Mosquito Repellent

[+Stunod]

Don't know if its true, but I've read tales were early settlers from the eastern seaboard used to ask the Indians along the Missouri River how they kept mosquitos from biting. The Indians would hand the European Immigrants plant leaves and said to rub your body with these leaves and the bugs won't be a problem any longer. Well, you probably guessed what happened next, the unsuspecting settlers contracted Poison Ivy rashes so bad that Mosquitos were no longer a concern.

I'm guessing that was after the indians were given small-pox contaminated blankets

[+2Est8Attys]

The story goes that Indians in southeast Texas used to smear themselves with aligator fat (or some say aligator dung). No idea if this is true.

 

For those of you concerned about using DEET take a look at this Wed MD report for a discussion of cautions. Makes me think twice about the 100% DEET spray I got at Walgreens last week, but then, with Houston being 20" over in rain for the year, what are you going to do?

[+Bilder]

The skeets up here are really thick this year.

 

I soaked myself in DEET last night and went for this cache.

 

Needless to say that a 40% DEET mix kept some of them away, but the buggers were so thick that they worked their way up my sleeves and had a fun time with my arms. Say nothing of all the ones I inhaled. All the way up and down the trail I had about 200-400 of them flying right behind me. The buzzing sound reminded me of those killer bee movies.

 

Repel makes a 100% DEET product and I think that REI has one as well. I currently use Ultral Muskol which is 40%.

 

Gonna have to soak in a tub full of the stuff for the next trip.

[+AuntieWeasel]

Yes, I just bought some of the 100% DEET stuff, but I've tucked it away in my pack for emergencies. I'm a little intimidated by it. If I sweat off the regular Deepwoods Off in the field, I'll get over that in a hurry.

[+clearpath]

The best protection is to stay inside. However, you will be limited on the number of caches you can find...

 

When I'm going into skeeter infested areas, I wear a bright yellow shirt it works great. However the rest of my body gets drilled like an Arab looking for oil. For that I typically spray the Deep Woods w/ Deet.

[+Cache Viking]

For those of you that didn't follow JohnnyVegas's links, New England Journal of Medicine reports:

OFF! Deep Woods (DEET 23.8%) - 301.5 min.

Sawyer Controlled Release (DEET 20%) - 234.4 min.

OFF! Skintastic (DEET 6.65%) - 112.4 min.

Bite Blocker for Kids (Soybean Oil 2%) - 94.6 min.

OFF! Skintastic for Kids (DEET 4.75%) - 88.4 min.

Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus (IR3535 7.5%) - 22.9 min.<

Natrapel (Citronella 10%) - 19.7 min.

Herbal Armor (Citronella 12%; peppermint oil 2.5%; other ingredients <2%) - 18.9 min.

Green Ban for People (Citronella 10%; peppermint oil 2%) - 14.0 min.

Buzz Away (Citronella 5%) - 13.5 min.

Skin-So-Soft Bath Oil (Uncertain) - 9.6 min.<li>

Skin-So-Soft Moisturizing Suncare (Citronella 0.05%) - 2.8 min.

Gone Original Wristband (DEET 9.5%) - 0.3 min.

Repello Wristband (DEET 9.5%) - 0.2 min.

Gone Plus Repelling Wristband (Citronella 25%) - 0.2 min.

My wife swears by the Skin-so-soft and brings it along for us tp use in all bug areas. It seems to work real well since we have far fewer bites if any and it does not smell like many other repelents. She first learned of it when visiting a friend in Alaska.

[+2Est8Attys]

Beating them away with your staff? I had never thought of that! That is a great log, Bilder.

[+Beta Test]

A can of fogger and a gas mask. They can't bite if they're dead.

[+Haffy]

As far as I am concerned I use a 100% all natural product called Buzz-off. It is made from all natural oils and is made by the Indians up here in Maine. Can't be beat. Just do a Google search to find it near you.

[+Doc-Dean]

Interesting topic...

