tend to bite near the eyes and hairline. Although mosquitoes are happy to bite me right through clothing.

My family takes MSM sulfur supplements in the early spring to deter tick bites and I believe it works. Sulfur-rich foods are of course helpful too, which I believe includes garlic. I like to keep it raw. MSM sulfur is also anti-inflammatory so it may help lessen reaction.

Goats are prone to getting lice and mites. Most people treat them with an internal antiparasitic (ivermectin) but some of us feed them sulfur and/or dust it on them instead of pharmas. It's not as stinky as I'd have expected and quite effective. My point is that it works across species, internally and externally! SULFUR!

Also, there are those cool and simple traps someone posted here...he made one accidentally with a rain barrel and the military makes a very similar one using plastic cups and black socks. I just procured some materials to try making those. Fingers crossed!

Jay Angler wrote:

r ranson wrote: We'll find out if it makes a difference.

My question would be, does the onion and garlic have to be fresh, rather than cooked? Does cooking change the ingredient that is naturally pest resistant from something that repels them, to something that makes no difference.

.

That's a good question.

I don't mind eating a few cloves of fresh garlic a day, but cannot do raw onions.   Save that for when the onions are done and the next experiment.

Also, I remembered,  it's the medication I'm on that attracts the bugs, so my results might not be as good as a normal person.

what kinda bugs?

tried everything for blackfiles - they do not care.. they will bite through deet... bug nets are the only solution..

for deerflies you can do this  - it really works!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ushspW_Fhz0

Anne Miller wrote:I know nothing of pine tar soap, I just use the soap dear hubby likes.

Irish spring is a brand name.

I found out by accident, if I lather up but dont wash the soap off, I get zero bug bits.

Not too permie thought works for me...

Whatever works for you is great.  I was very lucky to stop at a yard sale a couple of years ago and find a box with 22 bars of Packers Pine Tar soap in it along with other odd bits.  Woman running the sale was glad to see it go for five dollars.  I was thrilled to find it.  That stuff is now running from 6 to 9 dollars a bar, which reflects nothing but pure greed.  i may resort to trying to make my own at some point.

Their young?  >=oD

I'd suggest garlic.  We use Irish Spring on our mule to repel flies.  Recommended by a lifelong experienced rancher and horsewoman.

Judy Bowman wrote:We use Irish Spring

If only it didn't smell so bad!

Thom Bri wrote:

Judy Bowman wrote:We use Irish Spring

If only it didn't smell so bad!

Yeah,...it was recommended somewhere to place Irish Spring bars at various ingress points within your car to deter mice and rats from partying there.  Works okay,...but near the end of the bar's life, the mice just start eating it.... :-P

r ranson,           I just thought of something.  Do you like the sulfury flavor of some of the Indian masalas?  Chat masala especially is rich in black salt which contains sulfur.  Maybe some sort of dish with a good dose of  that masala would aid in deterring the little bandits?

Thom Bri wrote:

Judy Bowman wrote:We use Irish Spring

If only it didn't smell so bad!

We use it in rat holes until we found out the rats broke into our stash and ate the rest.  But not before it attracted a lot of flies.

Maybe it's a different formula in canada?

i hate to sound like a nitpicker here but the solution really does depend on the type of bug one is trying to repel and where

like i posted above i tried EVERYTHING to repel blackfiles here - even B12 and skin so soft, nothing worked..

mosquitos seem much easier to repel with garlic etc.. you can even rub citrus of yourself and it will work for a while..

some of the spice suggestions may work on skitters and no see ums, but deerflies and horseflies maybe not so much..

this might help although i don't know about ingestion providing the same protection:

https://pestpointers.com/scents-that-flies-hate-and-how-to-use-them/

biting flies are attracted to CO2 which is why operating gas powered tools REALLY makes for a swarm!!

in almost all cases it is only the females that bite - they need mammalian blood to nourish the eggs.

hope this helps - cheers!

I kept it vague as "bugs" for a few reasons.  One, it's multiple kinds of bugs that I'm having issues with and two, I wanted to get the broadest range of ideas possible.  That's the best way to find something I haven't thought of yet.  (it also makes a better thread for future readers).  

The most persistent bug right now is "Cyclorrhapha" or flies.  But also wasps, bees, ants, beetles, leaf hoppers, and bats (apparently I'm inviable and they fly into me when catching the flies).  But not spiders, fleas, or caterpillars - which tend to be my regular problem bugs.

I've tried all the external treatments I can find (both permaculture and some less like smelly soap).  Different coloured clothing makes no difference.  Nothing seems to last more than half an hour.

Then I got to thinking, I haven't been in control of my diet this last fortnight.  It's been an excessive of starch and about 10 years worth of ice-cream.  I had something like this happen as a kid and a sudden diet change.  Combined with my current meds, it's about 100 times worse now.  

Also working hard on finding and eliminating breading grounds, but there really shouldn't be this many as nothing's really changed in the house.  

Citrus is supposed to work for mosquitos and, maybe, midges.  Sorry if that's already been suggested; I haven't read the full thread.

apparently onions are too delicious and got eaten.  So I cracked open our last jar of pickled garlic.  It's pretty close to raw garlic only with chili peppers.  Had about 10 cloves.  Hid it in the back of the fridge.  It should last until tomorrow.

By tomorrow, we should be finished eating down the last of the unusual foods that came into the house. Although I don't think I can eat any more ice cream, that should be fine in the freezer till next summer...right?  I have no idea.

