What to look for when you're buying mosquito repellent
Mosquito repellents can help keep those ubiquitous, disease-spreading summer menaces at bay, but not all products are created equal
Mosquitoes are more than just pests that cause itchy welts. They carry killer diseases including malaria. Mosquitoes also transmit "break-bone fever", or dengue, and pass on parasitic "filarial" worms that can cause major swelling that requires amputation.
Knowing what repellent best deters the little devils is vital because, as the Consumer Council states, they may feast on you.
You might want to ponder alternatives including geranium oil extract and picaridin because the council is critical of the default chemical deterrent, Deet (short for N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide). Common Deet side effects include rash and, what's worse, excessive exposure may even cause seizures, the council says.
British bite protection expert Howard Carter also blasts Deet. The artificial repellent is a proven neurotoxin and unsafe for children, Carter says.
He adds that French scientists who investigated Deet's toxicity found it to be behaviour modifying - it inhibits the activity of a key central nervous system enzyme [acetylcholinesterase] in both insects and mammals.
"This raises serious questions about Deet's safety, particularly when combined with other chemicals," Carter says. Use Deet-free repellents containing pure citronella instead, he says.