 

[shameless plug]

 

It might even make a good subject for this month's issue of Today's Cacher

 

[/shameless plug]

Edited July 2, 2004 by Doc-Dean

[+Doc-Dean]

Yes, I just bought some of the 100% DEET stuff, but I've tucked it away in my pack for emergencies. I'm a little intimidated by it. If I sweat off the regular Deepwoods Off in the field, I'll get over that in a hurry.

In tests done by the US Army, repellents with 30-40% DEET worked twice as well as repellents with 75% DEET.

[+2Est8Attys]

Interesting topic...

 

[shameless plug]

It might even make a good subject for this month's issue of Today's Cacher

[/shameless plug]

Great info, Doc Dean! I never noticed those "shameless plug" html brackets before.

 

According to the Web MD article, Skin-so-soft works as a barrier to mosquitos, so the NEJM article, which measured time until first contact, may be misleading. I wish the army study you site would get more press.

 

I may need to reconsider what I use. Like AuntieWeasel, I have a small spray bottle of Off 100% DEET to be used in a mosquito emergency (like Bilder so eloquently described in his Anchorage cache). DeepWoods, at 23.8% may be the best balance of protection and safety.

[uperdooper]

i use 100% deet plus i have one of those hunting nets that turkey hunters use. i put it on over my hat and at least my face is safe. i look like a doofus, but skeeters and black flys won't get me from the neck up at least.

[GeoWorms]

my $0.02

 

From what I've read 100% DEET doesn't stay on your skin very well, so you lose it's protection fairly quickly. The 50% and less formulae are mixed with binders to keep the DEET on your skin, which is why they provide better overall protection.

[Team Smoke]

Has anyone had any experience with those electronic skeeter repellers? They are supposed to emit the sound of a male skeeter which repells the females away. Apparently they don't get along very well and it is only the female buggers that bite.

[+clearpath]

Has anyone had any experience with those electronic skeeter repellers?  They are supposed to emit the sound of a male skeeter which repells the females away.  Apparently they don't get along very well and it is only the female buggers that bite.

Just making 'snoring' sounds. That usually repells my wife ...

Edited July 16, 2004 by clearpath

[+dingermcduff]

Here in northern Minnesota the mosquito is the state bird! I had a pretty bad experience after ingesting a small amount of DEET--puked my guts out and felt AWFUL--so I won't use it. It makes me cringe when I see parents have their kids hold up their arms while they douse them in DEET. Fact is, the stuff is a poisonous chemical. Even if it doesn't bother you to spray the stuff on you, how would you like to live near the factory producing the stuff--and the emissions to go with it?

 

Personally, even when it's hot, I just wear long pants and a windbreaker. Maybe a flannel. You get used to it in a hurry and no poison, no worries. If the mosquitoes are just awful I'll done a mosquito net. So far I haven't had any real problems.

[+1NatureMom]

Thx to this thread, we've learned alot about how to protect ourselves from Lyme disease & West Nile; we live in Conn. where Lyme disease originated~ UGH!

We are happy to report that we are bite & tick free this weekend of caching!!

 

It's a very hard choice to choose chemicals over disease; I believe we've found a way to be safe. I use the Cutter family wipes on our exposed skin, spray some of the 100% deet on the same wipe & wipe around clothing edges, spray the 100% on shoes & top of hat. And we all shower as soon as we get home. The clothes get washed right away & not in the laundry. It's working!

 

We so enjoy this sport as a family; we'd hate for anything to stop us or make us miserable like bites or diseases.

 

Thx for all the info.! Safe Caching everyone!

Leslie & Family

[Archaeologist-PA]

This sound a little strange but I use Bounce dryer sheets. I take one sheet and put it in my pocket and one in a belt loop.

 

Wow, I can say I've never tried that one before! I'll give it a shot. Sometimes the skeeters get pretty bad up here in the Allegheny National Forest (though nowhere near as bad as when I worked in the Everglades). I may look a little weird with dryer sheets hanging off my belt, but my co-workers already think I'm nuts...

 

Personally, I have had good success with a combination of Avon's Skin-So-Soft applied to the skin, and if it gets bad enough, then spraying some DEET product onto my clothing. Never on the skin, though - one of my co-workers' hard hats melted last year from DEET!

