When in the rain forest, we depended on DEET. (Compass Points Media / flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/compasspointsmedia/ / CC BY-ND 2.0
Bugs, creepy crawlers, no-see-’ems …
We celebrate the coming of spring, but nothing good ever comes free. To balance out the welcomed arrival of a higher sun, songbirds, wildflowers and tree leaves, nature also undermines the enthusiasm to prevent us from be too spoiled.
I’m talkin’ about bugs.
Ask anyone about DEET, the well-known but often misunderstood insect repellant, you’re likely to receive as many different opinions as there are anthropoids. Some swear by it and won’t go out into the woods without spraying DEET on their skin like it was a popular Calvin Klein cologne. Others will do anything to keep themselves and their children away from DEET as if it contained a devastating disease like the one in the movie Outbreak.
The U.S. military developed DEET (the acronym for a complicated chemical formula) in 1948, releasing it to the public nine years later, according to the U.S. Department of Environmental Protection Agency (which knows a thing or two about walking into buggy places).
Here’s what they say about the supposed dangers of DEET:
After completing a comprehensive re-assessment of DEET, EPA concluded (in 1998) that, as long as consumers follow label directions and take proper precautions, insect repellents containing DEET do not present a health concern. Human exposure is expected to be brief, and long-term exposure is not expected. Based on extensive toxicity testing, the Agency believes that the normal use of DEET does not present a health concern to the general population.
In other words, so long as you don’t bathe in DEET for several decades, you should be fine.
And those kiddies? The EPA says:
DEET is approved for use on children with no age restriction. … There also are no data showing incidents that would lead EPA to believe there is a need to restrict the use of DEET. Consumers are always advised to read and follow label directions in using any pesticide product, including insect repellents.
You may see on the store shelves products that contain “15%” or “100%” DEET, and what that basically corresponds to is how long the insect repellant will last before you need to apply more. The Blue-Eyed Wonder and I took 100 percent DEET to Costa Rica with us, and didn’t have a problem with bugs. But, I would use a less-potent formula on the Appalachian Trail in Virginia during July.
The EPA provides the following guidelines on how to apply DEET:
- Read and follow all directions and precautions on this product label.
- Do not apply over cuts, wounds, or irritated skin.
- Do not apply to hands or near eyes and mouth of young children.
- Do not allow young children to apply this product.
- Use just enough repellent to cover exposed skin and/or clothing.
- Do not use under clothing.
- Avoid over-application of this product.
- After returning indoors, wash treated skin with soap and water.
- Wash treated clothing before wearing it again.
- Use of this product may cause skin reactions in rare cases. The following additional statements will appear on the labels of all aerosol and pump spray formulation labels:
- Do not spray in enclosed areas.
- To apply to face, spray on hands first and then rub on face. Do not spray directly onto face.
