Skeeters and No-see-ums

“Wednesday, 12 June, 2002, 11:19 GMT 12:19 UK
Tomato-based repellent 'beats Deet'


Tomatoes have a natural bug-fighting ability

A mosquito repellent that includes a compound from tomatoes could prove safer and more effective than current chemicals.
Preventing mosquito bites is a key part of efforts to prevent the spread of diseases such as malaria and dengue fever, particularly among travellers to tropical countries.

Deet (N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide), the active ingredient in the majority of repellent sprays and creams, has been linked with occasionally severe reactions.

The US Environmental Protection Agency no longer allows labels of products containing Deet to describe them as "safe for children".



It's found in tomatoes, it's natural, it can be obtained organically, it's safe and it's at least as effective as Deet

Dr Michael Roe, North Carolina State University
The discovery, by scientists at North Carolina State University, US, could produce a repellent which is less toxic.

The tomato plant has an innate ability to fend off attacks from insects.

Dr Michael Roe, Professor of Entomology at North Carolina, took an extract of the plant and tested it to see if it had specific effects on mosquitoes - which can carry the malaria parasite.


Some mosquitoes carry disease

They found it to be extremely effective not only against mosquitoes, but also against ticks, which are commonplace in many countries and can also carry disease.

In addition, the compound - labelled IBI-246 -is already used extensively in cosmetics, meaning that its toxicity has been well-tested.

The university has patented its use as an insect repellent, and a biotechnology firm is using it as the basis for new products.

Dr Roe said: "It's found in tomatoes, it's natural, it can be obtained organically, it's safe and it's at least as effective as Deet, all features that the public would want for a new-generation insect repellent.

"With the concern about West Nile virus and Lyme disease, spread by mosquitoes and ticks, respectively - in the US and with the threat of other diseases such as malaria outside the US, people need the personal protection of insect repellents."

On the way

Researchers are hopeful that a product containing the extract will be on the market by the end of the year.

Professor Chris Curtis, from the London School of Tropical Hygiene and Medicine, London, UK, said that Deet had, perhaps unfairly, received a bad press in the past.

He said: "There have been reports of adverse reactions, but when these are compared with the millions of applications of repellents containing Deet, it really does appear to be relatively safe.

"The only difficulty is that it can damage certain plastics if it comes into contact with them.

"We have tested a variety of products and found that all of them are effective, although not 100%, including one containing lemon and eucalyptus."”

“TYPE 2 - Broad Spectrum™ Composite Spray
While Deet can repel all mosquitoes, ticks, and some flies, Deet does not repel all flies effectively. For those situations you will need the extra protection of the special fly repellent, R-326, which is added to this formula and is effective against flies, gnats and no-see-ums. For times when sprays are more convenient than lotions, this is the formula to use. Sawyer's Broad Spectrum contains no alcohol which has been shown to increase skin absorption of Deet, and is the only non-alcohol spray repellent in the USA.”

“in Chicago.

Last night the first skeeters were out in Chicago (too cold previously.) Suppose I now have West Nile!

It's been nice!”

“I know they are bad here in Hammond Indiana already!

I like to work in the yard but man they just go nutz on ya!

8\”

“How about just carrying tomatoes and smearing them all over oneself at regular intervals? too heavy to carry but perhaps those dried tomatoes? Just joking, the active ingredient is doubtless so small a part of the plant that it must be concentrated. Hey I really like your screen name. Earth root dude that rocks.”

“If this product is so damned effective, why are my tomato plants covered with caterpillars, leaf borers, and flea beetles every time I turn around?”

“Good question Treebait. Good question. Maybe the ingredient is effective against skeeters but not the pests. Not every repellant works against everything, which is why I posted the Sawyers thing, which purports to be effective against no-see-ums as well. Maybe we should all start posting things we've used that work, assuming anything does. But nothing works all the time. I've learned that the hard way. Gotta keep lathering it up after you sweat it off.
Nuppy, I wonder it you ate a lot of tomato sauce whether it would protect you. But you'd probably have to eat the equivalent of a railroad tank car full.
Time will tell, but I'm betting the bugs win in the end.”

“i spray the yard w/ bug killer!”

“Not all bugs are bad!Lots of them are real cool!

8)”

“I don't know why a question I posted didn't show up here.

Anyhoo...

When I lived in the South, noseeums were present but since moving out West, I haven't noticed any. Are they regional pains in the ass?

Has anyone in the West experienced Noseeums?

I wanna know because I take a regular mosquito net with me in the summer Sierra but not noseeum netting.”

“Whats good for controling those aggravating ass flies that circles around your head before biting the $h:t out of you?”

“Season and location specific.”

“Being a fellow Sac area resident I can assure you that No Seeums do exist out here. Fortunately they're not too much of a bother. At the Facility I work at an plant wide email was sent out last week regarding how to deal with them. I work in a building where if bugs are found we have major issues and FDA concerns.”

“Yeah? And the advice was????

Or is that classified?”

“The memo suggested using baby oil or avon skin so soft on exposed skin. The memo also mentioned that if temps reached 102* 3 consecutive days that the no-see-ums would be eliminated. The latter reason is probably why the Sac area doesn't have too much of a problem with them. But hey, we make up for it with the Sierra mosquitos which can be as bad if not worse than anywhere in N. America.”

“They're both awful but I've been bping here for 6 years, all over and have yet to live through a noseeum encounter I can remember. Skeeters, definitely.

I've found the skinsosof to be pretty worthless for flying, biting things. DEET works.

Thanks for the input, Dunk.”

“No-see-ums, or biting midges, can only live within 300 feet of the body of water where they hatch. Move a football field away from water and you are clear.
Skin So Soft only works against no-see-ums, not skeeters. The active ingredient in Sawyers Broad Spectrum repellant is, I suspect, the same ingredient that is in Skin So Soft. Broad Spectrum is a mix of that ingredient, R326, and Deet.
I used to mix Skin So Soft with other repellants in squirt bottles. That had mixed results.
The problem is that repellants sweat off and need to be reapplied several times in the course of a day, and while you hike you sweat, so it becomes almost a pointless exercise to stop, take of the pack, apply repellant, hitch back up and head off for another couple miles before you have to dismount and start all over again.
The other trick is to carry the repellant in an accessible pocket and reapply while walking. This works better.
But you need to avoid getting it in the eyes or suffer the misery.”

“Oh, and no-see-ums occur all over North America from Canada to Mexico, and probably beyond. It's God's punishment for fishing out the trout streams is my best guess.”

“Can I just pick up the Sayer's stuff you're describing at the drug store or do I have to order it online somwhere?

Thanks.”

“And what's the stuff you can spray on things to kill the flyers? Peremythin?”

“Rosey: it is available at some sporting goods stores, but not all. Their website is sawyersonline.com, and I think they have a listing of national stores that carry their products.
With all the gunk we try, I figured it was worth a try. Unfortunately, I have not yet had a chance to get into no-see-um territory to find out if it works or not.”

“DDT




j/k”

“Rosey, Permythrin (or however it is spelled) has some repellant qualities, but it can cause skin rashes. They sell it in a spray to spray on clothing. It is supposed to be effective for two weeks even through a washing. The clothing spray is good to use in conjunction with a skin repellant.”