Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love summer, what I don’t love is the bugs that come along with it. So what do we do when we are in an area infested by mosquitoes? we avoid them at any cost, they can spread disease faster than most people realize.
I am not talking about those little backyard pests that can also carry diseases, I am talking about those that were born in already infected waters, were you don’t find 2 or 4 or even 10 around you, but a cloud of them. I am itching just writing this post.
So there are a few ways to keep them away from you, and once again I am going to mention the brand Sawyer, I should be charging them for this, but their products are great and work really well.
Lets clarify a few things before we keep going, some people say that DEET is bad for you, studies say it isn’t if use properly. Now, what maybe worse? the “possibility” that DEET maybe bad for you, or that case of malaria, dengue, West Nile that you will likely get in areas where water has been infected and has been standing for sometime? I’ll take my chances with DEET since I only use it when needed.
https://www.consumerreports.org/insect-repellent/how-safe-is-deet-insect-repellent-safety/
You also need to learn about Permethrin, which you “do not” want to put on your skin, instead on your clothes. Please learn about it and use as instructed, I will place links here.
I AM NOT BEING PAID FOR THIS, this is my honest review as I use it for deployments, I do not use it at home or the beach or anywhere unless I really need it. I will also add the safe one that I use everywhere else as the first product.
Here is a link that explains how these work.
https://www.consumerreports.org/cro/insect-repellent/buying-guide/index.htm
OK let’s start with the one you can use daily, this Repel is a great product. Very low odor and incredibly effective. I not only use it at home, it is so effective I also use it on deployments when the amount of mosquitoes is not that bad.
I personally like the pump as it is a little more environmentally friendly. I DO NOT use it in cream or other form as it has proven not to be as effective. READ the instructions well and follow them. A combination of DEET on your skin and Permethrin on your clothes will very likely keep you safe.
This is an alternative that is also effective but not as researched as others. Many people I know like it so I believe is worth mentioning.
Permethrin you will spray on your clothes, backpacks, chairs, hats, etc. and you will wait until is dry before you put any of it on. Good thing is that it will last.
https://sawyer.com/products/permethrin-insect-repellent-treatment/
PLEASE do follow the instructions, these products have been researched well and the instructions in each bottle should be followed. DO NOT follow instructions from a different product, the concentrations of chemicals maybe different.
As a side not, people love sitting next to me as I have O- blood. Apparently mosquitoes love it, I have not found any science on this but from experience it seems to be true. Now, just because I know this I don’t go adding more to my body of what is needed, I still follow the instructions.
I also know people who fight them very effectively by simply covering their body with clothing and their faces with a mosquito net.
What about those electronic devices that give a cloud to keep them away. Some are actually effective until the breeze moves the cloud away. In my opinion, I rather have something on my skin than inside my lungs.