I'm sure Deet has come a long ways since we first used it in Vietnam. Some of that crap seemed to attack anything made of plastic. Other than still missing hair in places it touched, the occasional drooping eye and the drool, the old stuff seemed to work just fine. ;) Seemed like everytime I lit a cigarette, the Mosquito's stayed away. You might try that. Just kidding. Don't start! Quoting astrodeb@charter.net:

Hi,

I was reading in my book "Introduction to Digital Astrophotography" and I came across the section about Mosquito Repellants and Traps. I'm concerned about the the safety of using these products due to a health condition I have. Let me quote what the author Robert Reeves says about the safety of using repellants that use the chemical DEET.

"However, the safety of DEET has been questioned, leading the Environmental Protection Agency to review the product. Their conclusion was that "normal use of DEET does not present a health concern to the general U.S> population." DEET has been classified as less toxic than many people believe and adverse effects are traced to gross overuse of the product. But still, the wisdom of slathering yourself with a chemical that is toxic enough to be offensive to other living beings is debated with some vigor. Logic suggest that if the chemical is that potent, it can't be good for the person wearing it either."

I've come to the conclusion that I do not want to put any chemicals on my skin. Therefore I'm looking for a more natural substitute to protect myself from mosquitos. Last July, I got over 50 bites while observing at BlackRock Rd in AZ. Hence, I'm wondering how to safely protect myself. Any ideas?

Debbie

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