Most effective insect repellant?

I put this info out nearly a year ago, and this is a good thread to put it in again. DEET has been proven to have some odd side affects. When used in strength exceeding 30% and for more than 72 hours duration, it causes insomnia and moodiness in a high percentage of people. I always liked the old military bug juice which was 73% if I remember right.
 
kgd said:
Great Info Kris...There are definitely some issues with 100% and the high formulations. As I recall, duel application of SPF/sunscreen and DEET can result in carrier effects that bring DEET into your bloodstream. Not such a great thing. For the same reason, I'd be a bit remiss to dilute DEET with alcohol. I'd recommend using something like mineral oil which has hydrophobic properties and will readilly dissolve the DEET. The components of mineral oil themselves are too large to pass through the lipid bilayer protecting epidermal cells and thus should not facilitate entry into the blood stream. For a cream like effect, mixing DEET with vaseline my accomplish a similar effect.
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Thanks for that info! I was looking downstairs but my university notes are all over or gone. I wasn't sure about OH, but could not think of what else to use. The mineral oil sounds good, I never thought about its hydrophobicity and lipid bilayer (duh!). I may have to try it next time I'm on an outing if I can find some 100% and remember how to titrate (it's been a while but I'm sure I can get it close).

Interesting about the insomnia and moodiness- I hate DEET but most of the other options don't work with my sweet sweet Nordic Blood!
 
Muskol aerosol with DEET works well here in the Boreal forest where the bugs tend to be very friendly.

I spray my ball cap, all exposed skin. Either close your eyes and give your face a shot, or spray onto your hands and apply to face, as the pesty things with wings always like to go for the face.
 
savagesicslayer said:
Bens.Bright orange package.I've seen it in 30 and 100 deet formulas.The 100 deet stuff repels everything including people.
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be careful with that stuff. there is not much long term data on the use of deet and human skin. whatever you do dont put deet on your skin if you can. and yes it will eat plastic (100% really will) so watch your synthetic clothing
 
I tried a number of products in the deep Everglades years ago. Believe it or not, Avon's Skin-So-Soft really works, even when the mosquitoes are so thick around you, you can't open your mouth without getting a mouthful of them. Unfortunately, I would sweat it right off and it's only good for about 30 minutes, if it's hot.

I found Cutter and Deepwoods Off to be, pretty much, neck and neck when it comes to repelling mosquitoes and duration of effectiveness.
 
I received an email, one of those 'did you know?' types a while back which claimed that dryer sheets (the tissue thingies you put in with a load of clothes) make an excellent mosquito/gnat repellant.

I don't have a severe problem with mosquitos where I live so I have no idea if this is effective or not but might by worth a try....?
 
Here in the swamp, I've had great luck with the following:

- Treat clothing with Premethrin (edit: I do not treat pants as it is not good for aquatic plants, etc. Although the dose to the environment would be miniscule, I do not want to add anything to the water through which I wade.)
- I use 45n68w

Even without clothes treated with the Premethrin, the 45n works very well.
 
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Here is a good summary of toxicological case studies related to use of DEET.

http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/consultations/deet/health-effects.html

Interesting, that applying deet to the inside of your elbow before sleeping producing some nasty skin conditions in about half the people tested. Other than that and some of the potential reproductive consequences for pregnant woman, there isn't much evidence to implicate major effects.

From my professional affiliation with this field, I can attest that my own personal fear factor of DEET and its potential impacts have dropped considerably since reading the above link. I was expecting to see case studies documenting severe liver damage that don't seem to be realized given the very large use pattern of this regulated substance.
 
Old CW4 said:
I received an email, one of those 'did you know?' types a while back which claimed that dryer sheets (the tissue thingies you put in with a load of clothes) make an excellent mosquito/gnat repellant.

I don't have a severe problem with mosquitos where I live so I have no idea if this is effective or not but might by worth a try....?
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It does work. I try to keep a couple in the same ziploc bag with my bug spray, but forgot them last time I needed them most, so they didn't do me much good.
I'll put one under my cap, or hanging out the back. They don't seem that strong at home, but some of my friends said they could smell mine from 50yds. behind me while canoeing last year. I wondered if the scented ones wouldn't be like being doused in perfume in comparison.
 
OwenM said:
It does work. I try to keep a couple in the same ziploc bag with my bug spray, but forgot them last time I needed them most, so they didn't do me much good.
I'll put one under my cap, or hanging out the back. They don't seem that strong at home, but some of my friends said they could smell mine from 50yds. behind me while canoeing last year. I wondered if the scented ones wouldn't be like being doused in perfume in comparison.
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The mosquito's in my area do not respect the dryer sheets, I was talking to a new neighbor and he told me about their effectiveness. He had one in his back pocket, hanging out. Anyway within a few minutes the mosquito's arrived and he was getting eaten alive as bad as I was!!
 
I like reading all the negative about DEET products. It tells me people use them. And they work. I wouldn't soak in a hot tub of DEET on a daily basis but I use the 100% DEET products on my clothing when mosquitoes are bad. As opposed to when mosquitoes are good? There never pleasant. There a nuisance at the least. Deadly at the worst.
 
Horseflies are a major problem in Scandinavia(mosquitoes are bad too) and they can give really painful bites. I use the Off products but I'm suspicious of all chemical repellants, they are needed but I don't like them.

What interests me is WHY are some people left alone by biting insects? Do some of us produce a smell or chemical that insects like??
 
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