I grew up in Miami. I know mosquitoes. Mosquito repellent was a way of life for me, just like sunscreen was. No, not all day every day, but yes, most of the day most days during the summertime when going to day-camp or doing some kind of outdoor activity. I remember holding my breath while being sprayed with Off! (aerosol-can, of course!) and thinking how very bad it smelled. But, being glad that it worked.
Do you know what the main ingredient in that and most other repellents are? It’s called DEET. (And, by the way, Off! smells good now. They did figure out how to put some good-smelling chemicals in there.)
(NaturalNews) “New research shows that the insect-repelling chemical deet actually functions in the same way as deadly nerve gases and dangerous pesticides, by attacking the nervous systems of both insects and mammals.” Read the rest of that article here where DEET is exposed as a neurotoxin.
“WARNING!!! Do NOT use DEET for a Chigger repellant! Studies at Duke University show DEET to cause brain cell death and behavioral changes with prolonged and continuous exposure. If the stuff toxic to bugs, do you think it could be toxic to humans and pets as well? Human skin will absorb any kind of toxic and non toxic substance applied to it. IN SECONDS!” DEET is responsible for producing the following side effects to users even years later after being exposed. Severe memory loss, seizures, headaches, muscle and joint pain, shortness of breath, tremors, fatigue, weakness and even death. “Source
Just to be fair, if you’d like to read SC Johnson Statement On Recent Unfounded Concerns Over DEET, there it is. I’m still more comfortable finding an alternative.
So, no Deet. Then….What’s a person to do? You don’t want to end up like this poor guy:
There are some more natural insect repellents out there. You can buy them, or you can even make your own. Things with citronella, eucalyptus, tea tree oil, and lavender all seem to work. Don’t be afraid to experiment; if one doesn’t work for you, try another!
Here’s a video showing one way to make homemade mosquito repellent:
These are ways to avoid being bitten. But what do you do after the fact? There’s a great product on the market called After Bite. Do you know what’s in it? Ammonia. That’s it! If you have ammonia, you can dab some on with a cotton ball. Vinegar works too. Here are over 40 mosquito bite itch relief tips.
And what if it’s something a little more ferocious than a mosquito…..like a wasp or bee? My toddler got stung by one just the other day. I mixed a paste of baking soda and water, and it seemed to work alright. I know that meat tenderizer is excellent for that; I don’t know where to find it here but will try. Apparently it has something from papaya in it. So if you have papaya, you can just use that.
What insect repellent or sting remedies do you have to share? I’d love to hear them!
Hi, I’m a friend of Beth! Do just Citronella and eucalyptus work on their own? or just Citronella? I hate the smell of eucalyptus (crazy, I know). I know you’re supposed to avoid Tea tree oil and Lavender oil when you’re pregnant and nursing, which I seem to always be lately.
Thanks for this insightful post. So far the best thing that I have found to work for bee stings, painful bug bites,wasp stings and all sorts of skin conditions is organic plantain leaf. I have on more than one embarrassing occasion chewed some up and placed it on a nasty sting or bite with 100% results every time. I also make salves with it for diaper rash and it also works wonderfully and keeps our new baby rash free 100% of the time while avoiding toxic creams.
This wonder herb works because it draws out infection and acts as an anti-viral, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory and is also used by many herb lovers to stop the bleeding of an open wound.
I’ve heard about plantain leaf, and it sounds wonderful. I would love to know if it’s growing around here so that I can use it. Thanks for confirming that it’s worthwhile!
It seems that any and all of these work in varying degrees. You basically need to try one, and if it doesn’t work for you, try another or a different combination. Right now I am using the Moraz brand Toosh-X and it works pretty well. I think it has a combination of several of these, but it’s expensive and we go through it quickly. I definitely want to try making some of my own.