The DEET Debate

"With summer almost here, camping gear is coming out of the basement, backyard barbeques are underway and everything fun to do outdoors is on the calendar. But along with summer fun comes the eternal party-crashers: bugs.

Although treating insect bites after they occur can be effective, if you're going to be in a heavily wooded area, sometimes prevention is the best medicine.

Usually, I'm a big fan of anything natural, organic or non-chemical. But when it comes to insects, I find the natural bug repellants just don't give enough protection. Citronella candles, citronella skin products and Burt's Bee's Insect Repellant smell and feel much better than regular insect repellant - but they are just not as effective as repellants with the chemical DEET.

DEET is a chemical found in bug sprays such as OFF and Deep Woods. Once applied to the skin it disrupts the insect's ability to detect carbon monoxide exiting the skin, which is how they find their prey for food."

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