Use multiple methods to protect yourself from being bitten:
- Cover as much skin as you can.
- Spray clothes, as directed below with a repellent.
- Apply arepellent to exposed skin.
- Avoid dawn and desk as well as areas where mosquitos are frequently found.
CHOICE OF INSECT REPELLENT
Adults:
- Choose a product based on length of exposure. If you are only out for a few hours then choose a product with a lower DEET concentration.
- Products with roughly 20% DEET cream are adequate for most uses.
- Higher concentration products, for longer coverage:
- Off Deep Woods for Sportsmen
- 3M Ultrathon
- Ultra 20 Controlled release insect repellent: www.sawyer.com
Children:
- Avoid DEET-containing products on children under age 2 and use sparingly on children under 6
- Do not apply to the hands
- Ingredient: roughly 10% or less DEET is better for children
- Products: OFF! FamilyCare Insect Repellent IV
Prolonged Exposures
Ask Dr. King for permethrin, a prescription medication, which is applied to vulnerable areas remains active on the skin for 1 week.
General Information
- Avoid applying it to open skin or around the eyes or mouth
- Avoid products that contain a sunscreen. DEET can reduce sunscreen SPF and sunscreen need to be
- reapplied.
- If using a spray, try to avoid inhaling and apply it to your face after applying it to your hand
- Do not apply under clothing.
- Use a product with the lowest DEET concentration that works for you.
- Avoid DEET on clothing it can damage spandex, rayons, and plastics.
- Cotton, wool and nylon are not damaged by DEET.
- A 10 to 30% solution can only be applied once a day.
- A product with 5% DEET will last 90min if you are inactive; less if you are active.
- A product with 30% DEET will last 5 hours if you are inactive.
- Wash off the repellent when you are back indoors.
- Wear loose fitting clothing, tuck your pants into your shoes and button long sleeves
- Wear light but not bright colors. Mosquitoes are attracted to dark colors. Wear white when near ticks.
- If conditions are extreme wrap duct tape around sock-pant junction.
- Avoid wearing fragrances: including soaps, lotions, hair care products and perfumes
- Oil of eucalyptus protects for 2hrs.
- Picaridin: Much less effective than DEET. Odorless and less irritating to the skin than DEET: OFF! Family Care Insect Repellent II
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus: Much less effective than DEET. It is a newly approved botanical oil. Effective for only
- 2 hours, similar to DEET 7%: Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent
Know your enemy
- Collect a few mosquitoes and get them examined by your local county extension agent
- Asian tiger mosquito may have a breeding source nearby: emptying containers of standing water can help reduce the mosquito population.
- Culex nigiri palpus mosquito frequent drainage ditches and salt marshes
CLOTHING TREATMENT
- Permethrin Repellant Aerosol Spray for Clothing:
- Available at the Dick’s Sporting Goods
- Spray on clothing, not on skin
- Spay on clothing with just enough to moisten it
- Allow the garment to dry before wearing
- Lasts for 10 cycles
- If stored in a plastic bag it will retain effectiveness longer
GENERAL SUGGESTIONS
- 3% Citronella candles: smoke from the candles is what works, but unless you are in the smoke, they don’t work.
- For mosquito bite itching sometimes one or more of the following can help:
- Coat bites with a solid stick deodorant that contains aluminum
- Ask for a cortisone prescription
- Meat tenderizer
For bee, wasp, and hornet bites:
- Use the edge of a credit card to scrape away the stinger and then cover with meat tenderizer
- If you are having shortness of breath go to the emergency room.
- DEET is effective against biting flies, fleas, chiggers, fleas and ticks
- To decrease itching, apply warm tap water( about 120 degrees F). Be cautious the water is no hotter otherwise
- you can get burned. Lukewarm water may make the itching worse.
Ticks
- Avoid marshy areas, high grass, and bushes
- Check yourself daily, deer ticks are the size of a poppy seed
Removing
- Grasp the head near the skin with fine-tipped tweezers
- Then wash the area with soap and water
- If you remove a tick within 36 hours your chances of contracting Lyme disease are less than 4%.
Resource: EPA website: https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you
https://www.epa.gov/insect-repellents/find-repellent-right-you
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