 

I've also tried wearing a Bug Shirt on one or two occasions when it's been really bad, but they tend to be too constricting.

 

My husband bought a few of those electronic mosquito repellents that are supposed to emit sounds of a dragonfly, but they didn't seem to work very well...

 

Jennifer

[+briansnat]

Never on the skin, though - one of my co-workers' hard hats melted last year from DEET!

 

DEET does melt some plastics, but thankfully we humans aren't made of plastic (with the possible exception of Tammy Faye Bakker).

 

My husband bought a few of those electronic mosquito repellents that are supposed to emit sounds of a dragonfly, but they didn't seem to work very well...

 

From the test results and product reviews I've seen, they don't work at all.

[+Team DEMP]

I've been using Ben's 30% Deet spray and it's been great. A 4oz pump spray bottle goes for $6 and lasts a bunch of trips. Even after hours hiking and sweating they seem to stay away (maybe it's more the sweating that offends then the deet? ) I spray it on my arms and legs and the back of my neck.

 

After I apply the spray I wipe the palms of my hands down with a kids wet wipe and I've never had an issue immediately holding my GPS after doing that. I have noticed my pager and the holster which goes on my belt get a little white to it from my arm rubbing against it when I walk but it hasn't deteriorated.

 

I would suggest nothing other then Deet unless something new comes along. I'm glad all the hikers in my area recommended it when I was starting out - works great.

 

I also got some Permethrin spray which goes on your clothes and not directly on you but I haven't used it yet.

[koz]

while i agree that deet is unbeatable, for those looking for less toxic alternative my sister swears by using bounce dryer fabric softner wipes...also, there's eucalypus based repellent that works pretty well

[+jlday70]

Cache in the winter I have found the mosquitoes don't bite as much in december in NY . Oh this thread is about summer bugs..LOL. I work outside and most of the time in areas where the bugs are bad. For ticks I generally tape up the bottom of my pants and use deep woods off. For the rest a long sleeve T-shirt and more OFF.

 

Jday

[+treasure_hunter]

THE ONE WITH THE MOST DEET!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[+thumperness]

This might be a little off topic but... I have just heard about chiggers (not sure if that is how you spell it) actually my husband got them while checking on our cache. Since then 2 more cachers have gotten chiggers while seeking our cache. Is this just normal this time of year? Should I put a warning on the cache page? Its not a hard cache to find, only about 10 min walk from the parking lot.

[Mach 10]

There is a new product called a Thermacell . It is available at Walmart and Home Depot . It is a unit that uses butane to burn a small pad which keeps the mosquito's 15' away . Do a search on the net for Thermacell for information .

 

Mach 10

[+Polk Street Bandits]

I used to use DEET, but after it melted my camera beyond recognition, I decided I didn't want it on my skin/clothes - "safe" or not... Lot's of products are deemed "safe" one year, only to be refuted by some long-term studies a few years later. It's not worth the risk in my opinion.

 

I use skin-so-soft and dryer sheets. It works extremely well.

 

Here are some other tactics that will help - whether you use DEET, or any other product. If you know ahead of time you are going caching - do/don't do the following:

 

Insects are attracted to the bio-chemistry of our skin. Bugs seek out the chemicals excreted from our pores with sweat. Wear long sleeves - this will reduce the bugs' sense of attraction. Even in hot weather, you can wear "UnderArmour" - it will keep you cool and help reduce bugs.

 

Don't shower with fragrent soaps. Use a simple soap such as Dove or Ivory that has no perfumes in it.

 

If the bugs are extremely bad, wear a mosquito net on your face. That will keep the annoyance level down considerably.

[+briansnat]

I used to use DEET, but after it melted my camera beyond recognition, I decided I didn't want it on my skin/clothes - "safe" or not... Lot's of products are deemed "safe" one year, only to be refuted by some long-term studies a few years later. It's not worth the risk in my opinion.

 

Fortunatley for us, our skin isn't made of plastic. There are many products that are safe for humans that are harmful to other things.

