Bug spray

[Catrin]

Going camping and am putting together what I need. I will be in the woods, so what is the best bug spray? Is "Deep Woods Off" a good choice or is there a better? I was going to ask which is the least toxic, but we ARE talking about bug repellent... I will be mountain biking and hiking. Pity the pool is now closed during the week

[OakLeaf]

Bite Blocker.

[TsPoet]

In all the studies where toxicity of DEET has been desperately looked for, nothing has been found. Believe me, people have tried.
And it works.
As of a few years ago, I couldn't find anything without DEET in it that worked. There were rumors of Skin so Soft that didn't pan out and other products. I'm not familiar with Bite blocker.
DEET doesn't kill insects, it repels them. (It repels my SO, too, he hates that smell).

However - just an FYI, my bottle of DEET (Off) which I had stored in the pocket of the back door of my car leaked all over the back of the car, so much that is seeped out onto my bumper where it destroyed the 3M shield - it didn't affect any of the other sorts of plastic it hit. Could have been some other solvent in the Off formulation, not the DEET, but whatever it was was nasty to my bumper.

[OakLeaf]

DEET is known to dissolve plastic. Including sunglasses, plastic fibers in clothing, tent fabric, probably all manner of stuff hanging off a bicycle... Good to know it doesn't dissolve ABS plastic, but still. Debate about its neurotoxicity aside, it reeks, it makes me choke, and it dissolves my stuff. (And dissolved plastics in DEET could be toxic to humans, whether or not the DEET itself is...)

Bite Blocker is tested as effective as I believe 7% DEET, which doesn't sound like much until you remember that higher concentrations of DEET do NOT protect *better,* they only protect *longer.* The concentrations of DEET are all about the half-life, nothing else. You will need to re-apply Bite Blocker about every 90 minutes, probably a bit more often if you're sweating.

I'm serious mosquito and fly bait. I do not work for the company. I use it. It works.

[indysteel]

Regardless of what you use, be sure to give yourself a good going over for ticks. The incidence of Lyme Disease in ***** County is nonexistent last I checked, but it would really suck to be the first case, especially since the County is known to have deer ticks.

[Catrin]

Regardless of what you use, be sure to give yourself a good going over for ticks. The incidence of Lyme Disease in ***** County is nonexistent last I checked, but it would really suck to be the first case, especially since the County is known to have deer ticks.

Yikes! I never think about this, guess I've just been lucky... Will see if I can get Bite Blocker in time, if not will just have to go with something else. Thanks!

[OakLeaf]

Will see if I can get Bite Blocker in time, if not will just have to go with something else.

If there's a Whole Foods near you, they should have it - locally-owned natural food stores often do.

+1 on checking yourself for ticks. I usually do it in/after the shower ... which may not be an option when camping ... do be careful!


(Also I have to know what the name of the county is that got auto-moderated! )

[TsPoet]

I did some quick checking:
Not as much known about bite blocker, which is my usual objection to this sort of thing, why on earth people think that "natural" or "herbal" means non-toxic is a complete mystery to me - and every other toxicologist in the world. This is actually a fairly complete summary document on what little is known. The NOEL is a little higher than DEET, but it hasn't been studied as much, it is also a NOEL (No observed (adverse) effect level) only for what has been decided to be the active ingredient. (Higher is better).
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles...k_mcl_0810.pdf
After this brief assessment, I wouldn’t worry about bite blocker, either. I personally prefer DEET because it’s the Devil that is known.
Ticks are huge here, I sit in the driveway and check my dogs over before we go in the house, then myself. I found 22 on the belly of my doxy-x once!

[Catrin]

Thanks TSPoet and Oakleaf, your information and suggestions are very much appreciated. I don't often seem to get bit, thankfully, but if I am going to spend that long in the woods I need to be smart. I would have NEVER thought about ticks if IndySteel hadn't mentioned it Lyme disease may not be common in that area, but why not make certain?

[OakLeaf]

why on earth people think that "natural" or "herbal" means non-toxic is a complete mystery to me

I think you're confusing something.

A substance that produces a gross physiological reaction as well as sensory aversion (choking, offensive smell) is something that your body is genetically programmed to treat as harmful. Whether it's natural or synthetic - DEET or dog poop.

That doesn't prove that it's harmful, but it should be enough to warrant more investigation.

Obviously it doesn't prove that things that smell nice and don't cause choking are safe, either ... but on that scale, I think it's safe to assume that synthetic substances that are specifically designed to be inoffensive are less likely to be safe than natural substances that don't immediately set off warning systems that the human body evolved while being exposed to those same substances over millennia.

I just don't want my clothes and eyeglasses melted. Why does that strike you as irrational?

And I can't stand the smell of DEET, or the feel of it on my skin. Literally can't stand it, never could, even when I was a teenager and thought nothing about safety. Dozens of mosquito bites, each of which leaves about a 6 cm welt on me and itches awfully for about two weeks, are more comfortable to me than DEET. Comfort may be irrational, but why isn't it a valid consideration?

[indysteel]

If there's a Whole Foods near you, they should have it - locally-owned natural food stores often do.

+1 on checking yourself for ticks. I usually do it in/after the shower ... which may not be an option when camping ... do be careful!


(Also I have to know what the name of the county is that got auto-moderated! )

I used stars to designate the county because Catrin had been encouraged in another thread about her trip to not give details as to when and where she'll be. I was just trying to respect her privacy.

[Crankin]

Since I live in prime tic country, I go for DEET, usually in the child proportions.
I am not a bug magnet (DH is) and I've used it for years. I try not to run or hike in the summer too much, but the allure of the trail is just too much at times.

[TsPoet]

I think you're confusing something.

Oak! I'm really sorry, you misunderstood me. My reaction was to their website, not to your posts! their website is full of the "It's natural" BS that drives me nuts.
The 'as effective as 7% DEET' is also from their studies - so I don't trust it at all. The fact that you've had good experiences with it holds a lot more weight for me
As I said, my SO hates DEET, I think this might be a good alternate for him.
I like DEET it works for me (and it's also a great SO repellent if he's bugging me).
Sorry for the misunderstanding - friends?

[OakLeaf]

Sorry for the misunderstanding - friends?

You betcha.

[tulip]

I hear that original Listerine makes a great mosquito repellent. Put it in a spray bottle. Never tried it myself, but my mother swears by it.