Insect Repellents How to Choose and Use Them Safely and Effectively

Insect repellents are an important part of keeping mosquitoes and ticks away plus they prevent insect-borne disease. But it is important know how to choose and use them so they are both safe and effective.

Application of Repellents

• Read the directions on the label – know exactly what the active ingredient is and the concentration • Apply in an open area. Do not inhale aerosols, get them near your eyes of spray them in near food • Repellents should be applied to exposed skin, clothing, or both, but not under clothing • Use just enough repellent to lightly cover but not saturate the skin. Using more doesn’t last longer or work better. • For the face, a thin layer can be applied by dispensing repellent into the palms, rubbing hands together, and then applying to the face. Be careful to avoid eyes and mouth. • Do not use repellents over cuts, wounds, inflamed, irritated, or eczematous skin • Apply sprays 6 – 8 inches above exposed skins carefully, don’t stand further or closer

For children

 Do not allow young children to apply repellent themselves. For young children do not apply repellent directly to children. Apply repellent to your own hands and then put it on the child’s exposed skin.  Do not apply insect repellent to the hands of small children, as it will inevitably be rubbed into the eyes

* Do not use DEET on children younger than 2 months of age, use 30% concentration or less on older children * Do not use Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus on children younger than 3 years old.

Important Tips

~Protection is shortened by swimming, washing, sweating, wiping, exercise, and rainfall ~Reapplication differs, check instructions but if insects start biting, it may be time to put on again ~Repellent should be washed from the palms after application to prevent contact with the eyes, mouth, and genitals The areas treated with repellent should be washed with soap and water once the repellent is no longer needed ~It is ok to wear sunblock and insect repellent, put the sunblock on first. Do not use combination sunscreen and insect repellent ~Most repellent protects against mosquitoes, not all protect against ticks Choosing the Right Repellent

What insect repellent you choose depends on many things such as personal preference, age, where you are going to be, what activity you will be doing, how long you are going to be out, and the time of day.

Different situations may mean different applications. For example, in an area with a high concentration of biting insects and/or a risk of disease transmission, experts recommend the combination is permethrin treated clothing and a repellent applied to uncovered skin. For environments in which there are lower concentrations of insects and less risk of disease, just one of these may be sufficient.

Important Reminder Remember to wear long, light-colored pants tucked into your socks or boots, and a long-sleeved shirt. This mechanically prevents bites plus makes an insect easier to spot. There are many insect repellents to choose from, using it correctly provides safer and more effective protection.

DEET DEET provides protection from the broadest spectrum of insects and has the longest duration. Different concentrations provide different duration of protection, products with concentrations of 10 % are effective for periods of approximately two hours, 24 % provides an average of five hours of protection. Select the lowest concentration effective for the amount of time spent outdoors. Products with 10 to 35 % are adequate in most circumstances. Higher concentrations should be reserved for situations in which insect infestation is high, elevated temperatures and humidity may limit evaporation, or time outdoors will exceed three to four hoursDo not use on children younger than two months of age. * Use 30% concentration or less on older children

Permethrin Permethrin products are intended for use on items such as clothing, shoes, bed nets and camping gear and should not be applied to skin. Fabrics should be sprayed on both sides for 30 to 45 seconds and allowed to dry completely before wearing. One application maintains potency for more than one week, even after several washings. Clothing and gear impregnated with permethrin (Insect Shield) are also available. These materials maintain their repellency through approximately 70 laundry cycles, according to the manufacturer.

Picaridin Picaridin is a plant-derived piperidine compound. 20% picaridin is a reasonable alternative for people who wish to avoid the unpleasant characteristics of DEET and are willing to accept a somewhat shorter acting repellent. 20% or higher concentrations have similar efficacy to DEET when used for short periods, DEET has a longer duration of action. Picaridin has an excellent tolerability profile, in contrast to DEET. Picaridin is odorless, non-sticky, and non-greasy; it also does not irritate skin, stain fabrics, or degrade plastics.

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus P-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD) — PMD is the active ingredient in oil of lemon eucalyptus. Generally, PMD is approximately one-half as effective as DEET, such that a 30 percent PMD product would protect as well as a 15 percent DEET products. * Do not use on children younger than three years old.

IR 3535 IR 3535 or 3-[N-Butyl-N- acetyl]-aminopropionic acid, ethyl ester, is a repellent that is a good DEET alternative and has been found to repel insects such as deer ticks and mosquitoes found in Amherst. Although it has been shown to be irritating to the eyes and may dissolve or damage plastics, it poses few other safety risks when used appropriately.

Less effective and ineffective agents Citronella is a plant-based repellent that lacks the broad spectrum of activity and duration of action of DEET. Frequent application may compensate for its limited duration of effectiveness. Citronella probably is not effective in repelling ticks.Vitamin supplements and herbal remedies — No controlled scientific study of ingested vitamin or herbal remedies has ever shown these interventions to protect users from biting insects.Electronic devices — Electronic mosquito repellents are devices that emit high-pitched sounds that are generally inaudible to the human ear. Wristbands — Wristbands impregnated with insect repellents are not effective, regardless of the repellent used.

Need help choosing a repellent? Go to http://cfpub.epa.gov/oppref/insect/ or call the Amherst Health Department at 413-259-3241