UC Davis Professor Walter S. Leal has been studying mosquitoes for two decades.
Leal said when it comes to repellents DEET is still the gold standard.
He said as the Zika Virus continues to cause concern, he thinks it’s important to continue to protect yourself and family.
“I hear some people say ‘Oh it’s not going to come here’. I think we better prepare for the worse. And I think its coming," Leal said. "And I hope it’s not going to be bad because if we are prepared and the public is aware of the disease and takes the precautions to avoid breeding of mosquitoes and wear repellents and keep mosquitoes at bay, then we can alleviate that."
Leal said other repellents work, but for shorter periods of time.
ABC10 found sprays containing DEET at CVS that cost us $7.29 for the store brand and $9.29 for Off! name brand.
Also sprays containing DEET alternative Picaridin are available.
There are a number of natural repellent sprays. These can contain soybean, citronella, rosemary and more.
Badger 100% Natural & Certified Organic Anti-Bug Spray cost $11.99 and All Terrain Herbal Armor ran us $7.19.
Leal said you’d have to be prepared to use more of these natural sprays to get a similar protection.
Maybe you don’t want to lather anything on your body.
You can get plants that work to repel the summer vampires and your cookbook is a good place to start.
Talini’s Nursey Assistant Manager Meg Gray said rosemary, lavender, basil, peppermint and garlic are all great repellents.
If you’re more interested in a flowering option choose citronella geraniums or lavender and if you've already been bit, lemon balm both repels and can heal.
“The lemon balm if you rub it on your mosquito bite is supposed to help elevate the itch,” Gray said.
Others include catnip, lemon grass and marigolds.
These plants are usually easy to care for, you just have to plant them close to where you are spending time in order for them to be effective.
The best advice from both Gray and Leal is get rid of standing water. This is where mosquitoes lay eggs and reproduce so if it’s gone, the biting bugs never arrive.
“If the population works together and take the right precautions we can avoid a big epidemic of Zika in the United States,” Lead said.
If you’re interested in learning more about Zika, Leal and his students are hosting a Zika Virus Public Awareness Symposium on Thursday, May 26 at Geidt Hall, Room 1001 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
TIPS FOR PARENTS (from American Academy of Pediatrics)
- Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided because sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours, but the insect repellent should not be reapplied.
- Use insect repellents containing DEET when needed to prevent insect-related diseases. Ticks can transmit Lyme Disease, and mosquitoes can transmit West Nile, Zika virus, Chikungunya virus and other viruses.
- The current AAP and CDC recommendation for children older than 2 months of age is to use 10 percent to 30 percent DEET. DEET should not be used on children younger than 2 months of age.
- The effectiveness is similar for 10 percent to 30 percent DEET but the duration of effect varies. Ten percent DEET provides protection for about 2 hours, and 30 percent protects for about 5 hours. Choose the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of coverage.
- The concentration of DEET varies significantly from product to product, so read the label of any product you purchase. Children should wash off repellents when they return indoors.
- As an alternative to DEET, picaridin has become available in the U.S. in concentrations of 5 percent to 10 percent.
- When outside in the evenings or other times when there are a lot of mosquitoes present, cover up with long sleeved shirts, pants and socks to prevent bites.