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New Sprays Don't Use DEET

Here's the latest salvo in the war against the little blood suckers that can ruin your summer picnic or outdoor party, female mosquitos. Nasty little critters that have you on their dinner menu.

Mosquitos can carry West Nile virus, eastern equine encephalitis, and they can infect your pets, too. But now, according to University of Maryland entomology professor Mike Raupp, you have some new ways to bite the bugs back. "Almost since the second world war, DEET has been the golden standard of mosquito repellents. However, this year, the Centers for Disease Control announced two new products and a couple of these work almost as well as DEET."

One new product is called Picaridin, used world wide since 1998 and one of the best selling repellent ingredients in Europe. Raupp says, "In field trials it has shown to hold up just as well as DEET for up to nine hours giving 90-95% protection, so this is a very, very effective product."

The other new product is oil of lemon eucalyptus, a plant based ingredient that wards off bugs. Raupp says, "It doesn't last quite as long as Picaridin or DEET, but for shorter periods of time, 3-4 hours perhaps, it can work just as well."  

Professor Raupp has also tried out a line of bug repellent clothing treated with Permetherin, and that too gets an enthusiastic thumbs up. "I wore this clothing in the lowland rainforest of Belize this January. The bite counts were 2-300 per hour. I did not get a single bite, so if you wear this shirt you won't get hurt."

Professor Raupp says mosquito repellents work by inhibiting sensors in a mosquitos antenna, so the bug doesn't recognize you as food. Experts say no matter which bug repellent you use, only apply it to exposed skin. Don't get it on wounds, don't put it on your mouth or eyes, wash it off when you return indoors, and if you're using it on children, put it on your hands first, then apply to children's exposed skin. And most importantly, according to Raupp, "Before you use any product, read the label and follow those instructions."

The Centers for Disease Control has more information on its website. Click here for that link.