 

DEET has been used by hundreds of millions of people for over half a century. There are few products out there that have been so thoroughly tested and for so long. If 50+ years isn't long term, I don't know what is.

 

As far as Skin-So-Soft and dryer sheets, its great that they work for you. Independent tests have however concluded that they do not work.

 

Considering the seriousness of insect borne diseases, it is irresponsible to advise people to eschew a repellent that is proven safe and effective in favor of one that has been proven ineffective.

 

As far as whether its worth the risk, I'll use a proven safe and effective repellent rather than expose myself to West Nile Virus, or Lyme, or Erlichosis, or Babesoisis, or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or or Tick Typhus, or STARI, or Tularemia, or St. Louis encephalitis, or Tick Paralaysis, or Relapsing Fever, or Anaplasmosis. That's a risk I won't take.

Edited July 25, 2005 by briansnat

[+trail hound]

One word ....."THERMACELL"

[+tands]

I gave up on deet a couple of years ago when t was using the ultrathon. I forebade him ever to use it again. Now I will grant you that it works wonders on the bugs, but it also made my lips go numb when I kissed him on his deet covered forehead.

 

They already tell you that you shoud use the lowest amount of deet on children if you're going to even put it on children so I went insearch of a deet-free bug repellant becasue I hated to think about what something that made my lips go numb could be doing to my insides!

 

I found, and was shortly substantiated by the Centers for Disease Control, that a lemon eucalyptus bug repellant works just as well as deet, but is normally all natural. Repel makes a spray on that is somewhat hard to find in stores, but easy to procure on the net, but my personal preference is Badger Balm, which is in the Bert's Bee's line of products found anywhere these days from CVS drug stores to a local natural food stores. I think most Bath and Body Works and Cracker Barrel Restaurnats sell it as well.

 

So for those looking for good bug control and no deet I highly suggest trying the Badger Balm. Oh, I should probabyl mention that I live in mosquito rich South Carolina.

 

S of tands

 

** edit spelling

Edited July 25, 2005 by tands

[+Byron & Anne]

There's been a lot of rumors about DEET. At this point in time all the negatives are rumors, at least from what I've read.

We've been using 95% DEET 100% active ingredeaints for the last 25 years. Melted a couple plastic things in the process. Not all plastics are effected, I keep it in zip lock bags and it hasn't attacked them.

 

Add some B vitimens to your diet and the skeeters won't bite so much. They'll still buzz in you ears though.

[+lefty2448]

there is a new product by cutter that claims to be as good as deet. http://www.cutterinsectrepellent.com/Brand...comendation.htm

 

I have not used this and cant post my actual experience but I am very interested in how well it works. I just saw this on the web and will pick some up next trip to wallyworld. If you have experience with this let me know.

 

Good luck

[+TheAlabamaRambler]

Despite the medical survey results posted above, many years of personal experience and that of many others has led Avon's Skin-So-Soft to be the number one sun and bug-screen product of nudists worldwide! (http://aanr.com/)

 

Trust me, there are places where you do NOT want bug bites, so these folks are pretty picky about what they use!

 

It has, of course, the added benefits that it can be used anywhere and the gals often want to be rubbed down with it!

 

It works for me.

[+Gecko1]

Use a bug hood.

[RVMAN]

any deet is good deet. i took an old ball cap i had and just saturated it with the stuff, also an old t shirt that i keep in a plastic bag all sealed up i can wrap around myself. these are just a few ideas that ive had. if you do use deet though, i use 95% deet make sure you shower as soon as possible and dont touch anything plastic, including your gps, i put mine in a plasic bag to help protect it. good luck with the bugs!

[dsandbro]

DEET has been tested and retested countless times and found to be perfectly safe when used according to directions by an normal healthy adult. It should not be used on small children, of course, and there are a few rare individuals who are extremely sensitive to DEET (sensitive enough to cause prophylactic shock, and possibly be fatal). But 99% of all adults will have no problems.

 

The Army found that concentrations above 30% do not increase effectiveness, but there seems to be anecdotal testimony to the contrary.

