Does your insect repellant work?

Here in the south, our state bird is the mosquito. If you do not want apply any of these to your skin, a Thermacell works great and with no odor! During hunting season, I never go without it. The only down side is they are not as effective if it is windy.

agesilaus wrote:
rockhillmanor

people with chemophobia are probably the same ones that refuse to vacinate their children. California had it's first whooping cough death in memory caused by one of them.

And that derogatory comment contributes to this thread how? :?

A service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine
From the National Institutes of HealthNational Institutes of Health
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002763.htm

"For DEET:
Persons applying DEET to their skin may get hives or have mild redness and irritation. These symptoms are usually mild and will go away when the product is removed from the skin.

Persons who use very high concentrations of DEET on their skin over a long period of time (such as military personnel or game wardens) may have more severe skin reactions that include blistering, burning, and permanent scars of the skin. Other symptoms associated with long-term use of high amounts of DEET (over 50% concentration) include insomnia and mood changes."

There are many people in the general populous that use deet like water each and every day and night and on their kids, because of the new installed fear of meningitis diseases prompted by the advertisers.

A product that can produce these symptoms is not 100% safe. It's a free world so everyone can do what ever they want. I just wish more people would research more on their own instead of blindly believing the lobbyist driven epa.:R

Canada and the USA do not share the same governmental agencies. So to compare the testing between countries is really a moot point.

rockhillmanor

people with chemophobia are probably the same ones that refuse to vacinate their children. California had it's first whooping cough death in memory caused by one of them.

How does DEET work?

Repellency of insects is accomplished via evaporation of DEET from the skin. The higher the level of DEET, the longer the evaporation process. Muskol® delivers up to eight hours of protection against mosquitoes.

Is DEET safe?

DEET has been researched for over 50 years. Major toxicology studies have established that DEET can be used without posing serious risks to humans or the environment. DEET provides safe and effective bug protection, as long as label directions are followed. More than 200 million people use DEET annually.

For more information about DEET, visit the Health Canada - PMRA website, click here

agesilaus wrote:
Here's an article on what works and what doesn't:

Text

As expected DEET works and most "natural products" don't. There are a couple of newer synthetics that also work. And Lemon Eucalyptus oil is the one natural product that may be effective, but don't use it on young kids.
DEET has been used billions of times with not one confirmed bad event with the exception of a couple of people that drank it.
BK

I think these companies have done a wonderful job of deceiving the public about the safety of deet.

When a product can cause neurological problems as serious as seizure and death when used on children can one honestly say it is a safe product for an adult solely based on the fact that the adult is bigger? Neurological = brain not body mass.

You don't have to swallow it to be of a concern, breathing and absorption thru the largest organ of a human body is where the problem lies.

Deet has a classified poisonous ingredient.

"Most bug repellents contain DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) as their active ingredient."

"DEET is especially dangerous for small children. Seizures may occur in small children who are consistently

exposed to DEET on their skin for long periods of time

. Care should be taken to only apply lower concentrations of DEET to children for short periods of time. Products containing DEET probably should not be used on infants."

http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002763.htm

I've sat and watched parents at a CG spray and spray and spray their kids all day long and again at night with Deet. :(

Muskoil used to be 100% Deet. I still have some of the 100%. Simply the BEST!

Test by me many time on the June northern Ontario wilderness.

http://www.muskol.com

Yeah I have a supply of 100% DEET tho I've been told that 20% is optimum.

BK

Yes, Deet is the only thing that's really effective. However, pay attention to the can when you buy it because there's a lot of different stregthes of it. I always go for the highest % I can find.

Spray:
OFF Insect Repellent II - 15%
Ben's 30 Wilderness Formula - 30%
Sportsmen Max - 40%

In bottles:
Ben's 100 Max Formula - but it's really 95%
Muskol 100% - but down further it says 95% Deet and 5% Other Isomer

Anything higher - ?

Bill