All,
The easiest way to not be bothered by insects is to stay indoors and bird
through the window. Of course, for the most of us, this is not an option. The
next best thing is to dress for the weather. Long sleeves and light gloves
might
seem a bit much in the heat of the summer but at least the insects won't be as
bothersome. Netting is also an option. While some may think they look silly
or weird, they will be enjoying their time outdoors a lot more than the person
who ventures out unprotected.
Which brings me to the next option - repellents. There are many different
types on the market and some have proven track records where others do not. I
am
a proponent of DEET. It has the proven track record. There is also an
insecticide that has a proven track record, Permethrin. This is not a repellent
like
DEET. It kills insects on contact and is not to be used on the skin. Here is a
quote from a review from the Annals of Internal Medicine; American College of
Physicians:
"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 <A
HREF="http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/01jun98/#Note108";>(108)</A>".
The full review can be found at <A
HREF="http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/01jun98/mosquito.htm";>
http://www.acponline.org/journals/annals/01jun98/mosquito.htm</A>.
The review also goes into some detail about other types of products
containing repellents other than DEET. It is a long article with LOTS of
information.
Staying bite free (almost)
PJ Dunn
Alexandria
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