Deet?

“I've never used Deet before, and am planning to be bug-free in the U.P. this weekend. What are the pro's and con's? How dangerous is this stuff? I read an old post that it melted nail polish, and even someone's rain shell. If I use it for 5 days in a row, will I be able to have children some day? :)”

“For 5 days I would not worry about it. There is no doubt once it finds its way to you liver it stays there, but you would have to be slathering on buckets of the stuff to be in any serious danger. I would be more concerned about a reaction from an insect bite.
As an alternative consider something made of permethrin (?) which is derived from pyrethrym (?) daisies and is a known insecticide as opposed to deet which is a repellant.”

“Perythrin works well sprayed on clothing, but should not be sprayed on the skin.
DEET works against skeeters, but not against no-see-ums. If you expect to encounter both, consider using Sawyers Broad Spectrum or mix Skin-So-Soft with a DEET-based repellant.
DEET in heavy concentrations can craze plastic (watch bands, eyeglasses with plastic lenses, and some synthetic fabrics). I take off watch and glasses and spray it on away from tent and tarps.
Nothing works totally effectively, but repellants do limit exposure.
I'd rather risk the repellant than come home the human pin cushion scratching at a dozen or two welts. I am highly susceptible to biting insects and they can literally make life miserable. I react to no-see-ums worst of all; the bites seem to fester for a week or so.”

“I saw a tiny leak in a small bottle of "Ben's 100" (100% DEET) try to melt a hole in the dashboard of a '91 Explorer once...

As long as You aren't made of plastic, you ought to be okay, <G>.”

“EEEErrrrwwwwhhh, I'm meltingggggg!”

“Actually, it's not melting the plastic, it's dissolving it. It acts as an organic solvent, organic being the chemical term for any chemical that is carbon-based. Plastic is an organic polymer and so it is dissolved by the solvent. Hmmm...aren't humans carbon-based lifeforms???”

“So how do they get Deet to stay in those plastic bottles??

I bought a bottle of bug dope that is 20% deet. I hope its stong enough!”

“I've used DEET for years and I have not dissolved, if that sheds light on the issue at hand.”

“The plastic material in the bottles is engineered not to dissolve.”

“Deet and baggy long sleeved shirts and pants work for me. I just treat the areas that might get exposed. Spray alittle in the palm, rub the areas and then wash and wipe palms off as best as possible. Avoid spraying and touching items that might react to the chemical. Glasses, camera bodies and certain fabrics, pole grip handles. I made the mistake one time of not cleaning off my hands while 'quading' in the tundra. The rubbery grips began to melt or something and got tacky. I had black crap all over my hands. It doesn't taste good either. Tingling sensation.”

“There are other things in the mix so to speak in those plastic bottles that keep them from being dissolved by it. Like gas cans--gasoline is also an organic solvent.

BTW, I use the '100%' DEET formula year round and have for years. I use it pretty sparingly, though. It really is your best protection against ticks.”

“I cant remember, but doesnt deet do bad things to fish and frogs aswell?”

“NEVER feed it to wildlife!”

“I read on the back of a 100% Deet bottle yesterday do not apply to synthetic clothing or leather only apply to cotton or wool.”

“hmmmm. I haven't tried to dissolve my polartec with it. I guess it's because the bugs aren't usually around then(?)”

“Oh, my other question: Is it OK to mix with sunscreen?”

“Do follow those directions Musthike. They make permythrin sprays for clothing that allegedly last for two weeks and through a washing. That stuff is effective and I think save for synthetics, but always follow directions on the label.
Frankly, with my susceptibility to them, I generally stay out of the woods in the worst of black fly and no-see-um season. Every once in awhile me need to get away overrides that consideration, which is when the no-see-ums can be heard yelling "Feast" as they swarm toward me.”

“Go to www.sawyeronline.com to check out their products.”

“I did follow the directions, which I'm glad I read. Every now and then I don't learn the hard way.”

“I spray it on over my sunscreen all the time. That's hardly a scientific test but I've never gotten sick or had any problems.”

“I lived, worked and hunted in the U.P. for fourteen years, think Deep Woods Off! You can even purchase it with sunscreen in it. Works great on fighting off the hoards of black-flies you most likely encounter. Skin So Soft works but is a greasy mess and doesn't last.

If this is your first encounter with black-flies you're in for a treat. NOTTTTTTTTTTTTTT”

“Oh no, I'm familiar with them black flies.

Deep Woods Off, eh? Guess I'll bring both....”

“What Geezr said!!!”

“"I cant remember, but doesnt deet do bad things to fish
and frogs aswell?"
bunyip
08:02:06 AM
06/17/02

I think you are refering to
DDT.”

“Catnip Repels Mosquitoes More Effectively Than DEET

CHICAGO, August 27 — Researchers report that nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET — the compound used in most commercial insect repellents. Peterson put groups of 20 mosquitoes in a two-foot glass tube, half of which was treated with nepetalactone. After 10 minutes, only an average of 20 percent — about four mosquitoes — remained on the side of the tube treated with a high dose (1.0 percent) of the oil. In the low-dose test (0.1 percent) with nepetalactone, an average of 25 percent — five mosquitoes — stayed on the treated side. The same tests with DEET (diethyl-m-toluamide) resulted in approximately 40 percent to 45 percent — eight-nine mosquitoes — remaining on the treated side.



Full article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2001/08/010828075659.htm

Where to get: http://www.essentialoils.org/essentialoils.htm”

“Damned if I'd use that in cougar country!”

“I've got some catnip growing on my porch. So all I have to do is rub it all over my body?”

“Sounds good Smiley. Let us know if it works on the skeeters and whether the cougars start rubbing up against you and purring!”

“I read a post from a board and this guy did DEET on one arm and leg and Catnip from his backyard on the other and did some gardening. He said that both worked about the same.

Obviously the oil is more concentrated than the plant but it does work. Maybe mix it with Skin So Soft?”

“So is this going to lead to a bunch of new sprays that are going to work better then 100% DEET?????

Lets hope so becuase I hate DEET!

8)”