Hey Everyone,
My Daughter is going off to Summer Camp soon, and I am worried about Mosquito's and Ticks. Can anyone recommend a good repellent for her to take and use? Also, is DEET not safe? Isn't it needed to repel Ticks? I'm reading mixed reviews on DEET.
In addition to a product to put on her skin, I would recommend getting something you can spray on her clothes. My husband and boys do that for their summer camps (last one was in the Louisiana swamps) and it is very effective.
Even experts admit DEET isn't safe, but the recommend it because it works. Well, duh...it's toxic. Of course, it kills stuff!!
We use Badger B. Balm stick, and it works for us. No bites of any kind, and it's actually safe. I like it for ease of application. You know you are really getting it everywhere. They do have the same formula in a spray, as well. I get ours at Sprouts.
Sorry, but DEET and permethrin (another chemical) are clearly the most effective protection against both ticks and mosquitoes. With mosquitoes carrying West Nile virus and ticks carrying Lyme disease, I would rather risk some exposure for my kid to these effective chemicals than risk their getting those serious diseases.
The Environmental Protection Agency says DEET is safe when used properly and the .American Academy of Pediatrics is also OK with it but says not to use products with over 30 percent concentration of DEET on kids.
Using a dryer sheet in her hat should not be her protection against ticks. Ticks can get in hair, sure, but they are even likelier to get in a kid's groin area or underarms -- ticks love close, damp spaces and since they crawl up from tall grass, they're less likely to drop onto her head than crawl up her shorts, frankly. She needs spray that works.
Be sure that she knows not to pull off a tick herself -- it needs to be pulled out properly by a first aid adult and the tick should be KEPT in a plastic bag to be tested for Lyme.
BugBands towelettes offer protection against mosquitoes and ticks, and have no DEET -
http://bugband.net/intro_towelettes.html
It is true that large doses of deet can be harmful. But a little bug spray goes a long way, and a little bug spray is not going to contain massive amounts of deet.
Web MD says if bus sprays are used properly, there's very little chance of a reaction:
http://www.webmd.com/skin-problems-and-treatments/how-use...
Keep in mind that when people worry about toxins and chemicals, there is very rarely more than a miniscule amount being used and very little change (very, very little) of a reaction.
We don't use DEET; you're right, it's just not safe. We use Bite Blocker and Repel Plant Based Lemon Eucalyptus. You can find both at Drugstore.com. I've noticed that OFF has a new product that you don't spray, but "wear" on your body (waist band, pocket, etc.) or carry with you. It's a plastic disc that emits some sort of off-putting substance that repels mosquitoes. It's brand new, I believe, and I haven't heard any reviews of it, though, or exactly what it contains. Sorry, I'm no help on tics :)
I use the Repel lemon eucalyptus too. It works well for us... We live next to a wooded creek, so the Mosquitos are horrible! We use repellant almost daily, so we definitely don't use anything with Deet!
As far as ticks go, I would recommend having her wear a hat with a Bounce dryer sheet in it. It really does work!
Another option is to load your daughter up on garlic before she leaves. It repels Mosquitos pretty well. Have her avoid eating bananas... For some reason, they tend to attract them.
The clip on fans work, kind of. They are fine if you are sitting in one place, with no wind. But I would not recommend them for camp, as I'm sure she will be moving around quite a bit. I like to use them for reading outside. :)
