Eluding the bite.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

For years, we've been hearing the same drum beat when it comes to insect repellents. You can either use DEET or use something else that probably won't work. Today, that advice still is given, even as store shelves are lined with more citronella oils, geranium extracts and other DEET alternatives than ever before.

Although the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency continues to endorse DEET, many people still have concerns about the highly concentrated solvent, which can eat through some plastics.

As a result, you can find an array of botanical products and synthetic products, many of which claim to be safer and just as effective as DEET.

Recent concerns about the mosquito-born West Nile virus, which last year killed two people in Oregon, have led many people to put aside any worries they might have had about using DEET.

And, it doesn't hurt that most lab tests confirm DEET's supremacy as a bug-fighting ingredient. In recent tests conducted by both Backpacker magazine and Consumer Reports, DEET repellents far outperformed almost all of the alternatives.

Some of the DEET alternatives, such as the AgraCo Mosquito Patch, a stick-on patch containing vitamin B1, seemed to offer less protection than wearing no repellent at all.

"Mosquitoes actually seemed attracted to this patch," a reviewer from Backpacker magazine wrote. "They immediately landed on and bit through it,"

Amanda MacLeod, an outreach specialist at REI of Eugene, says DEET is still the most popular choice for most of the outdoor retailer's customers. The store carries 15 to 20 different kinds of bug spray, including its house brand, Jungle Juice, which ranges in concentration from 9 percent to 98 percent DEET.

The concentration of DEET refers not to its effectiveness, but to the amount of time it will offer protection.

Most research shows that the efficacy of DEET plateaus at about 30 percent concentration.

MacLeod says many people would rather stick with what works than venture into the woods with an unproven alternative.

``They'd rather just put up with the short term (risk) and not put up with mosquitoes,'' she explains.

And DEET doesn't have to just go on your body, says MacLeod, who applies the solvent to her hat, cuffs, sleeves, socks and the back of her shirt to keep pests at bay.

And, of course, another way to avoid getting bitten, is to avoid the mosquitoes in the first place.

``Marshy, swampy areas are all places you can get munched,'' says MacLeod, who recommends avoiding places where mosquitoes congregate.

Even those who recommend against using DEET say there may be a time and a place for the stuff.

Bruce Schennum, vice president of the Eugene natural products company Quantum Inc., which makes the botanical repellent Buzz Away, says there is a risk and reward equation that comes into play with DEET.

For a person traveling extensively through a disease- and mosquito-ridden environment, it may be worth packing some DEET in the suitcase.

``As with a lot of substances that might have some risks, the benefits may cancel out the risks,'' he says.

But Schennum says most backyard barbecuers don't need repellents with 98 percent DEET, and he cites research that shows DEET to be a harmful toxin.

One of the studies, conducted by a Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist, showed brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats after frequent and prolonged use of the chemical.

Among other alternative repellents, Schennum's company produces Buzz Away Extreme, its strongest botanical repellent. The product is made with oils of soybean, citronella, geranium, cedar wood, lemongrass and peppermint.

Schennum says the product is more effective than Off! Skintastic, a repellent made with 7 percent DEET concentration and aimed at children.

A few other alternative ingredients are rising to the surface.

Repellents with the botanical ingredient oil of lemon eucalyptus and those with the synthetic chemical picardin have both been endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, along with DEET.

Still, DEET's title as the most effective repellent has only been enhanced by the appearance of West Nile virus.

The virus, which afflicts the central nervous system, is carried by mosquitoes and can manifest itself in humans as fever, encephalitis or meningitis, or result in other symptoms.

Eugene outdoors writer William Sullivan is not particularly concerned about West Nile virus; he says the chances of dying from the disease are far less than the chances of dying in a car crash while driving to your favorite hiking spot. And he isn't particularly bothered by mosquito bites and doesn't wear repellent when he ventures into the woods.

But, Sullivan says, outdoorsy types who are concerned about mosquitoes can avoid them by following a few simple rules.

In the high country, he says, bugs need just the right conditions to thrive.

``Mosquitoes are only at a certain elevation at a certain time,'' he says. ``So if you don't go to Waldo Lake in July, you won't have a problem.''

If you stumble upon a mosquito hangout, Sullivan says, hike up or down, and you're likely to escape them.

But if you must brave the bugs, Sullivan recommends wearing long sleeves. And, he says half-jokingly, since mosquitoes can't get you when you're moving, not stopping is another way to avoid getting eaten alive.

Sullivan says the truly extreme might want to consider wearing a head net - a hood made out of mosquito netting that covers your entire head.

Head nets are an invaluable tool for trail building crews on the McKenzie River Ranger District. They battle bugs for eight- to 10-day stretches during the mosquito heavy months of July and August.

Steve Otoupalik, the district's wilderness and trails manager, says what works best are large nets that provide breathing room and have elastic loops to keep bugs out.

When it comes to repellents, Otoupalik says, most of his crew members opt for those containing DEET. Most members use concentrations of 50 percent DEET or less. DEET concentrations of 30 percent are probably more than enough for most uses, he says.

Otoupalik says crew members buy "whatever's the cheapest" and tend to use lotions rather than sprays. Many have experimented with alternative ingredients, with limited success.

``The mixed reviews are: They don't work at all or they work a little,'' he says.

But Otoupalik says his crews are battling extreme mosquito conditions. He points to a game played by crew members in which the goal is to "dispatch" as many mosquitoes as possible with one slap to the body.

A typical mark for the summer is 120 bugs in one swat.

DEET SAFETY

DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide and N,N-diemethylbenzamide, for you scientific types) has long been considered the most effective insect repellent, but it has scared away lots of people because of its high potency (it can damage some plastics and dissolve the ink on printed labels). The Environmental Protection Agency says the solvent is safe when properly applied. Here are a few tips on safe use:

Sunscreen: Most experts recommend against using products that contain both deet and sunscreen since the products need to be applied with different frequency.

Concentration: Repellents containing higher concentrations of deet do not offer more protection, but they provide longer protection. Use the lowest concentration possible, especially on kids.

Children: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends using a DEET concentration of 10 percent to 30 percent on children. Do not use DEET on children younger than 2 months old. Do not apply directly to children's skin. Instead, apply it to your own hands and then rub it on your child's skin.

Application: Don't apply to open cuts or scratches. Avoid areas around eyes or mouth. Do not apply under clothing. Wash hands after applying.

Storage: Store repellents in a Ziploc bag to avoid contaminating other belongings

DEET ALTERNATIVES

According to tests conducted by Consumer Reports as well as Backpacker magazine, lemon eucalyptus was the most effective alternative to deet-based repellents. Lemon eucalyptus oil should not be used on children younger than 3, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Both magazines found insect repellent clothing to be largely ineffective. In one test, a subject wearing a T-shirt treated with permethrin was bitten 35 times within two minutes of exposure. Here's a look at these and other DEET alternatives.

Citronella: An oil derived from dried grasses with a distinctive odor

Geraniol: A natural antioxidant produced by plants and bees

IR3535: A synthetic pesticide that the manufacturer says is safe on children

Lemon eucalyptus: A scented oil derived from the eucalyptus tree; it is endorsed by the Centers for Disease Control, but it hs not been tested on children younger than 3 years old

Picaridin: A synthetic chemical with low toxicity, also recommended by the CDC 

Thiamin (B1): A vitamin that is absorbed through the skin or digestive system

Permethrin: The active ingredient in the clothing treatment chemical Permanon, which is safe for humans, according to the Environmental Protection Agency