Insect Repellents

[Matthew.Passmore]

what is the best % DEET content for an insect repellent,

i have found this one -
http://www.blacks.co.uk/blacks.stor...);BLK+AW06+Insect+Repellents(BLG+Base+Catalog)

which is 95% DEET is this too much? is DEET irritating to humans at all?

Thanks.
:You_Rock_

 

[leon-b]

im not sure but i think someone on here melted their sunglasses by using 100% deet, powerful stuff
leon

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

im not sure but i think someone on here melted their sunglasses by using 100% deet, powerful stuff
leon

wow, 95% may be just a little too strong to put on skin might be good for impregnating clothing.

 

[andyn]

Put some on plastic bags (and watch them melt) or on you lips (and feel them burn and go numb) and you'll see why a lot of people for use in the uk/mainland europe etc try and avoid deet these days and go for natural alternatives.

I used a natural spray from craghopper while i was in sweden in June and the areas that i had protected remained unbitten. I just got lazy during the week and ended up with some ansty bites, just goes to show how well it was working i suppose.

Its also a bonus that the whole range of craghopper repelents have been reduced for ages now and are only £1.50 or so:

http://www.craghoppers.com/CraghoppersSite/category/Accessories_Insect repellent sprays and wipes/


Another option is to use an old traditional, but modernised ingredients, scandinavian product called "Nordic summer"...i've only seen it for sale on the ray mears website:

http://www.raymears.com/shop_item_desc.cfm?id=284&itemType=Skin Care

For areas in the UK where the midge is about this AVON skin moisturiser works really well (but isnt that effective against the mosi i've noted):

http://avonshop.co.uk/avonshop/prod..._id=&pdept_id=&dept_id=&pf_id=4982&line_id=69

EDIT...

Just as a note, I would say that if you are planning on going somewhere where dieases are transferred by mosi bite then i'd use the high %age DEET.

 

[EdS]

nasty stuff.

Best thing to stop you getting bitten is to have a friend who is taller and sweatier. They'll them instead.

 

[Matthew.Passmore]

Thanks everyone.

 

[BorderReiver]

Hi Matthew,unless you're going to seriously foreign places with health risk issues,it might be best to steer clear of DEET.

There are a lot of different alternatives,some of which might work for you.

A lot of folks swear by Skinsosoft by Avon.
Not tried it yet personally but have heard many good reports.

Try the search facility,there have been a few thread with lots of suggestions.

 

[Voivode]

A lot of folks swear by Skinsosoft by Avon.
Not tried it yet personally but have heard many good reports.

I can vouch for that one. My mother used it on us when we were children, and we still use it when we don't "need" the DEET.

 

[Jackdaw]

Try eating Marmite. Read an article that the Vitamin B in contains puts biters off!

Mmmmmm........My mate Marmite! Only problem is the wife hates it!

 

[Feygan]

Just a thought but is there any natural material you can make up a solution for spray for that works? Sure it's good to avoid the biters but I like to do it on the cheap and learn somthing at the same time?

 

[Freelander]

Hi
I smoke a pipe while fishing, that seems to work for me but this is probably more harmful than DEET.
I also like the "Nordic summer" which has a strong Smokey smell, Its hard to apply unless you really warm it up, not sure I would rely on these in the jungle. Although some Indonesians rub tobacco on their skin to stop leeches and mozzies.

 

[Hunter_zero]

Hi
I smoke a pipe while fishing, that seems to work for me but this is probably more harmful than DEET.
I also like the "Nordic summer" which has a strong Smokey smell, Its hard to apply unless you really warm it up, not sure I would rely on these in the jungle. Although some Indonesians rub tobacco on their skin to stop leeches and mozzies.

I'm a professional pest controller and as such spend a lot of my time fighting bugs!
It is interesting that you mention tobacco. Nicotine was / is a very potent insecticide and up until the WW2 was widely used. Due the war, Germany had to look for an alternative insecticide. They had to supply food as well as tobacco! So they set forth making a new insecticide. Now known as Organophosphates! the bi-product was nerve gas which they also used

Anyway, soaking tobacco in water, will produce a very potent insecticide, of course the down side is that nicotine is VERY toxic to us humans, lethal in fact.

The very best repellent I have used in ex-army cream. Now and then I do use a permethrin based insecticide on my boots to stop fleas using me as a host

Citronella oil, is cheap and effective. This is the main and only active ingredient in the skin-so-soft stuff. You can buy 1ltr bottles of the oil for as little as £2, mixed with ceder oil and melted in to petroleum jelly, you have a repellent balm. Mix the oil with a base oil and some alcohol put it in a sprayer and you have spray repellent. What you will find, is that most commercial repellents use natural active ingredients, it's as simple as that to produce your own!
I do have some tried and tested recipes that I have made and used. If I can find them, and there is enough interest I'll post them.

HTH

John

 

[Freelander]

HI Hunter_Zero

QUOTE
I do have some tried and tested recipes that I have made and used. If I can find them, and there is enough interest I'll post them
UNQUOTE

Please do or PM them to me.

Thanks