The mosquitoes in Ubin can be torture. The solutions we tried include burning egg cartons, coconut husks, mosquito coils, smoky benzoin incense which bomohs use, ingesting vitamin B and vitamin E tablets. Nparks even set a high tech mosquito killing machine once.

In the interest of science, I took vitamin B pills for one month and went into the bush without repellents. It seems to be working initially. Then all of a sudden the mosquitoes were all over me. Its 4 days since and I am still scratching

Nothing beats the convenience of using spray repellents containing DEET. My eight year old nephew is allergic to insect bites and he has to be sprayed all over. For face and neck, just spray them in your palm and rub to avoid stinging your eyes. No point spraying until wet. They are expensive and soon empty fast. Spray a little mist and repeat a few hours later.

They costs S$8.50 at major outlets. Some provision shops sells them for S$7.50 each. They are a lot cheaper in Indonesia. Autan is also a popular brand there.

Update: 21 Apr 2009. Prices of “OFF!” repellent seems to go up all the time. Its now $8.50 at Guardian pharmacy. I am going to switch to 3M “Ultrathon”, which is also used by armed forces worldwide. Although it costs nearly the same, it contains 25% DEET, which won’t get washed away quickly when you are sweating in the jungle heat.

Update: 1 Apr 2010
Watson’s price for Off! and Ultrathon repellent is most reasonable so far at about $7.50 for Off! and one dollar more for Ultrathon.
Update: 23 Jun 2010.
Ultrathon is now ridiculously priced $9.60 at Watson.

It look like a puzzle to a first time user. Taken out, each piece look like a spiral pancake which are actually 2 coils stuck together. The trick is to carefully pry them loose without breaking them. I would start from the center and slowly separate by shaking them loose.

There is one metal coil stand included in each box of 10 coils. It come flattened so push the centre to form a ninety degree stand. Light the coil with a candle for about a minute and put it on the stand. Depending on wind and humidity, each coil should last about eight hours.

Mosquito coils were invented in Japan in 1890 and they are most widely used today, with 29 billion mosquito coils are sold each year and 95% used in Asia. (see link)

You need more coils placed in open spaces toward the wind for maximum cover. We would put up five or more coils as the wind change directions through the night. You can check if you have enough smoke cover by shining an LED torch.

As there are only one coil stand per box, improvised stands need to be made as the coils will soon stop burning if placed on flat ground. A little height is needed. The coils should not be placed in the open as jungle dew will soon smother them.

Improvised hanging coil holder using thin wire.

Do not put them in your tent either. You’ll will soon choke with acrid smoke and your tent will soon be smoked with oily residues and become unusable because of the lingering smell.

Do not throw away the stands but save them for your next camping trip.

You can also buy portable coil holders that clamp the coil with inner mesh and can be carried around. With it, the coils can also be burnt at both ends to generate more smoke.

Some people believe that burning coils is like inhaling 100 cigarettes. In that case you can improvise by making smoke with less pungent alternatives like egg cartons and coconut husks. Make sure you put out the flame after lighting it, the egg carton will smolder. Cut the egg carton in halves and lay them in line to extend the smoking time.

Make sure coconut husks are dry as it does not burn well.

Sandflies bites are best avoided. It takes days or weeks to heal. The itchiness never go away and you scratch yourself until you bleed. They are often found near sea shores and are most active when the there is no wind and air is still. It only take minutes and you won’t notice their bites until its too late.

Even Ubin villagers are bothered by them so no one is immune or got used to them, Here are some awful experiences found in Google Search.

The most effective ways I found so far it is apply intense heat to the bitten area without scalding. Methods include running a shower hose at the hottest setting; heating a spoon in hot water and apply the heated spoon directly on affected skin; or using a hair dryer to apply heat. Heat increases the blood flow which thins the allergic toxins. Medical oil and balms work the same way. My favorite is “Po Sum On” medicated oil. Doctors may prescribe topical cortisone creams but it did not relieve itching in my case.

Prevention is always best. Use DEET repellents like “OFF!”. You can buy them at most pharmacies in Singapore. The price for “OFF” Prices range from $7.50 to $8.50.