I have a beautiful 2 liter tub of kimchi I want to get eating.  That's supposed to be really good against mosquitoes, so it might do some good against other bugs.

John Weiland wrote:I just thought of something.  Do you like the sulfury flavor of some of the Indian masalas?  Chat masala especially is rich in black salt which contains sulfur.  Maybe some sort of dish with a good dose of  that masala would aid in deterring the little bandits?

Good idea! Chaat masala, or just straight powdered black salt, is delicious lightly sprinkled on watermelon in hot weather. Or other fruit.

r ranson wrote:.........that should be fine in the freezer till next summer...right?  I have no idea.

On what planet does a bucket of ice cream, kitchen freezer or chest freezer, last more than a month without disappearing!??  I would be getting snake-eyes from the dogs, knowing as they do down to the molecule, what food is in that freezer and whether it's animal, vegetable or mineral.  Over the years, their arguments *against* long-term storage of ice cream, chicken tenders, and beef ribs have been surprisingly compelling and well-formulated.

As long as we split it evenly, I comply.....shamelessly and with little willpower.



Now time to hit the garden....black salt on my tongue,
                                                  ..........garlic in my blood,
                                                            ♪.......rings on my fingers,
                                                                    ......bells on my toes...♪♫        ... to embrace tonight's skeeters!

I have noticed that bugs prefer some colors of clothing over other colors. While I can't hope to keep white clothing looking clean, it's renowned for keeping biting bugs away.

I've seen lemon balm essential oil work as an effective mosquito repellent.  Only problem is, it doesn't last long and you have to apply it every 15 or so minutes.  If it's in a spritzer bottle, it only takes a few seconds and it smells great.  Not a problem.

I also recall that tobacco has insecticidal properties.  Wonder if it's possible to smoke enough such that biting flies won't bother with you XD

Jay Angler wrote: My question would be, does the onion and garlic have to be fresh, rather than cooked?

This has been bugging me (pun intended) so I did a bit of research into the mechanics of alliums and sweat. It appears that the compound 'allicin' can be released from the body after consuming garlic. This compound is strongest in raw garlic as the cooking process destroys it.

I might make an attempt at fermented honey garlic to see if that preserves the allicin. I believe it will still reduce it but might be more palatable than just raw cloves.

One thing I know that works it's not so much what you eat but what you don't eat and it doesn't really stop them from biting you I don't think but it stops you from having a reaction. It's sugar. Eat plenty of protein fats and green leaves and you will have less of a reaction. This also applies to bee stings. When my son was little he became allergic to bees and I told him you're eating too much sugar so you have a high level of oxidization stress in your body that's why the poison is affecting you he changed his diet after much ridicule and he is no longer allergic to bees.

Timothy Norton wrote:

Jay Angler wrote: My question would be, does the onion and garlic have to be fresh, rather than cooked?

This has been bugging me (pun intended) so I did a bit of research into the mechanics of alliums and sweat. It appears that the compound 'allicin' can be released from the body after consuming garlic. This compound is strongest in raw garlic as the cooking process destroys it.

I might make an attempt at fermented honey garlic to see if that preserves the allicin. I believe it will still reduce it but might be more palatable than just raw cloves.

Even just grinding the garlic and leaving it on the counter for a while will make it much more palatable but as you said that is because some of the compounds in the garlic are breaking down. Salt will accelerate the process.

Removed the ice cream temptation by giving away the last two buckets.  Got help eating the chocolates.   That just leaves cookies which we can eat slowly.

Had my dozen cloves of pickled garlic this morning as a pre breakfast snack.

It will probably be a few weeks before my system rebalances so I'll stick with the garlic until it does.

How do we feel about chillies?  I've got a craving .   Do you think it's worth a try?

Joseph Lofthouse wrote:I have noticed that bugs prefer some colors of clothing over other colors. While I can't hope to keep white clothing looking clean, it's renowned for keeping biting bugs away.

I have experience with this so far as mosquitoes are concerned, but not other biters. My solution was 100% cotton so I could use peroxide +/- sunshine to get it clean-ish after a  week's canoe trip in my younger days.

I have *no* idea how regular people keep white clothing white, and with our current deep well, white clothing are banned from our wardrobes. The few white things I have kept for occasional use, get hand washed in dehumidifier water!

Anne Miller wrote:Irish spring is a brand name.

I found out by accident, if I lather up but dont wash the soap off, I get zero bug bits.

Do you slip and slide around when you sweat?!

Alina Green wrote:

Anne Miller wrote:Irish spring is a brand name.

I found out by accident, if I lather up but don't wash the soap off, I get zero bug bits.

Do you slip and slide around when you sweat?!

Duh? A thin layer of soap foam dries and no one knows it is there.

I have never put it under my arms.

A thin layer around ankles and wrist is about all I need to keep the critters away.

In 2006 hiking the AT, I got frustrated with a number of bugs and began eating a single clove of raw garlic each day. I can speak from experience that it does drive away a number of bugs, but not all types. The biggest down side is that your sweat will start to smell of the garlic a bit. Also, eating a raw clove of garlic can be pretty rough if you don't have something strong to chase it with.

I don't know if it’s simply getting away from the sugar and starch rich diet or the garlic,  but things are starting to improve.

Bugs and smell things humans cannot.  I was taking oregano oil for a sinus infection and noticed when picking Blackberries for hours at a time, no chigger bites.  Husband did not fare so well.  You an also eat garlic daily or take nutritional yeast and it gives your skin a scent bugs are repeled by.