Outsmart the Biters

July 20, 2005 Update: The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention now recommend lemon eucalyptus oil as well as the chemical picaridin as long-lasting and effective alternatives to DEET in keeping off mosquitoes. Picaridin, available for years in Europe, Latin America, Australia and Asia, is being offered for the first time this year in the U.S in 7 percent solution. Bygone Bugzz now comes in a lemon eucalyptus oil version and picaridin is available from Cutter (see Resources below).

Scientists are seeing a connection between global warming, the spread of new diseases and the resurgence of old ones, according to the Center for Environmental Resources and Conservation. Many of these, including West Nile virus and malaria, are carried by mosquitoes. To find out which insect-borne diseases pose a threat where you live or may travel, see www.cdc.gov.

*Repellents: Herbal products can provide relief, as our editor discovered in the Dominican Republic. "When mosquitoes attacked, I spritzed Practical Nature's plant-based repellent and never got bitten. And it smelled so nice, everyone borrowed it," Mindy says. If bugs won't quit: N, N-diethylin-tolumide (DEET), which can, however, provoke skin irritations, asthma and mental confusion. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises using products with no more than 10 percent DEET; avoid inhaling and apply to clothing, not skin.
*Remove stagnant water, where mosquitoes breed-in puddles, pots, gutters and drains.
*Stay inside from dusk to dawn, when mosquitoes are most active, and use screens or netting.
*Cover up with hats and clothing.

Resources
*Natural Tick & Bug Repellent (www.practicalnature.com)
*Lemongrass Insect Lotion (www.burtsbees.com)
*Bygone Bugzz (www.lakonherbals.com)
*Cutter Advanced Picaridin Insect-Repellent Spray (www.rei.com).