Re: [gardeners] DEET
Cynthia Mayeaux (gardeners@globalgarden.com)
Wed, 06 May 1998 18:46:59 -0400
At 07:30 AM 5/6/98, you wrote:
>There was a thread on insecticides running through the internet last year
>but I didn't pay much attention. Now I need info. My eldest granddaughter
>is going camping with the Girl Scouts in June. Her mom asked me about the
>toxicity of DEET based personal insect repellents on children. Naturally I
>couldn't find a darned thing. Anyone got any factual information, maybe a
>URL for info? He'p me!
>
>George
>
>
George, before freaking out about DEET, which is not good for you,
especially kids. Find out where the campsite is. Then find out how high
the risk is of tick infection of various diseases...Lymes and Rocky
Mountain Spotted Fever come to mind. If she is not camping in a high risk
area, I would use regular bug spray, or there is a new Skintastic out that
is just for kids. Is a much lower volume of the bug killers in it.
Kids should take care to wear bandanas around their heads and to do tick
checks about once an hour. Hairlines, waistlines, socklines are the most
frequently bitten areas. Coming from down souf you oughta know that ticks
start out tiny, but get big. If they find a tick on someone, DO NOT KILL
IT!!!!!
Remove tick gently and save it for analysis. The only way the can tell if
the tick is infected with a bad disease is to get it while alive. If they
do kill it, save it anyway, it can at least be identified to see if it is
the type of tick that carries certain diseases.
Most info can be gotten through a local Ag office.
Hope the girls have a great time and not get too paranoid.
Cynthia (who was a Girl Scout for 17 years, but is now a Boy Scout)
**Womyn Who Moves Mountains-Little Finger Of Michigan**
**cmayeaux@traverse.com **USDA zone 4b-Sunset zone 41**
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