Insect repellents

With ticks and such on the increase, and coming up to the warmer months, are there any good insect repellents which anyone can recommend?

I like the look of the DEET ones, but the smell may put off animals and is also known to effect rubber and coatings on many SLR's...

Does anyone here have any good experiences or ideas?

I was once told, that eating Bananas help stop Mosquitoes biting.

By eating Bananas you add a “chemical” into your blood which Mosquitoes don’t like.

When explained, it doesn’t seem so daft as it sounded at first.

If you like Bananas then it can’t hurt, and if it does your ahead of the game, with as an added bonus, of every square inch of your body protect 24/7 or for as long as you keep up eating those yellow things.

Trouble is how many?? My main issue is ticks rather than mosies. The only stuff which looks good to me is ultrathon by 3M which lasts many hours and doesnt smell too strongly. Having been bitten last year by a tick, and not wanting to get lyme disease i'm going to get some before they get me...

I was just wondering if anyone had anything better?

The old favourite for midges is Skin So Soft by Avon, which you can buy on line or from certain outdoors shops (Tiso in Edinburgh for example ).
Its not fool proof and for some people it doesn't work much at all. I find they still land on me but croke soon after, leaving a build up of little bodies over my skin.
If you don't want them landing you could go for something like a head net...you'll look daft, but if you prone to attracting midges and in an area that has masses its the least of you worries.
I wasn't aware many repellents work for ticks, I've just tried to keep my legs etc covered...for the benefit of all..

Try reading Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring' (not much has changed in 40 years) and then decide if you want to go down the line of dousing yourself with insecticides .

The best way to avoid the no-see-um's is to cover up exposed skin, avoid shorts and to tuck in your trousers into your socks and not go wading in smelly swampy places .

FWIW, if it had been mozzies, then some people have recommended Avon's 'Skin so soft' spray...will let you know how effective it is in a few weeks when the bug swarm rises on the moors . You never know, leaches might not like the taste either

Ultrathon is probably your best bet, simply because it is slow release with about 30% DEET, anything stronger, although not proven, is pobably best avoided. The best advise is simply to make sure that any bare skin that can brush against a carrier is covered, I assume you are looking to Deer as it is the Wood Tick that carries/transmits Lyme Disease (I believe in certian US states there is a vaccination).

Phil

I did some serious clod busting last year in areas known to be infested, due to the high sheep population. I think i did rather well getting just the one.

I agree nick, the thought of putting pesticides on isnt nice, but nether is lyme disease.

I attract mossies like no other - they love me to bits and then some

For years I've used straight DEET and dread applying it as sometimes it really makes me feel ill after a few hours.
The other week I spent the day up the Selkirk Valley with one of the beat rangers for Ae District and we were talking about our little friends when he produced a bottle of Skin-So-Soft Soft & Sensual Dry Oil Body Spray from the glove box of his 4cab - it appears that this is THE STUFF - online page http://avonshop.co.uk/avonshop/default.asp

It doesn't seem to smell too much - certainly nowhere near as much as DEET and I suppose you smell a bit more like a pox doctors clerk than if you are smothered in repellant proper - but I'll give anything a go!

There's nothing you can do to repell ticks and kedds Paul, but invest in some light weight shooting cammo and a big role of proper Gaffer Tape - not the cheap rubbish from the local corner shop.
Wear a decent pair of wellies like LeChamou or Hunter (keep your ankle pretty well protected) and pull your tousers over them and tape the legs up well.
Tape your shirt cuffs over a pair a lightweight shooting cloves and thats the best way of helping protect yourself from picking up ticks and kedds.

And when you get home a good hot bath is first priority and check your armpits and 'other sweaty places' - 'cos thats where the little brutes make for - and you won't feel them traveling there and you won't feel them bite you either

If it is deer you are after and you are slave to nictotine like me don't be worried about ciggarette smoke - deer never seem to mind it and boy is it good for showing up air movement - with the added bonus that it too keeps midges away from your face

Andy

In the United Kingdom, Lyme Disease is carried by the sheep tick, Ixodes ricinus.

For more info look here.

http://www.lymediseaseaction.org.uk/index.htm

Deet will destroy any plastic on your camera or lens, not to mention what it does to your skin. there are some alterbatives which use natural remedies whcih usualy involve citronella, best place are walking shops or travel clinics.

'Skin so soft' does not repel mossies but it gums up their wings and they die before getting a bite in, so yes you still get covered but your skin is lovely and soft in the evening instead of itchy. it is quite greasy so watch out for lenses and slippy handholding.

for ticks, best bet is to cover up and keep some sellotape with you (the old traditional clear stuff), if you get bitten cover the little beggar with tape and it will suffocate and fall out.

Trouble is if you suffocate them, they vomit into your blood stream any bad bacteria they have... I pack thin tweesers but i'm trying to find a way to deterthem first...

As i said in my op i dont want to use deet, but if nothing else is any good i may have to...

Just smoke a pack of silk cut everyday! Me and the wife spent 7 months down under last year and I got bit SO so much and I tried pretty much everything - my wife however, a devout smoker, was hardly troubled!

Go to the vet's and get a tick removal tool? Just slide under tick and lift and twist.

Cheers