I use DEET, and I am not ashamed to say it.
Last summer, I gave up the delusion that I could naturally keep my kids from getting massive amounts of bug bites with citronella or neem oil (that smells bad, FYI). I felt a lot of pressure to stay away from DEET. It’s super toxic, it causes cancer, and a lot of other things are said about DEET, which no doubt could be true.
However, bug bites can also cause severe illness. So, instead of continuing to be tugged in two separate directions about DEET vs. natural bug repellant, I did my research.
I will preface this by saying my kids were five and seven when I made the switch. I don’t know if I would have considered DEET spray when they were infants or toddlers, but I didn’t have an experience like the one from last summer.
We like to garden in the evenings because of the heat during the day, and the girls love catching fireflies. The issue is that it is PRIME mosquito time. One evening, my kids were completely devoured, and they couldn’t sleep for days because of the itch. Then, they got fevers, pretty high ones at that. While there was no way to know for sure, it certainly felt like those two things were connected. I realized that I was running a health risk for my kids and making them extremely uncomfortable in the process.
I read a lot about repellent, and as can be predicted, I tried all of the “natural” remedies, including buying expensive devices that were promoted to attract and kill mosquitoes within a mile of the traps. We sprayed our yard with cedar oil, which supposedly helps with mosquito populations as well, and I kept a watchful eye for any standing water.
Then, I turned my research to DEET. Of course, it’s not “good” for you. It’s not organic. However, there are ways to use it as safely as possible.
Firstly, how much DEET is in the bottle? I read one report that studied the efficacy of DEET, and at 25%, the barrier against bug bites kicks in. In other words, you don’t need the 45% or the 98% DEET products for everyday summer night use. At 25%, you can protect your kids and yourself from bites and not give them extra exposure.
Secondly, I found using the single-pump spray (aka old-school bottles where you have to pump your finger for each spray) is the best type of application for reducing risk. This removes the risk of inhaling it or getting it in your mouth or eyes, where it would be more harmful than just on your skin. Spray onto your hands and then apply to the face or ear area.
Last but not least, take a shower! Take a shower before bed to wash off the bug repellent. This reduces your exposure to it and reduces the opportunity for the repellent to get absorbed into your body.
Taking the plunge to DEET repellent has transformed my summer evenings. I really appreciate being able to protect my kids and myself from these annoying and also potentially dangerous big bites.
While New-Mom-Adriana would probably look at me with horror to see me applying DEET repellent on my kids, Adriana-Who-Wants-Happy-Kids-Who-Like-Playing-Outside is one happy mama. Bug bites happen, of course, and ointments or this AMAZING bug bite thing that really works to get out what my kids call “the itchy juice” can make a big difference when they do.
