With summer come the mosquito bites. And with the bug bites come the bug-borne diseases. But while the threat of West Nile virus or Lyme disease might make you uneasy, so might slathering your kids with a chemical bug repellent every day.
So
how do you weigh the risks of the insects with the risks of the
chemicals engineered to keep them away? Is there a natural bug repellent
that works?
“This
is a hard issue,” says Sonya Lunder, MPH, a senior analyst at the
Environmental Working Group in Washington D.C. “It’s one that I’ve gone
through many times before, both as an expert in toxics and as a parent.”
The
good news is that there are some all-natural bug killers that can keep
insects off you, your kids, your pets, and your garden.
Natural Bug Repellents: What Are the Options?
The
bug sprays on the market – including ones with DEET – have been deemed
safe by the Environmental Protection Agency, at least when used as
directed. Still, many parents want to limit their kids exposure to potentially toxic chemicals. So what are some natural bug repellent alternatives?
- Soy-based products. A 2002 study of mosquito repellents found that the soy-based Bite Blocker for Kids was the most effective natural alternative to DEET. This natural bug repellent offered more than 90 minutes of protection, better than some low-concentration DEET products.
- Oil of lemon eucalyptus.This natural oil, which comes from the lemon eucalyptus tree, is recommended by the CDC as an alternative to DEET. “It seems to work really well, but hasn’t got a lot of attention,” says Lunder. Several studies have found this natural bug repellent as effective as DEET in repelling mosquitoes. It may also work well against ...
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