FOR BUG OBJECTION
Ever wonder if there's a better way to live with annoying biting bugs than poisoning them?Or any insects for that matter. When at war, chemical warfare is tempting. But aren't killing bugs against our moral treaty with nature? It certainly messes up ecology, no matterwhere you are.
I know, we could all be happier and healthier without insects that threaten us, but there is another serious matter to consider. Dr. Mohamed Abou-Donia, who is a Duke Universitypharmacologist, revealed his study of toxic effects from the use of DEET on children, fish,birds, aquatic invertebrates, and soil. Reported by Co-op America's Real Money, the doctoradvises never to use DEET on an infant and be extremely cautious with children. There isreason to be concerned for pets, and sensitive adults should be careful too. The EPA claimsthat DEET is only "slightly toxic," a description that doesn't sit well with most guardians ofchildren and nature.
More than 230 insect repellent products contain the active ingredient DEET. Those andother conventional insecticides are known to cause neurological injuries such as memoryloss, tremors, or slurred speech. You don't want to hear what it does to rats, and I suspect you're getting anxious for me to tell you of alternatives as you read this. I'm delighted toshare profiles of companies on EcoMall that supply safe bug repellants, and in a variety offabulous forms!
Skatter is a body fragrance that insects hate. Made by Dreaming Earth Botanicals the formulation consist of pure essential oils, a little grain alcohol as a dispersant, and distilled water. It's all natural, very effect, safe, gentle to the skin, andsmells nice too. Available in a range of container sizes from four ounces to one gallon.
Sea-Health Imports attests to the effective eucalyptus essential oilas well. In fact, find reference to a study in the New England Journal of Medicine on the company website. There you can read how eucalyptus was found to be the longest lasting inrepelling insects. Another important ingredient that this company is proud to offer is Quassiaamara, or Bitter Wood. The extract contains quassin, which is a natural insecticide.Additional ingredients are mint, citronella, geranium, thyme, and basil. Zanzare is the nameof their repellent, which is also safe for children, and with a very pleasant aroma.
Beat It! is the appropriate name of a 100 percent DEET-free formulation developed byJade and Pearl. They also utilize an essential oil combination that includes eucalyptus.Other extracts are citronella, tea tree, sweet orange, lemongrass, and neem seed, allblended in a base of pure water with soothing aloe vera and wheat germ oil. Biodegradable surfactants derived from coconut oil are added as well. The product has been tested in Florida with great results for repelling mosquitoes, deer flies, yellow flies, black flies, fleas,ticks, chiggers, red bugs, and even pesky no-see-ums! Beat It! is packaged in a four oreight ounce photodegradable plastic bottle, and has been tested in Florida.
All of these products help protect people from West Nile Virus and are alternatives toDEET. In addition to deflecting bugs in the first place, these concoctions relieve itching andred swelling if you do get bit. Do avoid contact in eyes, mouth, and usage if pregnant.
Mosquito Barrier does not include essential oils and holds a patent. It is a very strongliquid made from powerfully potent garlic cloves that are not found in conventional grocerystores. The product is manufactured in the U.S. by Garlic Research Labs. Two quarts, or four applications, are typically enough for the average sized home to last the entire mosquito and tick season.
Garlic has natural sulfur which repels insects, including mosquitoes, ticks and fleas. Youmay be aware that gardeners have been planting garlic as a deferent for many generations and years. Since mosquitoes are soft-bodied insects, the garlic juice can be very toxic tothem in increased concentrations. It doesn't harm humans, pets or plants, but can be deadlyto mosquitoes. The pests stay away for as long as they can detect the odor. Although theodor juice becomes undetectable to humans within approximately 30 minutes, the mosquitoeswill still detect it because their heightened olfactory sense is as high as 10,000 times superiorthan humans. So insects detect garlic for much longer periods of time and will stay awayfrom the sprayed area for up to a month and more. Additionally, Mosquito Barrier, when mixed with water, soybean or canola oil (which is available at your local grocery store),coats any standing water with a very thin-sprayed film. The combined oils suffocate themosquito larvae developing in any standing water, but do not harm bees, butterflies or birds.
Garlic Research Labs offers another product, Garlic Barrier, with the same ingredients, but designed for farmers. A single gallon properly mixed withwater, covers 10 to 12 acres of row crops, or five acres of orchards. It imparts no garlictaste on any crops or plants that are sprayed and it is listed by the Organic Materials ReviewInstitute as suitable for certified organic farm use. Pets, animals and fish are free from harmas well.
You will find DEET applications are encouraged to travelers, particularly in countries known to have disease outbreaks, by the Centers for Disease Control in the Department of Health and Human Services. If you decide to use DEET, be careful while taking othermedications (prescription or over-the-counter), as combined medicines can cause detrimental complications. Recognize DEET as diethylmethyltoluamide on many ingredientlabels.
The EPA recommends no greater than 10 percent concentration in products that containDEET while the centers advocate 50 percent concentration. The difference of opinion is dueto the longevity of the product, however, temperature, human sweat and getting wet decrease effectiveness. Environmentalists who are concerned with DEET in our planet'swater and soil believe longevity is an insufficient reason to endorse the use of DEET in mostcases. Increasing studies not only prove there are natural alternatives, but that formulas with essential oils are actually very pleasant to spray on frequently.
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Written by: Delia Montgomery, Chíc Eco
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