 

If DEET is not for you, the recently approved eucalyptus oil based products may work.

[+Polk Street Bandits]

I used to use DEET, but after it melted my camera beyond recognition, I decided I didn't want it on my skin/clothes - "safe" or not... Lot's of products are deemed "safe" one year, only to be refuted by some long-term studies a few years later. It's not worth the risk in my opinion.

 

Fortunatley for us, our skin isn't made of plastic. There are many products that are safe for humans that are harmful to other things.

 

DEET has been used by hundreds of millions of people for over half a century. There are few products out there that have been so thoroughly tested and for so long. If 50+ years isn't long term, I don't know what is.

 

As far as Skin-So-Soft and dryer sheets, its great that they work for you. Independent tests have however concluded that they do not work.

 

Considering the seriousness of insect borne diseases, it is irresponsible to advise people to eschew a repellent that is proven safe and effective in favor of one that has been proven ineffective.

 

As far as whether its worth the risk, I'll use a proven safe and effective repellent rather than expose myself to West Nile Virus, or Lyme, or Erlichosis, or Babesoisis, or Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, or or Tick Typhus, or STARI, or Tularemia, or St. Louis encephalitis, or Tick Paralaysis, or Relapsing Fever, or Anaplasmosis. That's a risk I won't take.

Wow - I didn't realize that I was in the presence of a chemistry expert... I guess since it melts plastic, but not our skin, there couldn't possibly be anything wrong with using it - I stand corrected.

 

(The original poster stated he lived in Michigan - the total number of cases of serious diseases spread by insects in Michigan is less than 17. One's risks of getting "harmed" by the chemistry in DEET (overspray in eyes, skin rash, etc) are much greater than contracting something from a bug bite (in Michigan).

 

I am not being "irresponsible" by offering advice that is contrary to yours - he asked for several people's "opinions". Since neither of us are paid experts - there is nothing irresponsible about either of us providing anecdotal advice. Don't take everything people write here as a challenge to your greatness.

[+briansnat]

I guess since it melts plastic, but not our skin, there couldn't possibly be anything wrong with using it - I stand corrected.

 

Incorrect. Many things that melt plastic are harmful to humans. DEET isn't one of them.

 

BTW, insects kill thousands of people every year. Can you find one instance of a death resulting from using DEET as directed?

 

Don't take everything people write here as a challenge to your greatness.

 

My "greatness" is only in your mind.

Edited July 26, 2005 by briansnat

[+Polk Street Bandits]

BTW, insects kill thousands of people every year. Can you find one instance of a death resulting from using DEET as directed?

 

Look- I wasn't trying to pick a fight - I'm just saying that if a less risky alternative is still 80% as good as DEET, that's the one I would use. (Besides, wearing light colors, not using perfumes, and wearing long sleeves are 100% effective and don't cost anything - if not uncomfortable!)

 

Statistically, unless your an 85 year old person with other health issues, it's virtually impossible to "DIE" from a skeeter bite. I'd rather take the tiniest risk of getting a horrible disease, than then endure a more likely event such as - melting my $300 GPS, getting an eye infection from over-spray, ruining my clothes, etc.

[+Jhwk]

Don't want to get in trouble for cutting and pasting but...

 

A leading Consumer Testing agency recently reported (Jul 2005) that:

 

quotes from their website

 

"Deet (short for N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) has been safely used for decades.

A new product, Cutter Advanced spray with the chemical picaridin, claims to offer a “truly effective alternative to deet.” Our tests show that it's worth a try.

Picaridin has been used worldwide since 1998. The World Health Organization regards the proper use of picaridin as safe. Both repellents prevented bites for about 2 to 3 hours with the aggressive species.

 

The bottom line. Consider Cutter Advanced with picaridin, particularly if you need just a few hours of protection and if you don't like the odor or feel of repellents containing deet. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that it considers oil of lemon eucalyptus, like picaridin, as effective against mosquitoes as deet."

 

Maybe a viable alternative to those who don't like DEET.

