Recent Comments

Effective bug sprays

bugspray-200x148Q. My Scout Troop took a four-day backpacking trip in the Sierra Nevada mountains. The mosquitoes were the biggest problem on the trip. I used several different bug sprays, and only one of them worked. But the one that worked only worked for about 15 minutes. What type of bug spray (preferably natural) could I use that would keep the mosquitoes away for at least an hour? Also, I’ve heard that there is clothing that keeps bugs away. How effective is this clothing?
— Mosquito-Mauled Mel, Irvine, Calif.

A. I feel your pain, Mel. Mosquitoes really can cramp your style around camp. The good news: There are repellants that work. The bad news: Most aren’t made from natural ingredients.

You’ll hear and see all kinds of advertisements boasting natural repellants and how well they work. They might be somewhat effective for a short while, but if you’re serious about avoiding bug bites, DEET-based repellants are the most effective. The stuff really works (it’s what the Army uses), but it’s also the most toxic for our bodies — it smells very strong, will melt some plastics, and don’t even think about getting it in your eyes!

Repellants are available in different concentrations of DEET, from 4.75-percent to 100-percent. Typically, the higher the concentration of the active ingredient, the longer the protection it’ll provide. For instance, a spray with 4.75-percent DEET would last about an hour or so while repellent with 23.8-percent DEET would be effective for almost five hours.

Do some testing of your own to figure out which is the lowest percentage of DEET repellant that still keeps the bugs away for you. Folks who are very susceptible to bug bites seem to feel like 25 percent DEET is the lowest concentration they can get away with using.

You might also try repellants that use Picaridin, it’s a newer (but not natural) DEET alternative that smells less strong and is perhaps a bit less toxic. But you guessed it: it’s still not as effective as DEET.

Your best bet is to wear light-colored long sleeve shirts and pant that are treated with an insecticide called Permethrin. This is safer because it’s not directly applied to your skin — and it works (the Army uses this too). You can get your own bottle of the stuff, like Sawyer Permethrin Clothing Insect Repellant ($9; sawyer.com), and spray it on your own clothes — have your parents help! Or you can buy new clothing treated with Insect Shield (www.insectshield.com). I was skeptical of the Insect Shield clothing but I’ve tested it in some very buggy areas and I can say it does indeed work.

Still, the only way to be 100 percent free of bug bites is to wear Permethrin-treated clothing and spray DEET on your exposed skin.


Ask the Gear Guy

Not sure which gear to buy? Need tips for maintaining your equipment? Click here to send in your questions for the Gear Guy. Selected questions will be answered here and in the printed magazine.

7 Comments on Effective bug sprays

  1. Off doesn’t work !!!

  2. never leave permethrin or similar compounds, or clothes treated with them, where the cat or dog can rub or lie on them, as those chemicals are extremely poisonous to cats and dogs.

  3. that guy that plays golf // August 9, 2014 at 3:42 pm // Reply

    Guess what? I found a great one! If you are in the woods and need bug spray for camping, CVS brand bug spray is amazing. I have a job where I have to work in the woods and i use that all the time. I havent swatted a knat for like a century! (Ya, IM that old)

  4. eagle7-25-10 // December 10, 2010 at 3:28 pm // Reply

    i use repel and it works great on these louisiana bugs

  5. I like the 25% deet best. I also have 100% which is not that bad if u just put it on your clothes and works very good.

  6. NEVER EVER NEVER use OFF spray it dus not wrk @ al

  7. Try using “Repel” use the one with the blue bottle and orange cap it’s about $4 a bottle u just spray it on your cloths and it works for about three weeks.

Leave a Comment

Please don't use your real name.