I live in a suburban neighborhood with lots of trees and greenery. I need to take my dog on two or three very short walks each day. They need to be very short, and they tend to be very slow, because he has only three legs and takes frequent rest stops. When he stops, both of us are swarmed by mosquitoes. If I’m outside by myself, I can outwalk the mosquitoes.
What do you recommend as a safe but effective mosquito repellent for me? I have a lot of bites and I am starting to act grouchy toward the dog during the walks because I’m so annoyed by all the bugs.
The new issue of Consumer Reports has an article on insect repellants. The top rated repellant was Total Home Woodland Scent Insect Repellant sold by CVS. This is a 6 oz. spray can with 30% DEET.
I bought a few cans Friday but have not had occasion to use it yet.
I have found Sawyer picaridin spray to be effective in several “buggy” Asian countries where I’ve hiked. I buy it at REI or order from Amazon. Probably available at stores selling camping equipment and google pops it up at Target. No DEET. I’ve used both spray and lotion, haven’t noticed a difference.
NPR had a story on this recently too. For a one-hour time frame, the lemon eucalyptus spray was quite effective, if you’re looking for a non-DEET alternative. REI also sells a pinardin product you spray on your clothes instead of you. It’s supposed to last through 6 washes.
DEET supposedly is the only very effective insect repellant. I doubt the brand matters, just the percentage.
I talked to my daughters dermatologist about DEET just last week, and he assured me that it was safe, although he suggested spraying it on her clothing instead of skin if I was concerned. You might try an experiment with a high percentage DEET spray on your clothing to see if that’s effective.
You might also try bug off clothing or buying permethrin to spray on your walking clothing. We did that for our daughter - she’s working in the woods this summer. You apply Permethrin to the clothing, not your skin, and it lasts for several washings.
You could also call your local government, if you are comfortable with that. Sometimes they do inspections and treatments of old swimming pools etc… Of course they may also spray -so that might not be the outcome you want.
We use bracelets that have deet and other chemicals on a pad on the bracelet. The chemicals don’t touch our skin. It works great. There are competitors products at the hardware store, markets and pharmacies. The ones I like were invented by a friend who is waiting for FDA approval.
If you get tired of putting stuff on your skin, try covering it as much as possible. I used to wear a sunscreen shirt when I walked my dog. Mosquitos can bite through light cloth though so maybe you can carry a little hand held fan too. Good luck!
Try contacting your city to start a mosquito control program if they don’t already have one. They are just designed to transmit disease, along with annoyance.
Enthusiastically seconding permethrin-treated clothing! I live in northern New England and my dog likes to go for her ambles in the lushest parts of our yard. I got a few clothes from Insect Shield – a brimmed hat, a couple of t-shirts, and a thin shawl that I tie around as a skirt over whatever else I’m wearing. Have not seen a single mosquito land on me all season, and when gnats do land on me, they start to stagger. I plan to buy a container of the stuff to treat more clothes.
Items bought pre-treated last for 70 washings, I’ve seen something like 30 washings for DIY.
I can attest to 2 different modalities that do not include chemicals.
First was from when I lived in Hawaii - several elders shared with me that if I rubbed fresh lemon wedges on my skin it would keep the mosquitoes from biting. At the time I worked in a cafe, near the beach, and I can say 100% they were correct. Every day before heading to work I would cut open a lemon and using cheese cloth to keep the pulp from sticking to my skin I would rub the fresh cut lemon. I never got another bite.
The second, was during my trip to China. I purchased one of these (https://www.amazon.com/Elevavie-Ultrasonic-Repellent-Prevention-Cats%EF%BC%8CPets/dp/B077SV5CNB/ref=sr_1_91?ie=UTF8&qid=1530471381&sr=8-91&keywords=mosquito+repellent) which I clipped on to a belt loop every day (I wasn’t certain I’d have access to fresh lemons!). At first a few on my tour were skeptical (I was too, I won’t lie), but on the 3rd or 4th day we were in a bus, and everyone was being nipped by something (I can’t say mosquito), and I never got a nip or bite…the entire trip! I take it everywhere now and if I don’t have access to lemons, I wear it, and have not had a bite in years.
One of the top benefits of moving from Chicagoland to San Diego is no more mosquitoes. I could not even step into our back yard in summer in our old house. After 62 years of swatting and itching, it been a great 3 years of bite free.
@CountingDown - Sawyer makes 3 oz bottles of both a DEET and a picaridin product in spray lotion form. (Check Amazon if you can’t find it local to you.) I have brought it multiple times in my carry-on to Hong Kong, Singapore, Cambodia and Thailand over the last 2 -3 years with no problems. You can also purchase pretty easily in countries where I worried about mossies, but I prefer to come prepared and not waste time looking for drug stores.
The Thermacell mosquito repellent truly works but is not made for on the go. We use it for the patio and camping. It provides a protection zone of 15 ft. I am waiting for Thermacell to make one for hikers. For now, I bring a handheld fan and fan mosquitoes away.
There are only 3 repellents that are effective for everyone: DEET, picaridin, and lemon-eucalyptus oil, in high concentrations, according to the CDC. You might find another product that works for you, but it won’t work for everyone and likely, its effects will be short-lived.
I’m not in love with chemicals, but walking with my very slow (and sometimes willfully immobile) dog while the temperature is in the 90s makes the prospect of wearing a long sleeve shirt, pants, and a headnet not very appealing, either. I do cover up with clothing at the cooler times of day.
I don’t know whether it is allowed. However, I did take DEET based insect repellent with me on a few trips, including one to Thailand. The conference room where we were meeting had mosquitoes in it, so I ended up loaning it to a few thankful colleagues as well (being careful to get it back each time). I put it into my checked luggage due to the restrictions on carrying liquids on planes, and I put the container in a sealed plastic bag to cut down on the risk of it leaking into my clothing. You can also purchase insect repellent in small enough sizes to carry on.
I also sometimes use what I thought were called punk sticks. They are approximately incense that is intended for keeping bugs away. I just googled “punk sticks for bugs” and found several sources. If I light 6 or 8 and spread them around my garden then I can dig or weed or prune for an hour or so without much interference from mosquitoes.