The Eurofurence Forum
Off Topic => Everything Else => Topic started by: Riffuchs on 08.09.2010, 04:05:11
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I can't resist to ask this - even if I make an idiot out of myself...
Did anyone actually suffer from mosquito problems in the hotel? I wonder myself because I got bitten around a dozen times. Mostly in the small conference rooms the staff occupied. But also 4 times in the lobby on Sunday and twice in the stage area on Monday. And I got photos of those little beasts.
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Yes, I did notice a bunch of those pesky little Mini-vuvuzela's whizzing about places and also in the bedrooms. If you want to prevent being bitten by those things I'd recommend citronella oil, not only is it effective against mosquito's, it also smells rather good and with the right mixture, you can make quite the interesting exotic mosquito-preventing perfume from it.
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They seemed to be very picky ... I did not have any specific problems (until I hiked to the park between Elbe and Altelbe, that is), but I know of a few people who got their share of bites within the first couple of hours.
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Did anyone actually suffer from mosquito problems in the hotel?
I got bitten somewhere, with a nasty amount of swelling too... don't know the rooms (I think it happened at night in my room) but it must have been inside the hotel, yes. Hadn't expected downtown to be mosquito paradise...
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I believe I got bitten once, and was able to kill two of them. I hate mosquitos. I really, really, really hate them. Next time I'll be ready with an Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun mounted to the lobby.
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Interesting, I never noticed a single one of them ??? Either I was plain lucky or they dont like fox blood :P
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I got quite a few bites, Lucy too. Nasty little pests.
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Got a few bites as well, but I barely notice it anymore xD
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i dont have a single bite, a friend from US got bitten all the time
looks like the Mosquitos looks for strangers Blood ;D
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I got bitten by those little blood sucker thru out the con, didnt expect those things inside the hotel. And noticed alot of them in the public bathrooms and some of the public areas.
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The mosquitos at Magdeburg were pretty bad... I always react badly to insect bites, but these suckers, I got a bite on my hand on Tuesday, hand swelled up really big, and now 8 days later my hand is only just back to normal. Got bit 5 times through my jeans while walking to a restaurant. They seemed much worse out beyond the hotel, not so bad in and around it, thankfully. I suspect smoker-con out the front helped keep them away. Next year, I bring lots of insect repellant!
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I saw a lot of people with mosquito bites at their neck. And I had some bites too. Those things were really annoying.
I still find it strange that there were so many of them - in the middle of the city.
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I suspect smoker-con out the front helped keep them away. Next year, I bring lots of insect repellant!
Smoker-Con *laughs* well, being part of that I did catch the lil mozzies buzzing around in the smokers cage inside the hotel!
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Well, the little f#ckers found me too, tho I havve nothing to complain. Got bitten twice, normally if there are mosquito's I end up half eaten by the bastards, so I was sort of lucky. But it -is- weird, considering the hotel is in the middle of the city centre. Never seen that enthousiastic mosquito's! ;)
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i'm used to beeing swarmed by them, beeing the owner of (a real life) horse. and the air can even be foggy with them.
and cursed enough, they realy like me :P
and so they did at EF16 to. and german mosquitos seems to be a lot more toxic then swedish.
got bit 5 times yesterday at the pasture, and the ones i got last week are still bigger then the newer additions.
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Yeah I got bitten twice or three times, I'm not sure.. and it itched like hell :(
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I was killing two of them with one slap in one room on the first floor, and then one later in the corridor. Besides that i haven't noticed them..
And luckily i didn't get bitten (as i appear to be allergic to those buggers)
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I believe I got bitten once, and was able to kill two of them. I hate mosquitos. I really, really, really hate them. Next time I'll be ready with an Anti-Aircraft Machine Gun mounted to the lobby.
Russia ZSU 23-4 perhaps? Quad barrelled death machine!
I got bit once left forearm, 3 times right upper arm (by the elbow) and once on the back of my thigh, as i slept fully clothed after passing out form being up so long and drinking. Bloody things seemed to like Dragon blood -mutters-
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I was in the fursuit lounge and headless, and talking to someone when suddenly one of those little things decided to land on my arm.
My response was pointing at it and laughing and saying "Haaaaaaaaaaahaha no free patch of skin for you to do your thing on!"
and then she flew off.
Good times.
