Wild Sanctuary wrote:
> One trick we've learned to use is rubber surgical gloves. They're
> sometimes a bit sweaty, but no mosquitoes get through and you don't
> have to endure deet on your hands. If you're not using a protective
> jacket and/or pants, you will need to use deet on those parts of your
> body not in contact with equipment because it is the only product
> that works in the field for extended periods. Also, recent studies
> published in the last several months (don't ask who sponsored them,
> 'cause I don't remember) suggest that deet doesn't destroy your liver
> and brain, after all.
I used to think it was deet or nothing. Until I tried the citronella one
available from REI. One light application protects very well all
evening. At least from mosquitoes, some biting flies will bite right
through it. This, of course is the Georgia assortment, other areas might
have mosquitoes that would not be stopped. It does repel ticks fairly
well too, though they are not a big problem here, most of the year our
ticks don't bite.
I got really tired of all my equipment developing fingerprints and
worse. It is not possible in the course of a evening not to transfer
some of the deet to fingertips if you are wearing it. The citronella one
does not seem to attack equipment at all, though I'm still careful not
to put it direct on my fingers and such like. It does not have to be put
everywhere to protect. I usually do a dab on back of neck, maybe behind
each ear, upper arm, lower arm, spot on back of hand. For legs I'm
usually a little more generous, but even there lots of skin is not
covered. I don't use the spray version, but the applicator version.
Only down side is that it does have a odor, not something to be putting
on in closed spaces. One of the reasons I'll use the pants, so I don't
need as much. It's safe on clothing, and my pants have a lingering
residue of it.
As long as that's available I won't be using deet. I still have some
deet my kit, but have not used it in years.
Walt
________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________
|