Insect Repellents

It’s summer and we’ll naturally be spending more time outside. Unfortunately, there are many bugs and stinging insects out there enjoying the Summer with us. A documentary on the Discovery Channel estimated there are more than five billion insects for every human on the planet. Many want to keep their world separate from ours, however, certain species want to help themselves to us! Public enemy number one is the mosquito which focuses in on the CO₂ from our skin and breath. Mosquitoes carry a number of diseases including West Nile Virus and encephalitis among others.

The perfect insect repellent would be effective, long-lasting, non-irritating and odorless, have no effect on clothing, is chemically stable and non-toxic. The perfect repellent does not exist, but there are several good choices available.

DEET is a chemical (N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) used as the active ingredient in many insect repellent products. DEET products are available in a variety of forms: liquids, lotions, sprays and even wristbands. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that repellents contain no more than 30% DEET when used on children. When using DEET, one must be aware that DEET efficacy decreases with increasing temperature; humidity; wind speed and removal factors like swimming or sweating.

A new compound, picardin, has been found to be more effective and less toxic than DEET. As opposed to DEET which is applied directly to the skin, picardin is applied to clothing and is available in formulations of between 7% and 20%. So far, this product is only recommended for children over two years old. Additionally, efforts have been extended to find a more natural approach to repel insects and certain compounds have shown much promise but are not yet ready for commercial manufacture. These include oil of lemon eucalyptus, oil of peppermint, soybean oil and some interesting work on essence of grapefruit (nootkatone).

Do’s

• Read labels and follow all directions and precautions.
• Assist and supervise children applying repellent on their own.
• Spray repellents in open areas to avoid breathing them in.
• Wash off repellent with soap and water when children return indoors.

Don’ts

• Never use insect repellents on children younger than 2 months.
• Apply repellent to skin under clothing.
• Apply insect repellents directly to the face. Apply to hands first then rub small amounts onto face avoiding the eyes and mouth.
• Touch your eyes, mouth and nose until after you have washed your hands after applying insect repellents.
• Don’t use combination products. The AAP recommends against combination sunscreen and insect repellent products because the sunscreen part needs to be reapplied every 2 hours which is too soon for insect repellent application. When using two products, apply sunscreen first and follow with insect repellent 20 minutes later.
• Don’t spray DEET on any favorite clothing – it has high potential for permanently staining fabric.

Have a safe summer, and remember the sunscreen!

Dr. Doug

Dr. James Douglas Campbell, MD, FAAP, MHA, LLC, is a pediatric health professional who advises The Children’s Courtyard on the needs of our program as a whole, and provides consultation and technical assistance on child health issues. Dr. Campbell received his Doctorate of Medicine from the University of Florida and a Masters of Health Administration from the University of North Florida College of Health. He is Board Certified with the American Board of Pediatrics and a Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. He has been taking care of children in Jacksonville, Florida since 1981.