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Normally, in any group, I'm the first, and only one, to get bitten.
This time, nothing. o.o
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One of these bloodsuckers hid in my car and bid me three times when I was driving home.
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you will prefer those litte Mosquitos when you ever got bitten by those a big horsefly.. ;D
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Ihad no problems with the mosquitos inside either the hotel lobby nor in my room - even with the window open in "tilt-in" mode for the entire duration of my stay. The sheer gaussy curtain made a very effective mosquito net!
But on my walk-about on Sunday, I headed first down towards the rotary circle south several blocks, then towards the river - and somewhere along the line got bit, and it started to swell and itch almost immediately. Upon my return to the hotel and my room, I examined the bite;it was on the left side of my neck, where a vampire would bite in a horror movie. I had a welt that was over 5 cm long, and almost 1 cm high!
While on my exploratory walk, I happened to see a poster on a kiosk, advertising the town's annual BierFest - the ad prominently featuread an anthro female mosquito in a dress, sitting at a table and holding a stein of beir. She could have been the official town mascot, for all I know, not just a symbol for the BierFest!
I never got to see the river itself - apparently there is an island which has been turned into a pedestrian park or garden, suitable for strolling about - but if the River Elbe has a slack body with a few stagnant, rush-filled lagoons, that would be enough. I got the impression that the streets are not really graded for good drainage, so there may be plenty of standing water spots all over town for mosquitos to breed in. I spent 2 years in the Panama Canal Zone, aquired an immunity of sorts to the saliva of the local species after about a year there; it may be that the natives of Magdeburg get bit, but aren't bothered with swelling and itching.
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Already wondered where those mosquito bites came from. Hmmm...
Because I never actually heard them in our room. Then again... I didn't sleep that much at Eurofurence 16 (I blame Freckles) and when I did it was like *thud*ZZzzzZZzzzzZzzz... ;D
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Regarding the Mosquito problem - it is reasonable to presume that, since next year's convention is during the same season , within 2 weeks of the same dates as this year, that the mosquitos will again be trying to turn us into blood buffets. Therefor, preventive measures should be taken.
In the USA, we have a couple of products which are rather effective as mosquito repellants, particularly the ones which contain the chemical compound DEET. The two best-known commercial applications for this are "Cutter" and "Deep-Woods OFF!", available as both an aerosol spray (in a can) and as a "Splash-on" lotion (in a bottle). I can recommend the "Cutter" brand, in fact I used it to good effect in mid-summer in Massachusetts and in the tropical jungle then surrounding the Panama Canal, a place infamous for Mosquitos carrying Yellow Fever and Malaria.
...But these are just more things to pack - and while I will if necessary, I wonder what the equivalent German products, containing DEET, might be? Perhaps they may be available at that supermarket in the shopping mall under and across the street?
Germany - and most of Continental Europe - is famed for a recreational culture which venerates hiking and trekking and general Outdoors living; surely there is a recommended product used to repel mosquitos from exposed flesh?
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Fursuiting 24/7? :P
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Germany - and most of Continental Europe - is famed for a recreational culture which venerates hiking and trekking and general Outdoors living; surely there is a recommended product used to repel mosquitos from exposed flesh?
I can recommend the "Autan" brand (autan.de (http://www.autan.de/nqcontent.cfm?a_id=1))
They use Icaridin / Bayrepel® as well as DEET in their products and are available throughout Germany.
I have had only good experiences with it.
-Jar
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i never get bid even if next to one, do not know why
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i never get bid even if next to one, do not know why
Never knew it was an auction. Seems you're not worth it :)
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Maybe he never met his reserve?
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Everyone be at rest. Next year, we shall install
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_laser (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mosquito_laser) for everyones comfort.
Testing results look satisfying:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcwBH_Uevxo (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcwBH_Uevxo)
Technical explanation:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKm8FolQ7jw&feature=fvw (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BKm8FolQ7jw&feature=fvw)
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People, this is a non-issue. If you leave your window open and the lights on, this will draw in insects. That's going to happen everywhere. Magdeburg is NOT known for any kind of extraordinary mosquito infestation. Just like flies and ants, the little gnats are a normal part of european fauna in hot summer nights. Get over it :) Just leave your windows closed at night, and you'll be fine. It will also have the advantage of not killing the air conditioning.