When the weather heats up, the insects come out to play...which might be fine if they minded their own business, but noooooo, that would make our lives just a little too simple. Unfortunately, a good portion of flying creepy crawlers tend to be on the hunt for tasty human flesh and blood in particular. More than 50 years ago, the Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Army responded to this pesky seasonal problem with the development of a hardcore chemical called N, N-diethyl-metatoluamide (affectionately known as DEET). They realized that its vapors repelled mosquitos and various other bugs quite effectively, so it was quickly given the green light and even approved by the Environmental Protection Agency. DEET is now the chemical standard in at least 230 common insect repellent products, except there's one little problem.

A team of researchers recently determined that the chemical is toxic to the central nervous system, explaining that it "is not simply a behavior-modifying chemical but (it) also inhibits the activity of a key central nervous system enzyme, acetycholinesterase, in both insects and mammals". I'm not quite sure what took them so long given that there's been a great deal of speculation about it for many years. This information directly conflicts with the EPA's long held position that "as long as consumers follow label directions and take proper precautions, insect repellents containing DEET do not present a health concern." Personally, I'd rather err on the side of caution and discontinue using all DEET products entirely, but it is troubling that the general population has been slathering insect repellents (containing this dangerous chemical) on their skin for multiple decades now. Time will tell what the real consequences are.

A great deal of additional research must be conducted to back up their findings and determine the level of DEET's potential neurotoxicity -- but in the meantime, you might want to seriously consider using a natural alternative for peace of mind. Volatile plant oils, such as citronella, lemongrass, neem, clove, geranium, peppermint, rosemary and lemon eucalyptus oils, are one option that offer varying levels of protection. If you apply eucalyptus with a 70% cineole content (the active therapeutic ingredient), mosquito bites can be prevented for 2 hours at a clip and the nice part is that it smells pretty decent, too. Another effective but perhaps less desirable choice for noses everywhere -- lasting from 5 to 6 hours -- is mixing one part garlic juice with 5 parts water in a small pump bottle, shaking well prior to each application and spraying lightly on exposed body parts. A good way to get around becoming a human marinade is to dip cotton rags in this solution (or other volatile oils mentioned above) and hang them around the vicinity of your patio, deck and outdoor eating area. Vampires of the undead and insect varieties will be sure to back off as soon as they catch a whiff!