Since I can't use Deet does anyone know of a natural or non-toxic repellent for the Aedes mosquito? I understand the Dengue is worse this year and we will be there in rainy season-also, is there enough spraying going on to prevent problems?

You might try this link:http://www.ask.com/web?qsrc=178&o=0&l=dir&dm=&q=mosquito%20repellents

Dennis, they do not spray but they put little fishes (don't know the name) in the standing waters which eat the mosquito eggs and larvae.

They actually do spray, when the machine is working (they did spray last fall and in January). I'm not sure how often the do it, but I know it's done. You can smell the areas afterward as well.

Not sure if it works for specific mosquitos, but a recent article in AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) listed a "dab of lavender oil on your wrists and elbows" as a natural pest repellent. Also suggested "2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar in a glass of water placed on your deck". (See http://bulletin.aarp.org/yourworld/yourhome/articles/hazards_at_home_-.html)

Dennis; A few months ago while staying on Bonaire I scouted the area and placed a few tablespoons of vegetable oil in old cisterns etc. that held stagnant water. This will suffoocate the larvae as they try to emerge.
Obviously not 100% effective but natural and every little bit helps.

After some web research, found the product "Buzz Away Extreme" (http://www.quantumhealth.com/productgroups/itchandbite.html), an "all-natural" mosquito and tick repellent. Supposedly as effective or more effective than products containing about 25% DEET. Have not yet tried it myself, so am interested if anyone has used it and can report real results from the field.

Dennis, there is also a product called Jungle Juice and it's all natural. It's sold in dive shops around here and it seems to work. I used it in Roatan and didn't have any problems.

DEET is the best but some folks can't tolerate it or just don't lke it. If lavendar oil isn't working out for you, consider a spray containing permethrin (originally derived from
chrysanthemums). Outdoor and Repel are 2 brands in the US. More info here:

http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/128/11/931

A friend of mine who doesn't care for all the chemicals on her skin turned me onto Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Pump Insect Repellent. We used it in Belize and it worked really well. It available online at drugstore.com.

Thanks everyone for the information about repellent options. Best to be prepared.
Our trip is fast approaching.

Dennis,
I will be in Hato starting next week for a few weeks. I will be glad to discuss the DEET vs. All-Naturals I've tested. In fact, you can join our 3rd Annual Jelly Jam and Sting Study.
Will you be on island then?
Bud
717.8814 or TWR/Swanson

PERMETHRIN: A New Look
In a recent published study of permethrin from The "American Journal of Epidemiology" (Beyond Pesticides, January 30, 2007), state that Breast cancer groups across the country have a new issue to add to the repertoire of risk factors: Pesticide use. The study has found a strong link between residential pesticide use and breast cancer risk in women. Responding to the study, Susan Teitelbaum, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of community medicine at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, says the options are simple? ?Stop using pesticides.? Permethrin, like all synthetic pyrethroids, is a neurotoxin. Symptoms include tremors, incoordination, elevated body temperature, increased aggressive behavior, and disruption of learning. Laboratory tests suggest that permethrin is more acutely toxic to children than to adults. Researchers report in the May edition of "American Journal of Epidemiology" that "Permethrin exposure increased cancer risk even more among the men with a family history of prostate cancer" The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has classified permethrin as a carcinogen because it causes lung tumors in female mice and liver tumors in mice of both sexes.

Bud-
I was interested in the information you provided and I tried to read the "Beyond Pesticides" article you cited, but was unable to find it. I also could not find an article in May (2007? 2008?) AJE that discusses permethrin. If you could give more complete citations, I would appreciate it.

I did read the article by Dr. Teitelbaum (see below). Although she did find a weak association between lawn and garden pesticides and breast cancer, she found NO association between use of insect repellents and breast cancer. We don't want to scare people unnecessarily.
=================================================

"Reported Residential Pesticide Use and Breast Cancer Risk on Long Island, New York.
Susan L. Teitelbaum, Marilie D. Gammon, Julie A. Britton, Alfred I. Neugut, Bruce Levin and Steven D. Stellman
American Journal of Epidemiology 2007 165(6):643-651"

"Insect repellants, lice control products, and flea and tick products used on pets.
Breast cancer risk was not associated with frequent or long-term use of insect repellants (OR = 0.89, 95 percent CI: 0.60, 1.31 for 20 years vs. never use) or with use of lice control products (OR = 0.86, 95 percent CI: 0.71, 1.04 for use 2 times vs. never use). Likewise, no increased risk of breast cancer was associated with the use of flea and tick products on pets, when examined by frequency of application (OR = 1.08, 95 percent CI: 0.87, 1.33 for use 30 times vs. never use), type of product used, or person who applied the product (data not shown)."

