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bug spray that's better than DEET (lemmy.sdf.org)
submitted 4 months ago by to c/camping@sh.itjust.works
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Tried the (relatively) new picaridin bug spray (gel, actually, in my case, but there's spray and lotion as well) this season, and I am never ever going back to DEET.

No smell, no grease, no damage to synthetic fabrics, and works just as well as 90%+ DEET formulations if not better. Tested in deep woods crawling with ticks and inundated with mosquitoes. Major success.

Just thought I'd share as a bonus for my fellow federated campers who haven't heard of this stuff yet. 5/5 stars, A+++++ would slather again!

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[–] 1 point 4 months ago (7 children)

Mosquitoes use three ways for locating a target: CO2, body odor and body shape (mammal-like): https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-023-50182-5

Picaridin or deet are methods to cover that odor: https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/icaridin

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  • [–] 1 point 4 months ago (6 children)

    Picaridin or deet are methods to cover that odor

    Buddy, I already know you haven't fucked with peppermint oil...

    It repels virtually every pest because of how strong that mint smell is, that's the entire reason the mint smell evolved. Humans are the weird ones for liking it, and the reason we're the exception is our sense of smell is terrible.

    For almost every other animal/insect it's like pepperspray, it's so strong it actually hurts insects and rodents.

    I'm not saying those chemicals don't work, I'm saying given the choice between some crazy chemical and crushed up benign plant leaves...

    Just use the leaves bro.

    Not only is it cheaper, it won't give you cancer or fuck up future children you may have.

    It's a no brainer risk assessment call

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    Loudly and confidently pushing your opinions means nothing. If you want to make claims like this you've got to have research to back it up. These kinds of claims are the basis of anti-vaccine-type arguments

    Feel free to use peppermint oil if you find it works well for you, but there's a difference between anecdotal and real evidence

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  • [–] 0 points 4 months ago (3 children)

    Sure, send me your paper and I'll read it.

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  • [–] 3 points 4 months ago (2 children)

    I mean, I already linked it in the same comment chain you're replying to buddy...

    https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3609176/

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  • [–] 0 points 4 months ago (1 child)

    That's a study about larvicidal effects on a single species and it provides 150min of protection against adults, which then drops to 7%. While interesting, it doesn't support your conclusions.

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  • [–] 2 points 4 months ago*

    The remarkable repellent properties of M. piperita essential oil were established against adults Ae. aegypti. The application of oil resulted in 100% protection till 150 min. After next 30 min, only 1-2 bites were recorded as compared with 8-9 bites on the control arm.

    For 2.5 hours you get zero bites

    For the next half hour you get a few.

    That is effective, whether you understand it or not, your opinion just doesn't over ride science buddy. No matter how strong your feelings are for whatever reason.

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