Mt. Whitney Portal Store & Hostel Forums General Mt. Whitney Portal Store Message Board Skeeter Season -- 2008

I always like to look at source material for assertions, when possible. Here are some of the definitive studies on different repellants:

www.homs.com/pdf/NEJM%20Comparative%20Analysis.pdf

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/128/11/931

"In a field trial conducted in Alaska, persons wearing permethrin-treated uniforms and a polymer-based 35% DEET product had more than 99.9% protection (1 bite/h) over 8 hours, even under conditions of intense biting pressures; unprotected persons received an average of 1188 bites/h [108]."

One THOUSAND bites/hour? no thanks.

In our neck of the woods, the consequences of bites are essentially trivial. However, not so, elsewhere. This is why it is worthwhile listening to folks who have to make the repellant work:

"The human toll related to mosquito-transmitted disease is small in the United States, but worldwide, more than 700 million persons per year are affected by disease from mosquito vectors, and 3 million die of malaria. "

I've been using a Buzz-Off long sleeved shirt by Orvis for the last two seasons during both hiking and fishing trips into the Sierras and it has worked flawlessly in areas where mosquitoes just laugh at anything less than 100% DEET. I'll spray my exposed hands and face (carefully!) and they leave me alone. I absolutely HATE the DEET smell and feel so this shirt really helps to minimize my application of it.

Interesting (and timely) article in this morning's Los Angeles Times , the headline being "Take That, Sucker":

http://www.latimes.com/features/lifestyle/la-ig-beauty13-2008jul13,0,3455185.story

An excerpt:

"So what's most effective? The standard has long been the chemical popularly known as DEET. The higher the concentration, the longer the protection lasts, but the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Academy of Pediatrics suggest using the lowest concentration that works for your needs -- usually that's under 30%.

A study published in March in Science Express found that DEET interferes with mosquitoes' perception of several sweaty odors, though not of carbon dioxide.

The observed effects? "They will still be able to figure out that you're there," says Uli Bernier, a research chemist in the Mosquito and Fly Research Unit of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service in Gainesville. "But you don't taste good, so they back away."

Though DEET doesn't harm mosquitoes, some worry that it can harm people who use it. Studies have shown that frequent and prolonged use can cause brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats. However, after a safety review in 1998, the Environmental Protection Agency concluded that DEET does not pose a health risk to people as long as they follow label directions. Still, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends not using it on children younger than 2 months.

Because not everyone is convinced of DEET's safety, or likes how it feels (wet and oily) and smells (bad), alternatives are always being sought -- and sometimes found.

The CDC now rates picaridin -- another synthetic repellent -- as effective as DEET. It's the active ingredient in Cutter Advanced Sport, a slimy liquid that goes on with an unpleasant chemical smell (the odor dissipates).

The only natural repellent the CDC rates as effective as DEET is oil of lemon eucalyptus. Repel and Cutter make lemon eucalyptus sprays.

Many other natural products -- with active ingredients extracted from catnip, celery, geraniums, soy beans and tomatoes -- are proven effective, though not always as effective as DEET or at least not as long-lasting.

BugBand contains geraniol and soybean oil. In its "spray lotion" form, it has the pleasant feel of a lotion and a fresh, minty smell. Another, Herbal Armor, also includes soybean oil, as well as citronella. This too feels nice on the skin; it has a lemony, musky aroma.

Exactly how these various compounds work isn't known. "Perhaps mosquitoes don't like how they smell," says David Kulow, president of All Terrain in Sunapee, N.H., which markets Herbal Armor. "Or because they're plant-based, mosquitoes think the wearer is a plant."

BruinDave

BruinDave - search the board concerning picaridin. There are a number of posts, including a recent one.

Picaridin works great for me but others think it's no better than a splash of water. I think it may have to do with individual body chemistry. I disagree with two points in the article you cite - I don't find the smell disagreeable at all (although companions aren't nearly as accepting), and, the smell doesn't go away: I notice it all the time, until 3-4 showers remove it completely.

Another real advantage: you can spray it on anything without fear of stains, etc. I went back to my notes regarding comments I previously made that it is safer than DEET. The citation is Consumer Reports. Take that for what it's worth - frankly I believe sometimes those folks get a little bit too much granola.

It wasn't all that bad at end of June around Lower Soldier Lake. Not like mid-July 2006, which was the worst I had ever seen. My guess the skeeters will be gonzo by 8/1 or thereabouts.

From the July 2008 issue of the UC Berkeley Wellness Letter:

"Mosquitoes have fine-tuned sensors that allow them to detect exhaled carbon dioxide up to 100 feet away. Closer up, they are attracted to hundreds of other chemicals we secrete, as well as heat from our bodies and movement. Everyone produces the same chemicals, but different proportions of them may make a person more, or less, appealing. And different species are attracted to different chemicals. Some compounds actually conceal us from mosquitoes--and people who produce more of them are naturally better shielded. Researchers are trying to identify these masking compounds in hopes of developing a new generation of repellents."

and

"For ordinary purposes, 10 to 30% DEET is adequate. Another effective repellent is picaridin. You can also spray clothes (not skin) with permethrin, or wear permethrin-treated garments. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is as effective as low concentration DEET, but other botanical preparations provide very limited protection, if any.