It’s that time of year when we are continually reminded that we are just bystanders on this insect earth. And, knowing it may be insulting to the insect world and those who admire it, for the remainder of this article I will refer to insects as bugs because they surely bug all of us…a lot! Bugs are everywhere—you can’t go through a spring or summer day without encountering a mosquito, gnat, fly, beetle, wasp, yellowjacket, ant or moth. The emergence of the Zika virus has brought more desire to prevent bug bites and overall has brought well-needed attention and scrutiny to the bug-repellent market. This article is going to discuss the different options when looking for the right bug repellent. It is worth noting that the term bug “repellent” is inappropriate as it seems the way these products work is actually to make us invisible to all of those biting bugs. It’s like the invisibility cloak that Harry Potter wears—they just don’t know we are there so I think a better term and one that sounds much cooler is to call these products “bug cloaks.”

Historically, DEET has been the mainstay of effective bug cloaking. It was actually developed by our federal government in the 1940s to help soldiers deal with the bugs of jungle warfare. DEET has continually demonstrated effectiveness and it seems the higher the concentration the longer the protection. There were safety concerns that surrounded an association of DEET and neurotoxicity. Thankfully, further research has shown that when DEET is used as recommended in concentrations of 20–30 percent it is very safe and can be used in children as young as three months. There are a lot of DEET products available so it is important to look at the DEET concentration. For effective and long-acting bug cloaking, one should use a product that has 20–30 percent DEET. Very often parents are scared to use DEET due to the stories of toxicity. As a result, people avoid DEET or purchase products that have very low DEET concentrations. This is not an effective strategy because DEET works well but when used in low concentrations it will do little to prevent bug bites, and any protection will be for a very short period of time.

Here is a list of the most common commercially available products with DEET that would be safe and effective:

Off! Deep Woods VIII—25 percent DEET

Sawyer Premium Ultra 30—30 percent DEET

Cutter Backwoods—25 percent DEET

A new line of bug-cloaking products with the chemical Picaridin came to the US market in the last decade. Picaridin has demonstrated comparable and possibly superior effectiveness compared to DEET. There are no reports of toxicity associated with Picaridin. An added benefit of Picaridin products is that overall they have a more pleasant scent than DEET products and they do not irritate the mouth and eyes.

Here is a list of the most common commercially available products with Picaridin that would be safe and effective:

Sawyer Fisherman’s Formula Picaridin—20 percent Picaridin

Natrapel—20 percent Picaridin

There is another product that has become a great option and it is derived from a naturally occurring bug-cloaking ingredient called “oil of lemon eucalyptus.” It should be noted that the effective bug-cloaking chemical in oil of lemon eucalyptus, called PMD (p-menthane-3,8-diol), is not “natural” and is chemically manufactured when used in commercial bug-cloaking products. PMD has no toxicity, has a pleasant odor, and works as well or better than the gold standard DEET.

Repel and Cutter are the most recognizable brands that produce PMD products.

It should be noted that there are lots of other products out there that market themselves as more “natural” or “DEET free” or “nontoxic.” The evidence suggests that if the product doesn’t have DEET, Picardin or PMD you will be quite visible and uncloaked; thus, you will remain a juicy target as you embark into the world of insects.

Dr. Darren Saks is a pediatrician at Tenafly Pediatrics.

By Dr. Darren Saks, Tenafly Pediatrics