Africa Mosquitoes

Africa Mosquitoes
Natitingou Benin West Africa
Saturday, September 30, 2006

I carry a mosquito net with me always, if you need it one time per year, which is enough reason to carry. My first trip into you Europe I was eaten alive in Brugge Belgium, and then continually attacked by mosquitoes. I see Europe as very behind the USA in building designs; however, they also have a much longer history of buildings.

The history of buildings here in Africa is short also, therefore any building that is not colonial has very good windows and screens. The locals do not; however, there is the option for them to buy. Africa has been great for mosquitoes, probably the least amount of problems on the planet for hotels. 80 percent of the hotels have screens on the windows in West Africa.

About of Hotels or Rooms for tourist have screens to stop Mosquitoes
80 percent in West Africa.
3 percent in Asia.
20 percent in Europe
10 percent in South America
10 percent in Central America
3 percent in Mexico
95 percent in USA
65 percent in Caribbean
3 percent in India

Nonetheless, I carry a mosquito net, it is needed. I am using a mosquito net here in the Augerbe USA. Africa will also come and spray my room for mosquitoes. This is amazingly advanced; spraying is unusual and cost money. I pay more here also for a room; it does not matter that is not the reason.
The hotel I am in actually I think has some screens, it is my room that does not have screens. The fan in the middle of the room helps to drive the mosquitoes out, but not all. The real problem is some type of little hopping grasshopper like thing that enters when the light I on or moths. The come to the reading light.

I am taking down my mosquito net shortly, packing it away and leaving for Boukombe, Benin the area of Benin where the Somba people live in homes I think they are called Tatas.

Vitamin B Complex purchase in the Typical Markets, NOT in the pharmacies, cost was 300 Fran or about 60 cents US, cheap.

I took some vitamin B last night, about 3 tablets, and some other multivitamins, I then had trouble sleeping, however, and the no seem ums seem to stop attacking me. I had on repellent to stop them attacking my ankles, and then took a shower; I was thinking later, the no see ums have lightened up. However, I also know that Vitamin B something helps to make them avoid.

On the other hand, not being able to fall asleep is worst than the mosquitoes or no see ums. I can put on repellent and get under my mosquito net.

There is a pull string on the bottom of the net, it forces it to stay under the mattress.

This is a half tucked in system, I can use the larger part of bed during the daylight hours when there are few mosquitoes, and then crawl under the area at night, I need to work on this system though, not easy to pull the net tight at the seam. The problem is getting in and out of a bed with a mosquito net. The only furniture in the room is a bed, or one very hard chair for the desk. Normal room on the planet.

I have modified my mosquito net, trying to make it work better and easier. Mosquitoes are tricky; a net will not stop them if it is not tucked in under the bed. The flowing mosquito net of some movie is to me a wish, not reality. I am not sure, I do not see people tuck them in often, however the mosquitoes like me, and I need to work hard. What you eat, does influence whether mosquitoes attack.

Africa Mosquitoes

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Where on earth are you Andy? You okay?

i hear that eating Marmite keeps them away... i don't know, because i always eat marmite, so i can't really honestly say whether i don't get bitten for that reason, or because there aren't many around. but obviously sometimes i do get bitten if i'm out in a swarm.

i'm thinking, and my solution would be for you to sew a bedsheet onto the bottom of the mosquito net on one side, with a peice of webbing along the join and coming out of the ends. this would mean that you could attach the webbing under the bed and pull taught, to make flush with the bed. then the sheet can act as the under sheet for the half of the bed you wand to use in day time. but with enough give in it to not rip when you turn over etc.

maybe hard to explain. if i can, i'll draw you a diagram and email.

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