Insect repellent should do what it says – repel insects. That includes all the blood-sucking carnivores that frequent us in the outdoors, including mosquitoes, black flies, no-see-ums, fleas, midges, ticks, and chiggers. All bug sprays contain a proprietary formulation to mask our scent of carbon dioxide, and therefore, our blood as a food source. Several choices of repellents are proven to work. The one you already know: DEET. There are a number of effective, less toxic insect repellents available besides DEET. Here we discuss alternative options to DEET.
Life
21 posts
We’re bombarded with information telling us what to do to live a long and healthy life — often from companies trying to sell a product. Here’s a small set of habits that we’ve been doing for years and cost little to nothing to implement. Try one out and see what a difference it makes in your energy and outlook. 1. Transport Yourself by Human Power In North America, most people consider cycling, walking, and running as only for recreation or professional sport. Ironically, we drive to the gym to pedal a stationary bike or drive to a park to go […]
Although biting insects are annoying, most cause no harm to humans or animals. The exceptions are the blood-feeding pests that can vector many etiological pathogens, such as mosquitoes and ticks. In the U.S., the Black Legged tick, also known as the deer tick, can spread the Lyme disease bacterium, Borrelia burgdorferi. The related species in Europe is the Castor Bean Tick (sheep tick) and the Taiga tick in Asia. Dog ticks, Lone star ticks, and other types of ticks aren’t able to transmit Lyme disease. Scientists predict the warming climate will cause an increase in reported cases of tick-borne illnesses […]
Most people think hiking season commences in the spring and concludes after the summer, however, fall and winter are some of the best seasons to visit the trails – especially the national parks. The trails are less crowded than in the summer, which means you can take photos of scenery instead of tourists. Here are the top 5 reasons you should consider the “off-season” as prime hiking time. 1. Fewer Crowds Fewer people on the trails mean you can hike at your own pace. There is less chance of stepping on the heels of a hiker in front of you or […]
When the temperatures become hot, water vapor condenses from nearby water sources and around mountain tops, forming dark clouds. These clouds have the potential to culminate in intense electrical storms. Clearly, it is unwise to continue ascending a summit as the sky pulsates with gigantic bolts of lightning, but sometimes the situation is unavoidable. You may not know that a storm is coming until it crests the summit towards which you may be ascending. In those cases, there are safety measures you can take to protect yourself. Nevertheless, you can reduce your chances of becoming caught off guard by surprise storms as […]