I need to get some bug spray for camp for the kids, and I was just curious what people use? I've usually just used California baby, but with ticks on the increase, I'm thinking they may need something with a little DEET in it. I hate to do it, but I'd hate for them to get limes disease.
What kind of bug spray do you use for your kids?
I was also thinking of just making my own. Anyone do this?
I just bought some Off soft and something or other last night. It's never bothered my kids...and my oldest has eczema.
I wouldn't fool around with homemade things for ticks. The risks are just too great. I work with a lot of people who've had Lyme Disease as well as a guy who had two other tick-borne diseases (Babesiosis and Erlichiosis). They had a really tough time.
Here's what the CDC recommends for tick repellent and DEET: http://www.cdc.gov/ticks/avoid/on_people.html
I've also seen recommendations that people use a lint roller or pet hair roller (basically sticky paper on the outside) to roll over their clothes and arms/legs after being outside. Not sure if the kids can manage it, and it's not a substitute for repellent and regular checking especially in the hair.
Also, there's a bogus post on Facebook and other social media about applying a glob of soap or vaseline to an embedded tick and waiting for it to release. Don't believe it! It leaves the tick in you even longer, raising the risk for disease transmission. The best tool I've ever used is a "tick spoon" sold in pet stores - it's almost like a little measuring spoon but with a slit cut in it - you slide it along the skin so the tick is in the slit, then pull steadily until the tick is removed and it falls into the spoon, intact and not squashed (as happens with tweezers). Then you can flush it or put it down the garbage disposal with a good stream of water. I hope you don't need one, but it's a cheap investment that works great.
Ava Anderson makes a good non-toxic bug spray that I use on my kids around the house, I'm really careful about checking them for ticks. If I was sending them off to camp I'd probably just go with OFF w/ deet, lyme disease would be awful to deal with.
We use Deep Woods Off. Between Lime Disease and West Nile Virus I don't think it is worthwhile to mess around with home remedies. The benefit of the Deet far outweighs the risk.
i'm not big on chemicals and poisons, and made my own bug spray for years out of white vinegar, citronella oil and lavender oils.
but our bugs laugh at it. and we've got a lot of ticks and mosquitoes here.
so i suck it up and use deep woods OFF. on clothing only, naturally.
it's also the only thing the gnats even barely respect.
khairete
S.
Just buy the green can of stuff at Walmart, Off Deep Woods I think.
I live in Wisconsin where tick and mosquito-borne illnesses are a concern with worse consequences than a little chemical exposure, so we're a Deep Woods Off family. That has 25% DEET in it. They do make sprays with lower DEET concentrations that may be just fine for your needs.
One of my sons and my husband both got Lyme disease anyway. My son was at summer camp, but we have no idea where my husband picked it up. Probably just in the yard while mowing or something. Fortunately they both presented the classic rash and were able to get treatment early. My uncle was not so lucky. His went undiagnosed for over a year. He's doing better now but has nerve damage.
Bug Soother. They have a website if you are interested. We use this on outings and at home. It works wonderfully.
If I know I'm not going to be able to check the kids for ticks after a hike or something, we use the deep woods stuff.
