Best bug repellent?

What kind of insect repellent works best? I forget what brand we bought last time, to repel mosquitos, but it did not work at all! We had all kinds of bites by the end of our trip. What is the best brand out there that is guarenteed to work? They are expensive so I would like to ask before purchasing.

 

...there is no best brand actually. It all depends on individual need, age of the person and the immediate environment.

Deet seems to be the best repellent and most frequently used by the military. There are products on the market that are not as strong as what they use but are effective. I tend to stay in the 25% to 30% range. This is for an adult; children should be using a lot less.

So...next time you are out check the labels and read carefully. I also tend to use a cream instead of a spray because I do not want to breath in the same as it is certainly not recommended.

 

That stuff with deet in it can be rough on a person. You don't want it to get into your eyes. Especially a little one. I wonder if those clip ons work?

 

...there are a lot of products in the market that do not work according to the Consumers Agencies. Most are a waste of money and time. That is why it is important to read the label. A lot of companies spend a lot of money promoting their product line but don't spend money improving their product.

 

The only kind of bug repellent I'm concerned to put me into the hassle of smear around my body; are mosquito repellents. I've had Zika virus once, and I really prefer to avoid that experience in the future. Most effective products against Aedes mosquito I know so far are Sawyer Picaridin and Natrapel 8 Hour, which each contain 20 percent picaridin, and the Off! Deepwoods VIII, which contains 25 percent deet. They kept the mosquitoes from biting during at least 8 hours.

 

I tried one of those bracelet repellent things and the first mosquito that found me alighted a cm from the bracelet - I don't bother with that anymore. People around here avoid DEET completely - it's nasty stuff. I've been using Repel Lemon Eucalyptus. They claim it repels mosquitos for 6 hours, but I find it needs to be applied every couple of hours, although the instructions say not to apply it more than twice a day. Works for me. The Consumer Reports ratings are here:
Insect repellent & Reliability

 

We also tried the mosquito bracelets and discovered the same thing...... the mosquitoes ignore them ! They might stop the mosquitoes from landing right where the bracelet is, but even if you put one on each arm and leg, I don't think that they would keep the mosquitoes away.
We also got one of those light bulbs that has a bug-zapper built in and put that on the front porch instead of the regular front porch light; but we didn't have any mosquitoes attracted to that light either.
Since the mosquitoes came right inside the house if we left the door open, we finally started using one of the citronella candles right at the entrance to the house, and that seemed to work as well as anything.
When we were outside in the yard, the mosquitoes were so thick and vicious that even wearing mosquito repellant didn't help a whole lot. We had some really tiny ones; but they were seriously persistant.

 

...the reality is there is no best bug repellent. It all depends on the circumstance and the bug environment that you find yourself in. The Pros say the deet content is the issue. My arsenal includes Mosquito Shield at 30% deet, Watkins Great Outdoors at 28.5% deet and Muskol at 23.5% deet. I use Crystal body deodorant and sometimes a bar soap/shampoo. I wear light clothing, use Camp Suds for washing, and wear nothing that has an ordour. May into June are bug season in this neck of the woods so I tend to avoid the bug season. If need be I do have a bug jacket the protects my upper body including my face and head.

During the regular camping season when bugs are a lot less I tend not to use bug repellents or obnoxious mixtures as they are all hazardous products. Sometimes I just suck it up.

Remember to read the label. THERE ARE ALL KINDS OF PRODUCTS IN THE MARKET PLACE THAT ARE USELESS.

 

This is really one area that I need to go and spend a good amount of time on, and I probably should have done this by now. We have a place up north and I really lived off of what we had in stock up there, which is some pretty serious stuff. That is running out though, so I need to know what to buy now. Off seems to be the brand, but I am sure there have been some advancements.

 

...don't know where Up North is for you but if it's the same Up North in my neck of the woods I learned a long time ago about bugs - the hard way.

You have to do research - it's not about whims and wishes or silly antidotes. YOU NEED HARD COLD FACTS - and facts is the word. I've made several comments about "bug stuff"but people in their wisdom keep coming up with interesting suggestions. When I talk about bugs I'm not referring to a few attacks on the patio in the heart of some city. I'm talking about "wilderness stuff" where they can eat the cans of some of those unscrupulous dumb crap.

 

I am like a magnet for insects when I am in the forest. Especially mosquitoes, they just love my skin. That's why I always bring Off Lotion. It is a very potent repellent of insects. However, Off Lotion is kind of sticky to the skin hence I cannot use it at bedtime. I cannot sleep when my skin is sticky.

 

--------------------------------- >
You might enjoy Watkins Great Outdoors - if they sell the product in your neck of the woods. It is not sticky or greasy; it's a cream that has a pleasant fragrance. It also has 28.5% deet. What does Off Lotion say about it's contents?

 

I found Watkins Great Outdoors at Amazon. 80ml. for $8.99 US. Most people have access to Amazon. I know I'll be looking into purchasing this.

Bibsoutdoors

 

You really have to find what is best for you and your environment.

...a lot of people have the notion that you spray yourself silly and it will keep everything away. It doesn't work like that - it is only a repellent - thus the name. That is why I have three different ones - each applied to an environmental situation. For me "if it works, it works, if it doesn't, it doesn't" and so I don't waste time on useless products and there a lot of them out there.

 

I have recently discovered an insect repellent that we now use at home. It is a spray made of my wife's original concoction of oil, apple cider vinegar, liquid dishwashing soap. That is now our official insecticide at home. It is not toxic so it is not harmful to our pets. Ants, cockroaches and even mosquitoes are turned off by that homemade insecticide. I just don't know how I am going to use it when I go camping. The odor of the vinegar is so strong.

 

If it works...it works...if it doesn't...it doesn't. I have the resources to purchase what I need so I bypass the homemade stuff. I simply can't be bothered. Do the homework and know what you are doing.

 

I wish that I could go with something homemade and more effective but I really would end up doing something wrong. I have a feeling we knew some recipe a ways back in the family that has long since been retired, but who knows.