Does anyone mind if I drop an F-bomb now and again? Because for f-ck's sake I have been sitting on this post for THE LONGEST TIME (and another one even longer) and just can't stand to see them in the queue anymore, gathering dust.
So, as I was saying, I am a firm believer in the complexity and fragility of Nature's ecosystems, but when it comes to mosquitoes, I am hard-pressed to find their value in this world. My childhood memories are chock full of the burning itch of swollen mosquito bites and the acrid stench of Deep Woods OFF!
What's Google got to say about this? A quick Web search came up with a lot of recommendations for using citronella (lemongrass) in your landscaping. And there is a hilarious page on eHow tells you to plant rosemary everywhere and drape mosquito netting all over your property. Oh yeah, and use hair spray on any bites you do happen to get (when you're under aforementioned netting with the one mosquito that you haven't driven away with the magical rosemary. Garlic also repels vampires, and stepping on a crack will break your mother's back).
That brings us back to DEET. Developed by the US Army in the 1940s, DEET was made available for public use in the late 1950s. Though classified as a pesticide, DEET works to repel insects, not kill them. Here's the EPA's page on DEET.
The FDA has a consumer affairs page on using DEET-based insect repellents on children. Because, you know, it's a pesticide. If you choose to use a DEET-based product, remember that percentage of DEET (shown on the label) has a direct correlation with the duration of effectiveness. Huh? In English this time, Jazzy.
The higher percentage of DEET, the longer it will last. That being said, don't use a higher percentage than you really need (like, how many of us are going on safaris or hiking expeditions through the Amazon, right?) and wash that sh*t off as soon as you're done outdoors. This is a pesticide, people.
Do you have any DIY bug repellents? Let us know here and we'll post it on SMACK!
- Jazzy