June
marks the official start of summer activities--fishing, camping,
boating and mosquito slapping. With
disease-carrying
mosquitoes just itching to grab a bite to eat, they're no longer
just a pest; they're a real threat. According
to the Centers
for Disease Control, the most effective repellents for protection
against West Nile Virus and encephalitis-carrying mosquitoes are
those that contain DEET. In a test conducted by The New England
Journal of Medicine, non-DEET products offered little or no
protection, while DEET-containing products provided full protection
for several hours. DEET
has a remarkable safety record after 40
years of use and remains the gold standard for protection from
disease-carrying insects--it also protects from Lyme-disease
carrying ticks, as well as chiggers, biting flies, gnats and
fleas.
Watkins
Insect Repellent contains 23.75% DEET--the amount
that provided the most protection in this study--and just enough
to keep insects from being a pain in the neck.
Brenda Koth,
MS, RD
Watkins Health and Nutrition Advisor
