A few evenings ago, Recycla’s daughter went outside to play. A few minutes later, she came hurrying back inside. “The mosquitoes were attacking me,” she announced.
The mosquitoes are back. It must be summer.
Most people don’t give mosquitoes a second thought. They just douse themselves in a spray that has DEET as the active ingredient and go on their merry way. However, studies show that, in the short-term, DEET can cause headaches and, in the long-term, neurological and other health problems. These are not chemicals you want to put on yourself or on your children.
What can you do?
Luckily, there are plenty of natural mosquito repellents available. Look for sprays or lotions that contain plant oils such as geranium, citronella, tea tree, catnip, marigold, lemon balm, lavender, and peppermint. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend oil of lemon eucalyptus or picaridin, which is considered just as effective as DEET, but much safer.
Some people are more delicious to mosquitoes than others. In Recycla’s family, her husband and older daughter are almost never bitten, while she and her younger daughter are considered gourmet fare. Not only is Recycla’s younger daughter extremely tasty to the little bloodsuckers, she is also allergic to them, so any bites she gets tend to swell into painful welts. Luckily, the organic repellents have worked exceptionally well on her and usually keep her bite-free.
Repellent facts courtesy of The Green Guide. Mosquito photo courtesy of Yahoo Images.
