By Lori Bongiorno
You probably love spending time outdoors in the
summer but worry about mosquitoes and ticks. So what’s the best way to prevent bites?
It’s worth the effort to discourage these bugs because mosquitoes can transmit West Nile, malaria,
and dengue fever, while ticks can carry Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.
DEET has long been considered the most effective defense, but it can have adverse health effects,
including seizures and skin rashes. While the EPA says DEET is safe when used according
to directions, there are alternatives.
Here are my Green, Greener, Greenest repellent solutions:
Green: If you use DEET, use
it sparingly. (Use products
with concentrations of 10
percent or less on children
2 to 12 years of age, and
never apply DEET to babies
younger than two months.)
It’s best to avoid products
that combine DEET with
sunscreen, because you
should reapply sunscreen
more often than bug spray.
Use DEET only on clothing
or exposed skin, avoiding
cuts and rashes. Don’t put it
on kids’ hands or faces. Wash
it off with soap and water
when you get inside.
Greener: The Centers
for Disease Control and
Prevention has declared two
less-toxic alternatives to be as
effective as DEET: picaridin,
a chemical repellent, and
plant-based oil of lemon
eucalyptus (not to be used
on children younger than
three). Contrary to popular
myth, garlic and vitamin B
haven’t been found to put off
mosquitoes, but tests have
shown that soybean oil can
work well.
Greenest: Cut down on
repellent use by covering
up with hats, socks, shoes,
and long sleeves and pants.
(Remember: light colors
make pests easier to see.)
Stay out of underbrush,
where ticks lurk, and check
your yard for sources of still
water, where mosquitoes
congregate. Most tick and
skeeter shelters are obvious,
but some, such as gutters
and empty bird feeders,
are easily overlooked.
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