In a message dated 7/25/2005 6:55:25 P.M. Eastern Standard Time,  
 writes:

I  haven't used DEET since 1988 when I developed a sensitivity to it (and  
citronella).  Since then, I have tried regular Skin-So-Soft, Vick's  VapoRub, 
lavender-scented wrist bands, and dryer sheets with little or no  success.  I 
usually just wear layers of clothing.  (In June  2000, I did a Coastal Plain 
Swamp Sparrow survey in Black Marsh for  Patuxent.  The temperature was in 
the 90s and I was wearing long  johns under my regular clothes to keep the 
hoards of biting flies from  biting me.)  I am anxious to try the new REPEL 
Lemon Eucalyptus  insect repellent that was just tested by Consumer Reports. 
It contains no  DEET and Consumer Reports says that it  works.

Gene



Gene,
Keep us posted on the lemon-eucalyptus product. I have seen reports on the  
news about this and the other "new" (though not really) product Picardin. I 
just  got some of the new "deet-free" Cutter spray with picardin, and in my one 
outing  at Blue Mash, it seemed to work very well. I won't use Deet products 
either, so  have been using Naturapel with citronella oil, which works well 
enough around  here. 
 
We visited with the mosquitoes in the Everglades in mid-June, where nothing  
worked for more than about 30 minutes. Full "mosquito uniforms" as I liked to  
call them, were the only hope of walking around outside at all, and then the  
noise in your ears was like the Indy 500. Did get the White-crowned Pigeon as 
a  lifer though.
 
 And thanks for your comment regarding the "Ben Franklin test:. It  gave me a 
good morning laugh...
 
Rick Sussman
Ashton,MD