This seriously needs a cite.
Here’s a report on health effects of DEET from a few years ago. Seems only one study has found a possible cancer link. There are some serious health effects (including a handful of deaths), but they are rare.
I see some pretty nominal toxicity from that link. Keep in mind, this is a compound that millions have been using for nearly half a century. I would expect similar incident reports from nearly anything. This isn’t to say that we can be cavalier about DEET, but standard dermal application is pretty obviously less risky than the insect bites they prevent.
As for the carcinogenic effects…
Indeed. Studies based on 15 and 24 subjects are small studies. More importantly, the Confidence Interval is set at 0.95 so by it’s own standard, it will get a false positive 1 out of 20 trials. This doesn’t fault the investigators though, particularly since they urge caution in interpreting the results. 0.95 is not a low Confidence Interval but if we freak out over every study that comes up positive this way, nothing will be safe.
This also does nothing to eliminate the possibility that the is an exposure that is correlated with DEET exposure in the individuals.
Breed dragonflies as they eat mosquitos.
Minnesota mosquitoes rape dragonflies.
Kill the mosquitos!
Kill the mosquitos!
Kill the mosQUItos!
Green be damned!
Sorry. I just heard The Ride of the Valkyries when I read the thread title.
When mosquitoes aren’t “out,” where are they? Do they congregate in trees or someplace to nap? Could you track them to their den, or does each mosquito just chill out wherever it happens to land?
For no other reason than just rubbing it in I’d like to say:
In 14+ years at Casa De Hook we have not seen a single mosquito, no millers, no chiggers (or chigros if you find that preferable), and few flies. We can leave the door open at night with the lights on and get hardly a bug in the house.
You’re going to have bedbugs as soon as you tell me your address.
…
…
What!?
I clicked on your profile to find out where this bastion of wonderfulness might be and read “Sandyhook has not made any friends yet”
All I could think of was “It’s all that rubbing it in!”
Hey, I’ve only been a member since '02, I don’t like to rush into relationships.
It’s Carson City, NV. While we are short on bugs we are long on prostitutes and degenerate gamblers. They just don’t get into the house much.
Consumer DEET containers say that it can ruin some synthetics and other materials.
it will dissolve plastics and synthetics. residue on fingers will also mar eyeglass lenses and watch crystals.
To be even more hard-core, wear (lightweight) long pants and long-sleeved shirt with your pants tucked into your socks and your shirt tucked into your pants, liberally applying permethrin to your clothing and DEET to your exposed skin. Or go to the nearest livestock/feed/tack store and get “fly spray”, which has multiple pyrethroid compounds, to put on your clothing (I would still stick with DEET on your skin). Make sure that you are getting a good coating of DEET on any skin you wish to remain unmolested.
I heartily agree with the comments above about source control - using mosquito dunks (buy them at the hardward store), filling in low spots in the yard that collect water, and dumping birdbaths/tarps/tires/etc. twice a week - but it may be hard to do so if all you can see is vegetation.
Damn straight it can. I dropped it on an air mattress I was sleeping on once and the next day that spot had blown out to a baseball-sized bubble. Ruined an acrylic watch face, a pair of eyeglasses… combine that with the fact that it’s a neurotoxin.
In this life it seems you can’t escape the need for 5-10% DEET from time to time, but I’ll be damned if I’m putting the 100% on myself or my kids.
would those be the law makers in the capital?
I suppose DEET is not effective on crabs, although that does give me a funny scene.
No. We voted him out and now have a new governor who hasn’t yet dragged himself and the state down into the sewer.
But he’s new and there’s still hope.
The problem with trying to control mosquitos is that while you can be diligent as all get out about eliminating standing water, etc., unless all of your neighbors do the same, it won’t make much difference.