"Individual lawn and garden categories.
Ever use of pesticides for nearly all of the individual lawn and garden categories was associated with increased breast cancer risk. In general, within each category, no dose response was observed (data not shown). Little variation in breast cancer risk was observed for individual categories of lawn and garden pesticide application when classified according to the person who applied them. Women who exclusively self-applied lawn and garden pesticides were at a moderately increased risk of breast cancer (e.g., lawn insecticides OR = 1.56, 95 percent CI: 1.01, 2.43; chemicals for insects or diseases of outdoor plants OR = 1.58, 95 percent CI: 1.12, 2.22). However, these risk estimates were in the same range as those for pesticide use without consideration of applicator and were not generally different from those observed for women who had either professionals exclusively apply these pesticides (e.g., lawn insecticides OR = 1.41, 95 percent CI: 1.31, 1.77) or others perform the application (e.g., lawn insecticides OR = 1.32, 95 percent CI: 1.05, 1.67)."

"Lifetime applications and patterns of use of pesticides for nuisance pests were consistently observed to have little or no association with breast cancer risk when examined as either a combined group or by individual categories."

"To our knowledge, our study is the first to suggest that self-reported residential pesticide use may be associated with elevated breast cancer risk. However, the weak association, the absence of a dose response, the lack of support from studies of biologic measures of exposures, and the possibility of chance findings due to multiple comparisons all indicate the uncertain nature of the observed association."

JG,
It is easy to find data, current research, and significant warnings about the use of Permethrin. I cited a couple of examples below. I also clipped the EPA's own reasons for it being it being "Red Listed". This is simply "buyer beware". It is a CNS poison. Folks can draw their own conclusions. But folks continue to use DEET at record rates too. Thanks for you valued input.
Bud

http://www.safe2use.com/poisons-pesticides/pesticides/permethrin/cox-report/cox.htm

http://www.epa.gov/oppsrrd1/REDs/factsheets/permethrin_fs.htm

http://www.safe2use.lightjump.com/index.php

Health Effects
Permethrin is a member of the pyrethroid class of pesticides. Similar to other pyrethroids, permethrin alters nerve function by modifying the normal biochemistry and physiology of nerve membrane sodium channels. However, EPA is not currently following a cumulative risk approach based on a common mechanism of toxicity for the pyrethroids. Although all pyrethroids interact with sodium channels, there are multiple types of sodium channels and it is currently unknown whether the pyrethroids have similar effects on all channels. Nor do we have a clear understanding of effects on key downstream neuronal function e.g., nerve excitability, nor do we understand how these key events interact to produce their compound specific patterns of neurotoxicity. There is ongoing research by the EPA’s Office of Research and Development and pyrethroid registrants to evaluate the differential biochemical and physiological actions of pyrethroids in mammals. This research is expected to be completed by 2007. When available, the Agency will consider this research and make a determination of common mechanism as a basis for assessing cumulative risk. Therefore, the human health risk assessment and RED document only considered the effects of permethrin.

Additionally, the Agency classified permethrin as “Likely to be Carcinogenic to Humans” by the oral route. This classification was based on two reproducible benign tumor types (lung and liver) in the mouse, equivocal evidence of carcinogenicity in Long- Evans rats, and supporting structural activity relationship information.

some people were asking about pesticide towelettes. They are going on sale in the Avon campaign book- #14-2008, page 131, next week for half price[ it't really bad when I guy talks about the Avon catalog--lol]. It's an 8 pack for 5.99$- The active ingredient is Picaridin.--what has my life come too--lol

No matter what you use, make sure you spray yourself first thing in the morning and after showering or diving. The mosquitos are silent and viscious. And they love fresh blood!!!

Hi, it's been so dry here on Bonaire in recent months that the mosquito population has mostly died off. Of course, there's the occasional mosquito here and there, but I haven't had to spray in a long time--and I'm one of those who have never "acclimated"--the little buggers just love to chew on me, and even so, I haven't had to spray up in months.

Fid actually uses off like it was cologne! The buggers know when he is on the island and seem to follow him in droves.