DEET is the spray that we most commonly hear about and use. Although it does not kill ticks on contact, it is "relatively" safe for spraying on the skin.
Pros and Cons:
- DEET needs to be applied regularly and can only work as it is evaporating. Permethrin works for weeks after it has dried inside clothing fibers.
- DEET is applied directly to the skin and can be absorbed through the skin. Permethrin is applied to clothing only and has limited contact to the skin.
- DEET has a detectable odor. Permethrin smells only until it dries.
- DEET does not kill or disable ticks and is a poor repellent. Permethrin works instantly and is extremely effective. It is the tick repellent of choice by the military.
- DEET can melt synthetic clothes like nylon. Permethrin causes no damage to any known cloth or synthetic fiber.
- DEET products are easy to find. Permethrin is hard to find and more expensive.
- DEET is an effective fish repellent. (Permethrin is actually known to be very toxic to fish!)
"Relatively" safe is the keyword here. In 2009, US News & World Report published an article entitled,
"DEET, the active ingredient in many bug repellents, doesn’t only cripple mosquitoes—it also meddles with mammals. A new study examining DEET’s effects on insects, mice and human proteins reports that the chemical interferes with a prominent central nervous system enzyme. This effect is magnified when exposure to DEET is combined with exposure to certain pesticides..."
As someone whose neurological system has been effected in a major way from ticks, I certainly don't want to use a product that could potentially continue to effect my neurological system. AND, I certainly do not want my children effected in a negative way. I am constantly spraying my kids for bugs during the summer. So, being the Essential Oil Mama that I have become I am using bug repellant the natural way.
BUG REPELLANT - The Natural Way
There are a lot of variations of bug repellant out there using essential oils. I am going to list the tools you need and a couple of the recipes.
TOOLS
Dark Glass Spray Bottle (DO NOT USE PLASTIC, Essential Oils are so strong they can cause the chemicals in the plastic to mix with your recipe)
Distilled or Purified Water
RECIPE 1 (I am currently using this one, and having several friends use it as well. I will keep you posted if it needs tweaked - SUPER CHEAP TO MAKE THIS!!!!)
- 50 drops of
- 4 oz Distilled Water
In a 4 oz dark glass bottle place about 50 drops of . Fill the bottle with Distilled Water. Shake Before Spraying. Spray on skin and clothing. Safe for all ages. Lasts up to 5 hours(if using a smaller spray bottle it's about 12 drops of oil to 1 oz water)
RECIPE 2 (found this recipe on the Yankee Homestead Blog I have not tried. If I find that I need something stronger than TerraShield I will try adding these oils in. Also, if you plan on using Recipe 2 on children, you need to add 2 tsp of carrier oil such as Fractionated Coconut Oil so it doesn't burn their skin.)
- 25-30 drops Purify
- 25-30 drops TerraShield
- 20-25 drops Peppermint
- 25 drops Cedarwood
- 4 oz Water
In a 4 oz dark glass bottle place the drops of oils. Fill the bottle with water. Shake Before Spraying.
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