Dangers of DEET

Dangers of DEET

DEET Insect Repellant

DEEY was originally developed by the US military after WW2, back in 1946 but wasn't available for commercial civilian use until around 1957. It works not by killing the insect but by effectively making you invisible to its sense of smell. The basic idea is that it swamps the bug's senses thus forcing the bug to go elsewhere in search of something to bite on.

Other bug repellants such as citronella oil tend to
work the same way.

Generally the biggest danger with DEET is when
used on a continuous basis for long periods. Park
rangers for example have been known to suffer
syptoms from mild skin irritation up to seizures and
even death. For most people a far greater hazard is
the effect the stuff has on various materials,
especially plastics.

Plastics

If you want to convert your expensive plastic-framed
sunglasses into a gooey mess, store them in the same pocket as your DEET bug spray. The stuff can even damage leather and most synthetic materials can be literally melted by the stuff. This is not a good thing if you keep your passport in a plastic wallet and it can ruin your credit cards, so keep well away from such things!

Children

Overall in normal usage it is safe for use on children but not recommended for especially young babies under 2 months old and youngsters should use a lower concentration, such as 30%

Effectiveness?

There's a reason why DEET is so popular as a bug spray and that's because it is arguably the most effective insect repellant available. Research shows 100% sprays can offer good protection for over 12 hours and even the diluted stuff will work for a few hours at a time.

Alternatives?

A plastic-friendly alternative, though not likely to be locally available in Asia, is Icaridin

For a more natural approach try citronella oil but really, considering the inherent dangers of diseases such as malaria, DEET is the way to go. If you can get hold of it try Icaridin but be aware some compounds contain both chemicals anyway.

Finally, make sure you read the label. Any DEET product should tell you to avoid using on broken skin etc. The problem is that the label itself may become detached due to the nature of DEET! So read it carefully, while it's still there!