Our brainy cousins over at Consumer Reports test insect repellant… And yeah, people actually let mosquitos bite them in the name of science. It’s pretty nasty, we’re not going to lie. CR doesn’t want you to get West Nile, so they’ve made their ratings of insect repellents free on their site. We’ve grabbed the top three:
1. Off Deep Woods Sportsmen II (30% deet)
2. Cutter Backwoods Unscented (23% deet)
3. Off FamilyCare Smooth & Dry (15% deet)
All three are under $2.00 per ounce and (obviously) contain deet, so use caution when applying to children.
“You shouldn’t use repellent on infants and if you must use a bug spray on children, make sure its concentrations of deet are no higher than 30 percent and follow instructions carefully,” says Nicole Sarrubbo, associate editor, Consumer Reports. “Avoid sunscreens with insect repellent. Sunscreens are meant to be applied and reapplied liberally. You don’t want to expose yourself and your family to unnecessarily high concentrations of repellents.”
And here’s what you’re really interested in: video of human beings letting bugs bite them for your benefit:
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Now if only someone could create an ID-10 Tango repellent
…if they did, where would that 95% of our population get crammed into as they tried to avoid the scent?
Florida?
Screw the weak crap. Use Bens 100. 95% deet, bugs don’t come anywhere near you. Only repellant I’ve used for years.
I once had Bens 100 melt part of a tent window. I remember it causing Swatch Watch bands to start to melt when I was a kid.
That’s some strong stuff.
I use 100% deet as well. For a 1 week camping trip, I only need to bring a tiny .3 oz dropper bottle. Apply to my ankles, wrists, and neck and I’m all good.
Bought some deet repellant at an Army Surplus store. Had some on my fingers and accidentally touched my lips. They started to tingle. Yeah.
Higher concentrations of DEET may have a longer repellent effect, however, concentrations over 50% provide no added protection.
http://www.cdc.gov/malaria/toolkit/DEET.pdf
Let’s see… leftover bits of peanut butter, mixed with hot soysauce and random chicken scraps and garbage, makes a great mosquito repellant.
Let’s not forget the leftover wine. Adds just the right amount of alcohol to the mix to give a certain freshness to your skin.
I know it’s the job of the media to scare the public, but I wish every article and news report about West Nile would point out that 80% of the people infected with the virus develop absolutely no symptoms whatsoever, 20% get flu-like symptoms that pass in a week or so, and only 1 in 150 actually develop the deadly symptoms.
I know. The media around here tends to report on this as if it’s on a par with the Black Plague.
“Bring out your dead……”
I’m not dead yet!
You’ll be stone dead in a moment.
I’m feeling better!
At least 5 people in Dallas, Texas have died from West Nile. They were all old though. Doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be avoided.
Indeed not. But the public shouldn’t be made to feel like they should hermetically seal themselves inside their homes either.
Provide accurate information as to the risks and let people make up their own minds about it. Of course that doesn’t sell as many papers as “Run for your lives!” does.
3m ultrathon is some good stuff. Deet lotions in a polymer base tend to last longer and not need such a high deet concentration to get the same effectiveness. If you’re going to be outside awhile, consider treating some clothes with permethrin. It’ll keep the bugs from biting your through your shirt, etc. (Look for the bottles used to treat horses, etc. Same stuff, but cheaper than the camping varieties.) This is the stuff I used when I went camping in the Amazon and had no noticeable bites.
I stay inside. Mosquitoes love me and I hate being itchy.
Nuke them from orbit…
it is the only way to be sure.
What can someone like me do? I have a weak immune system and really fear getting West Nile but I can’t tolerate chemicals and therefore cannot use the standard insect repellents. Anyone know some good natural bug repellents? I refuse to stay locked in my house 6 months a year.
Vinegar?
Skin So Soft from Avon is helpful. If they are still in business when you read this….I hear they’re doomed…..
OnGuard insect repellent from South Africa – its all natural and should set you free.
Give-em a Google
I like Off FamilyCare Smooth & Dry (15% deet). It’s effective, easy to apply and has a pleasant odor.
A great way to repel insects is to rub insect pheromone all over your body, then run into the woods
expect some interesting results.
Of course, nothing beats good old dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane.
Nobody ever proved it was harmful to anything but insects. And nothing developed since then (1874 believe it or not) has worked as well for that purpose. Plus, the global ban only applies to agricultural use, it’s still legal for controlling disease vectors.
Nothing like good ol’ DDT to make insects have seizures and die.