Natural History Wanderings

Insect repellents are an important essential for those of us who spend time outdoors. To date the most effective repellent is DEET, a strong and somewhat unpleasant insect deterrent. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is currently doing extensive research on alternative repellents to DEET for the Department of Defense but have yet to find an alternative that works as well. They are exploring wild and traditional folk remedies, how effective repellents hinder mosquito attacks, clothing materials and chemical compounds. To read more about the Department of Agriculture research go to: DWFP: A Battle Plan To Protect U.S. Troops From Harmful Insects

The Environmental Working Group has a guide to which bug repellents they consider most effective  but less toxic. Their four top picks were:

• Picaridin
• IR3535
• DEET
• Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus or its synthetic derivative PMD

Read more about their recommendations: EWG’s Guide to Better Bug Repellents | Environmental Working Group.

The New York Times has a story of a very low tech but effective mosquito deterrent – a fan! A Low-Tech Mosquito Deterrent – NYTimes.com.

An article in the BBC News – Ultrasound mosquito repellents: Zapping the myth reported that ultrasound mossquito repellents inspite of winning one of the world’s top awards for an advertising campaign do not work.