Ideal Bite

What do you do when the skeeters come out to bite?

07.31.2006

Submitted by idealbite on Mon, 07/31/2006 - 5:00pm.

The Bite:

Bite back (we are all Biters, after all). Try natural repellents made without the use of the pesticide DEET, and only share your blood with your local blood bank.

The Benefits:

Stay bite-free and healthy with DEET-free repellents. While DEET is currently the most common ingredient used to shield against insects, it might damage your brain cells.
Great scents. Avoid smelling like you just doused yourself in Raid.
Get rid of other bugs, too. Oil of eucalyptus, catnip and neem work against ticks and flies as well as skeeters.

Personally Speaking:

After taking years off her life dousing herself in DEET while traveling in Cambodia several years ago, Heather has become a neem-products aficionado. Jen swears she attracts more skeeters than most people, and has only found that Burt's Bees works for her.

Wanna Try:

Burt's Bees Herbal Insect Repellant - the only repellent that works for Jen ($8).
Repel - oil of lemon eucalyptus is recommended by the CDC, and this spray is widely available ($6).
Neem Tree Farms Botanical Outdoor Gel - keeps 'em at bay and has aloe vera to soothe bites you already have ($7).
Bug Disenchanter - another one made from neem. Safe for humans, neem's used by Indian farmers as pest control ($8).
Nature's Herbal Mosquito & Insect Shield - according to some researchers, catnip oil is 10x more effective than DEET ($15).
Ideal Bite's Bat House Tip - bats: quite possibly the best natural mosquito repellent.