Geraniol bug repellant wristband

imported
#1

Does anyone have experience using these? I came across them tonight online and had never seen them before.

Eric

Eric

#2

Last summer I happened to purchase a wristband for the heck of it. Wore it for a full overnight hike (2 full days, 1 night). I ‘felt’ like it worked because bugs stayed away and I received only a single mosquito bite on the ankle. But I thought it was impractical for anything longer because: #1 according to the package the bands would only last for 24 hours and #2, it’s annoying to have a wristband on while you hike. So if you wanted to stay out for longer than 24 hours you’d have to carry around a sealed package of all these wristbands.

My two cents,

DoubleRev

DoubleRev

#3

The brand that I found online claimed it would work for 90 hours. I am planning a JMT hike and was just looking for an alternative to DEET.

Eric

Eric

#4

Many will say that DEET is the only thing that works. I switched back and forth between DEET and a natural citranela product on my hike throuh the Sierras and found almost identical results: Each worked effectively for about a half hour and then needed to be re-applied. I’ll skip the DEET next time.

toes

#5

(I’m not the Eric who posted above, but I too am curious about new ways to defeat mosquitos!)

The problem of avoiding the deadly, super-toxic nature of DEET comes up here from time to time.

I did a pretty careful investigation of this some months ago and was surprised to discover that the toxicity of DEET is apparently a myth. DEET is one of the better-studied chemicals around. It has been applied billions of times on hundreds of millions of Americans for over forty years. There have been numerous studies of the effects. And those effects turn out to be completely tame: some people get a skin rash and about a dozen children have had seizures which the EPA suspects may be linked to high DEET exposure. (But that’s out of millions of applications.) That’s all I could find about the actual harms of much-dreaded DEET. If anyone can find anything else, I’d be interested to hear about it.

Based on what I could find, I don’t think there’s any real reason to believe that citronella is safer than DEET-- it also causes skin rashes in some people. I don’t think it has been used as a repellant on the enormous scale that DEET has, so I wonder if rarer problems would have been noticed?

One thing is pretty clear though: citronella only lasts as long as very LOW concentration DEET formulas. Higher concentration DEET formulas last many times longer. If the 100% DEET makes you uneasy, you might consider 3M Ultrathon or a Sawyer product. These have moderate DEET concentrations, but do a time-release thing that makes them last longer.

Of course, if you like citronella, by all means stay with that. I ain’t selling nuthin’ here! :slight_smile:

Eric #2

#6

Deet IS a toxin, it’s just not “considered” to be toxic enough to have any significant health implications when used correctly.

I’ve read the EPA reports as well. They indicate that exposure to children should be carefully limited and adults should avoid concentrations higher than 30%. Don’t eat the stuff, apply it in a well ventilated area, don’t apply it too often and wash it off as soon as you are in-doors. That’s a lot of precautions for something that is supposed to be safe, don’t you think?

We’re surrounded by products that are considered safe or of very low health risk at levels of low exposure, but the accumulative effect of each of them over time, and all of them together is what is not taken into perspective.

I am a skeptic of agencies like the EPA or FDA who decide what is and isn’t safe for us to be exposed to. They don’t have great track records. Consider the EPA and Tobacco Lobby (the copied letter part way down the page) for example. Even when these agencies do have the best of intentions, they are still subject to industry pressures and I don’t trust that they’re wise enough to always know what’s in my best interest anyway.

The EPA has approved Lysol spray for disinfecting children’s toys. We know that children need to be exposed to bacteria in order for their immune systems to properly develop. We evolved in the dirt, yet Lysol’s marketing agency has convinced us that if we love our children we need to disinfect every surface with synthetic chemicals. To me that seems like madness but to the EPA it’s ok because the Lysol products have likely been found to have insignificant health effects. Have they considered though the connection between these types of products and recent, significant rises in children’s allergies?

But I digress, back to the point.

Consider some of this information from lab testing of DEET as reported by the “Extension Toxicology Network” and decide for yourself.

http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/deet-ext.html

“Signs and symptoms of more subtle neurotoxicity have also been associated with extensive dermal application of Deet in adults. Questionnaire results indicate that Everglades National Park employees having extensive Deet exposure were more likely to have insomnia, mood disturbances and impaired cognitive function than were lesser exposed co-workers (McConnell et al., 1986).”

Fate in Humans and Animals

Deet is absorbed promptly from the skin and distributed to all organs including the brain and the fetus (in pregnant subjects). The compound is excreted in the milk but primarily in the urine

Using radioautography following intravenous injection of 14C-Deet, high tissue levels were found at first in the liver, kidney, lacrimal gland, and nasal mucosa. Very soon, concentrations higher than that in the blood were found in the thyroid and brown fat. Concentrations were highest and most persistent in the lacrimal gland.

Effects on Aquatic Organisms

One study on the acute toxicity of technical Deet to fish reported a 24-hour LC50 of 125 ppm and a 96-hour LC50 of 172 ppm for rainbow trout. These results are sufficient to characterize Deet as slightly toxic to coldwater fish.



I believe LC50 means it killed at least 50% of the subjects, for the record.

That all doesn’t sound so cool to me. Also, consider that the use of DEET frequently over a long distance hike will accumulate to a much more significant level of exposure than recommended usage.

Personally, I’ll skip the military-developed toxin DEET and bring along natural alternatives next time. Re-applying some soy oil every couple of hours doesn’t sound so bad.

Cheers,
Toes

toes

#7

sorry, those links were:

http://tobaccodocuments.org/pm/2026091296-1297.html
http://pmep.cce.cornell.edu/profiles/extoxnet/carbaryl-dicrotophos/deet-ext.html

toes

#8

Hi Toes,

Thanks for the links. I’ll check 'em out. I did find this about citronella:

“I have one report on file of a cat that was bathed in citronella oil. On presentation to the veterinary clinic 24 hours after exposure, the cat was distressed, mewing, disorientated and hypothermic. It had severe irritation and swelling to the skin and was unable to stand.”

“The cat was bathed, and started on IV fluids. It went into shock and exhibited “abnormal movements.” The temperature rose to 39 degrees C. Because the prognosis was poor, the cat was euthanized at the request of the owners.”

“Because of the potential for toxicity, I would feel uncomfortable having my birds exposed to citronella oil.”

It seems that high exposures (literally bathing, in this case) aren’t necessarily good even for “natural” products. Y’know, poison oak is “natural” too… :slight_smile:

Eric #2