A lot depends on where you are in France. Mosquitoes infected with Malaria have been found in the South of France so if you are there I would go to see a doctor. (Not very common but there is an increasing risk with global warming.)
I worked in Uganda for 4 years where mosquitoes are a considerable nuisance. The treatment we used was to cover up before dusk and apply DEET to all exposed skin. Similarly in the dawn period. At night sleep under a net and before entering the bedroom to sleep, spray, close the doors and windows, wait 30 minutes. Try to enter the room without using lights. At the time DDT sprays were available and were very effective.
DEET was almost compulsory in Canada at certain times of the year, though of questionable effectiveness and also notable for dissolving certain plastics like the soles of shoes. Canadian mosquitos also happily bit through clothing.
We’ve been here thirteen years and I’ve seen enough to be convinced that local insect numbers are falling It’s doubly worrying because we’re surrounded by the Lot Valley forests, nature reserves and of course the river itself - no agriculture for several kms - yet it threatens to feel like a Rachel Carson Silent Spring scenario!
Our first visit to friends in Prince Albert (never look for PA on google images!) in Sask, we arrived about 10pm local time after a long day. Collected the hire car keys and then left the terminal building. We were instantly surrounded by clouds of mosquitos that stayed with us over the 150 meter dash to the car and then followed us inside, biting and biting as we battled with them over the next hour driving from the airport to PA and our friends. Apparently there had been ‘more than usual’ that spring, however the compensation was a much greater number than usual of dragonflies too, and every time I saw one it made me want to cheer a little.
We bought DEET on local recommendation, and it made leaving the house bearable except for the Canada Day celebrations fireworks, held by the river just after sundown.
Best thing i have found for any insect bites is an ibuprofen gel. Its a painkiller and reduces swelling…ta dah! Pharma companies wont tell you that as they want to sell you lots of other ‘soothing’ stuff which in my expetience is useless. I worked this out myself👍
At night this is the most important defence, bedroom totally closed all day, entry quickly from the living room in full darkness, close door rapidly before turning on light. Only then open windows with full tiny mesh outside. Door closed all night. Even then, now and again, one creature gets through.
Or a knife like the one used in Kill Bill. Handy also to open a bottle of champagne in case you’re thirsty during the night.
Otherwise I find one of those handheld, gas burning devices used for caramelising the sugar on a crème brulée works well as an impromptu flame thrower to kill mosquitoes.
I’m surprised nobody seems to hav mentioned mosquito coils. First came across them when I travelled out East in the mid 90s. A bit smelly but great if you want to eat outdoors. No idea what chemicals were used. I think you can still buy them in France
Y’know I’ve seen these but never actually tried them. Glad to hear they work well… I will have to buy some and test them out when I’m next doing a BBQ.
We put them on plate and light them and put them under the table when we are eating outside - quite often mossies hide in the dark under tables and bite your ankles.
Regarding mosquito coils, it may be more a hazard using them indoors.
The primary chemical used to repel or kill mosquitoes is pyrethrum, which is not dangerous to humans in the amounts present in mosquito coils. It is the smoky particles that are caused by burning the other materials that the coil is made from that are dangerous.
exposure to the smoke of mosquito coils similar to the tested ones can pose significant acute and chronic health risks. For example, burning one mosquito coil would release the same amount of PM(2.5) mass as burning 75-137 cigarettes. The emission of formaldehyde from burning one coil can be as high as that released from burning 51 cigarettes.