[+shawhh]

deet on the skin, permethrin on the clothes. one item of clothing i wouldn't like to do without is a Bugtamer jacket. amazingly effective against mosquitoes and no seeums. allows me to use less deet. permethrin is the bomb! -harry

[+jimmyreno]

I'm surprised so many people like chemicals, DEET and the others never worked very well for me.

 

The BEST IS A HEADNET.

 

You can buy one at WalMart for $1.47.

Compressed in a thin packet, it makes a good trade item too.

[+EleriandBlade]

I tried Natrapel this weekend, it's one of those

no-good citronella herbal crap

formulas. It worked well for me but I had to re-apply about twice as often as the guys that were using deet based products.

DEET doesn't do diddlycrud for keeping the bugs away from me, I still get eaten alive. And just makes me feel and smell nasty, and everything tastes like chemical for days (no I'm *not* spraying it in my mouth, smartasses). I'd rather itch for a few days than feel like I've been dipped in pesticide, 'safe' or not.

 

So I started using some all-natural oil based stuff, and it works just fine. On the day I used it while picnicing near a skeeter-infested wetland, I didn't get bit. Forgot it the next day in the same area, and got a bunch of bites.

 

Interestingly enough, garlic in your diet can help, too. It has compounds that thin the blood, and skeeters hate their drinks being watered down.

[+OHMIKY]

Sounds like mighty sissified mosquitos if you can deter them chemically. Around here we get 5 or 6 folks together and lure one of the mosquitos into a confined space such as under the trees. Then each throws a loop around the monster and climbs on with knife bared. We scar them as deeply as possible. Although it is not possible to actually cripple one, it does seem to make them less apt to attack for an hour or more.

 

(edited to correct language error)

Edited July 29, 2005 by OHMIKY

[+DocDiTTo]

Off! Deep Woods for Sportsmen 95% DEET.

I started using it 3 weeks ago and am mosquito bite and - more important - tick free since then. Before that 1 tick on me per caching trip was common...

I used a 100% DEET spray on Friday, didn't see any skeeters but picked over a dozen ticks off. They don't seems to mind the DEET. (Well, the big brown wood ticks, anyway - didn't find any deer ticks that trip, so maybe it works for them). But DEET is good stuff, especially since I usually hit the woods in a T-shirt and shorts. Wish it repelled the briars better though.

[+DocDiTTo]

Interestingly enough, garlic in your diet can help, too. It has compounds that thin the blood, and skeeters hate their drinks being watered down.

Yeah, garlic helps repel those annoying muggles, too.

[+1stimestar]

I haven't read this entire thread but here is what works and don't work for me. Skin so soft doesn't work for me, at all. It may for some people. I normall use regular Off of Cutter but when going to the back country use 100% Deet as it works great for me and comes in a small container. It's really oily and stays on a long time. Taking garlic capsules and/or B-12 also helps. I also wear a head net, $3 from Wal Mart when neccessary. I hate inhaling those suckers.

[+dingermcduff]

Here is an article in Slate rating various new repellents, both with and without DEET. It's worth reading.

 

Personally, I usually wear long sleeves, a hat, and deal with whatever bites I get. I did boreal bird surveys this summer in black spruce bogs of northern Minnesota so I did not have the option of going back to the truck and I had to concentrate on recording the species of singing birds. The mosquitos were the worst I have EVER seen--thousands of them in huge clouds. In this case, I broke down and used 30% DEET on my shirt, pants, and hat, wore a headnet, and used a milder spray version of Skin-so-soft on my bare hands.

 

I still received quite a few bites--better than one hundred in a weekend--but nowhere near what it could have been. The DEET was very effective if applied about every 2-3 hours (I was sweating profusely with all of the bog hiking) and the Skin-so-soft worked OK as long as I reapplied like every hour. This is the only instance where I have used a repellent in at least 5 years.

 

I just don't trust the current administration to use teeth to protect consumers at the expense of the repellent industry. My gut instinct is that if long-term problems were found to be associated with DEET (nearly impossible to prove considering all of the other chemicals we're guinea pigs for), that information wouldn't find it's way out of Washington.