PreVent was up against it from day 1 as I have a problem with midges, a real problem! If some people appear to be "tastier" to the winged beasts than others the I must be a full on tasting menu for them and with lasting effects. Having tried 100% DEET and pretty much every cream, spray and candle to keep them at bay nothing had worked and my arms still bear upwards of 20 scars each from bites going back 10 years. Quite simply it was either cover up completely or don't go anywhere near water and/or trees in summer.
Most of the most prominent bites are 11 months old
Testing over 8 seperate trips I started off with the cream, spream like suncream; thickly and liberally, the full length of both arms and all exposed areas of neck and face. Suitably covered the test site was chosen at 3 Shires Head in the Peak District, where trees meet water in a sheltered spot with minimal or no wind. One glance identified the presence of a dark cloud of midges and in the interests of research, but already knowing it was pointless, I ventured down to the waterside and the "eating zone". But there was no eating! A couple of minor irritations of one landing on exposed flesh but not one single skin piercing bite! After an hour sat reading, completely at their mercy, I retired untouched.
Over the next 7 tests I tested the cream and spray at 3 Shires Head and Grindsbrook, Beddgelert and Grizedale and it was consistent. Leaving one wrist untreated and exposed I had 3 new bites in the first coule of minutes while the treated wrist remained untouched. In the 8 tests I got bitten once when using PreVent, and that could have been a spot behind one ear I inadvertantly missed.
Going into the test I was both reticent and sceptical; I'd heard the claims from a dozen products over two or three decades and had to all intents and purposes given up believing in a repellent that really worked for me. By the end I was happy to say that PreVent works for me where nothing else has. That's not saying it will work for everyone; different things work for different people, but if you're one of those people, like me, who's tried the rest then it could be the solution you've been looking for. Don't take the "8 hours" as Gospel, it depends on all sorts of factors and especially how much you sweat, but I found it good for around 6 hours consistently. You'll also have to get used to the smell too, it's not offensive to stinkbomb levels but it's....noticeable, and with the need to ensure full skin cover it tends to linger on clothing where hems and cuffs meet flesh. Of course that's better than DEET which is famous for melting fabrics and it does come out in the wash. The cream proved to be slightly better in terms of the time it worked for and getting complete cover but the spray is very handy when the sound of buzzing alerts you to a spot you've missed.
It seems strange to be writing it but for me the search for a repellent that works is over. A tube of PreVent now sits in the driver's door permenantly. When the free samples have gone It's a product I'll be paying for and the £4.79 (street price) for a 30ml tube will do three to four days covering both arms, neck and face. Next stop SCotland!