Mosquitoes will be out pretty soon. Here is some information on mosquito repellents.
DEET. What is DEET. Someone asked me why I never recommend it when all government agencies always recommend it. DEET is short for N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (also known as N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide).
In 1998, the EPA made it illegal for any product containing DEET to make any child safety claims. Products with DEET are required to carry instructions that they should not be used at all for children under 6 months. Additional required warnings state that for children 6 months to 2 years, only concentrations of less than 10% DEET should be used, and only once a day. For children from 2 -12 years old, only concentrations under 10% should be used, and repellents should not be applied more than 3 times a day. Some people who are exposed to DEET have experienced negative health effects, including rashes, skin irritation, numb or burning lips, nausea, headaches, dizziness and difficulty concentrating. Considering the damage it can do to children and some adults, why use it?
There are non-toxic insect repellents available. You can go online and Google non-toxic mosquito repellents and find some. I used to use catnip when I lived in Corrales where there were a lot of mosquitoes. Greenbug has a good mosquito repellent made from cedar. You can get that online as well. You can also make your own mosquito repellent. Recipe below. You have to apply these products more often, but they are safer than DEET.
Why do agencies insist on recommending DEET products? The more DEET products that the chemical industry can sell the better for the chemical industry economy I guess. Also, better for the pharmaceutical industry when people have to get drugs to counter the effect of DEET if they have a reaction. We live in a chemically controlled country. The more chemicals we use the more money certain industries make.
Here is a recipe for a very good repellent that you can make yourself.
Combine in a 16 oz. bottle:
15 drops lavender oil
3-4 Tbsp. of vanilla extract
1/4 Cup lemon juice.
Fill bottle with water. Shake. Ready to use.
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Hello! Does the City of ABQ give away Gambusia – Mosquito Fish?
Posted by C.C. | June 12, 2019, 4:40 pmI don’t know if they still do. They used to. Call them and ask.
Posted by askthebugman | June 12, 2019, 5:16 pmhttps://www.cabq.gov/environmentalhealth/urban-biology/pest-management/mosquito-control/mosquito-fish-distribution
Mud Monsters on north Edith will give away only 10.
Posted by C.C. | June 12, 2019, 5:58 pmBottom line abstract:
The CDC recommends Repel and Off! brands of lemon eucalyptus oil repellants. Studies found them as effective as Deet.
Consumer Reports found:
Consumer Reports looked at plant-oil based repellents and found that one “product in our insect repellent ratings that contained 30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) did well in our tests, warding off mosquitoes and ticks for at least 7 hours.” It said that other products with plant oils – including cedar, cinnamon, citronella, clove, geranium, lemongrass, rosemary, and peppermint – “provided little protection, often failing in our tests within a half-hour.”
https://www.cdc.gov/media/pressrel/r050428.htm
https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2018/the-pre-travel-consultation/protection-against-mosquitoes-ticks-other-arthropods
https://www-treehugger-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.treehugger.com/health/amp/using-oil-lemon-eucalyptus-instead-deet-mosquitoes.html
Posted by K Winston Caine | June 15, 2019, 3:13 pm