Avoid Being a Mosquito Buffett

There’s Just No Escaping Them

Our home is situated on 1 acre of land with a one time swamp, now man made lake, as our back yard.  When our state decided to install a spill way dam on Broad Creek, the swampy land flooded and created what is now a small lake.  With the water flow as it is, very, very slow, mosquitoes infest our back yard.  We’ve tried most everything  to rid ourselves of these awful pests including: encouraging bat habitat, installing purple martin houses, always draining standing water, switching our lights to new LED bulbs, and even having our yard sprayed by the state mosquito control truck.  All, to no avail.  On any given balmy evening, it isn’t long before the swatting begins and I head directly for the indoors.  So, I decided to do a little searching for some facts so that maybe I can enjoy the yard this summer.  Hopefully, anyone reading this can get a few tips as well.

A Few Fascinating Mosquito Facts

Here are some fun facts about the little bloodsuckers [1] 

• Mosquitoes do not feed on blood — they actually feed on plant nectars. Females use blood to nourish their eggs prior to laying, imbibing about 5 millionths of a liter per “feeding.”
• Mosquitoes are attracted by carbon dioxide, lactic acid and other body chemicals, as well as your body heat, and can sense these from 25-35 meters.
• Women, and people drinking beer, have been shown to be more attractive to mosquitoes. So if you’re a woman drinking a beer, watch out.
• Blonds seem to be more attractive to mosquitoes than brunettes. (and yes, I’m a blonde)
• In one study, a full moon increased mosquito activity 500 percent.
• If you turn on a light at night you will have noticed that it is magnet for bugs. What most people are not aware of is that if you use a newer LED bulb it will NOT attract bugs. This is because most LED bulbs do not emit wavelengths in the UV spectrum like incandescents or fluorescents do.

Simple Preventative Measures

You can avoid most assaults by staying inside around dawn and dusk, which is when they are most active. If you must be out during those times, wear long sleeved shirts and long pants, hats and socks. Mosquitoes are also thicker in shrubby areas and near standing water.

Build bat houses! Bat houses are becoming increasingly popular since bats are voracious consumers of insects, especially mosquitoes. For more on buying a bat house or constructing one yourself, visit the Organization for Bat Conservation.

As recently reported by the New York Times, a simple house fan may also be all you need to keep mosquitoes at bay in your backyard, because:

“A fan dilutes and disperses the carbon dioxide you exhale. Carbon dioxide is one of the major chemicals that attract mosquitoes.

The wind from a fan also cools you off. Sweat, lactic acid and body heat attract mosquitoes — factors that a fan can help minimize.”

Similarly, avoiding physical exertion that makes you hot and sweaty can help you avoid getting bit. A New York Times article from 2008 states that:

“… cues like body temperature, carbon dioxide in the breath and certain skin chemicals like lactic acid all help mosquitoes orient and find their next meal. Exercise boosts the levels of all three signals, making people more vulnerable to mosquito bites during or after exercise.There is [also] some suggestion mosquitoes are more attracted to darker colors, so donning a white shirt may help reduce bites.”

Barring any of those options, if you are going to be outside with your skin exposed during mosquito season, you may want to protect yourself with a natural repellent I have fallen in love with.

Stay Away from Anything Containing DEET!

The most commonly used chemical in commercial insect repellents is DEET (N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide). DEET was patented by the U.S. Army in 1946 and is still widely used. Currently, DEET is used in more than 230 different products — in concentrations of up to an astounding 100 percent.

If a chemical melts plastic or fishing line, it’s not wise to apply it to your skin — and that is exactly what DEET does.

Duke University Medical Center pharmacologist Mohamed Abou-Donia spent 30 years researching the effects of pesticides. He discovered that prolonged exposure to DEET can impair cell function in parts of your brain — demonstrated in the lab by death and behavioral changes in rats with frequent or prolonged DEET use.

The rats given small doses of DEET for 60 days had a difficult time performing even the easiest tasks, such as walking.

DEET was found to cause:

• Problems controlling muscle movement, memory, concentration and learning
• Eye and skin irritation
• Headaches
• Weakness and fatigue
• Muscle pain, joint pain, and tremors
• Nausea
• Shortness of breath

Making matters worse, DEET is also combined with other chemicals in many products, in combinations found to be more dangerous than DEET alone, according to Abou-Donia. Other things can also react with DEET — like chemicals in your skin care products, and even your medications.

In addition, there are other potentially harmful chemicals in bug sprays, one of which is permethrin.

Permethrin is a member of the synthetic pyrethroid family, all of which are neurotoxins. The EPA has even deemed this chemical carcinogenic — it causes lung tumors, liver tumors, immune system problems, and chromosomal abnormalities.

Permethrin is also damaging to the environment, and it is particularly toxic to bees and aquatic life.

It should also be noted that permethrin is highly toxic to cats^[2] . Even a few drops can be lethal to your feline pet. It is used as an ingredient in some topical flea products, so when you see “for dogs only” on the label, it likely contains permethrin.

So What’s My Magic Potion?

I have found that Melaleuca Oil is a natural insect repellent.  Not only is it very soothing to skin, and effective in helping insect bites, it deters them from picking you as their feast.  Last night, a very muggy night here on Delmarva, I sprayed my family down with Sol U Mel (a Melaleuca natural, safe household cleaner containing Melaleuca oil) and to my surprise, none of us ended up being preyed upon by the little bloodsuckers.

These are great alternatives to those awful toxic and poisonous insect repellents that you buy at the store. Melaleuca products are not pesticides and therefore will not stop the varmints from landing on you, but they will greatly reduce the incidence of bites and the reactions that accompany them. They also do not make you feel like you need to take a shower after you use them. Frequent use enhances their effectiveness and your skin will be healthier because of it. It is also important to note that different body types respond differently to the different formulas. Some even say that just taking Melaleuca vitamins has stopped mosquito bites. So, do not be afraid to experiment, find your own solution, and pass it on.

It is, however, important that you make the time to find your personal solution, as the danger of insect bites is often underestimated. Around the world, someone dies every 30 seconds because of an insect bite.

Suggestions:
For humans, mix 1 teaspoon of Moisturizing Hand Creme and 5 drops of T36-C5 ® and apply to any exposed skin.

Another very effective insect repellent is to mix 1/4 cup of MelaMagic ®, 1/4 cup of Tough & Tender ®, 2 capfuls of Sol-U-Mel ®, and 5 drops of T36-C5 ®. This has been used effectively in the rainforest, so it should work well for most of us.

An alternate solution would be to combine 2 ounces of Renew Bath Oil with 2 ounces of Sol-U-Mel ®, 1 ounce of Tough & Tender ® and 20 drops of T36-C5 ®.

You might also try mixing 2 capfuls of Sol-U-Mel ® with 10 to 15 drops of T36-C5 ® in 16 ounces of water in a spray bottle. PreSpot Plus ™ makes another great repellent lotion.

I plan on enjoying this summer outdoors like never before using my Melaleuca products! If you are interested and would like further information about these products, please email me.  matiaspicer@comast.net

Happy Summer~~

1. American Mosquito Control Association

2. Richardson J A. (March 1, 2000) “Permethrin hazards for cats” ASPCA Veterinary Poison Control Center

Sources:

WebMD May 19, 2010

New York Times July 12, 2010

Dr. Mercola | July 22 2010

© 2005-2010 RM Barry Publications

Autoimmune Diseases and Toxins…Face It

I have suffered from an autoimmune disease all of my adult life.  It began my freshman year in college during my first final exams.  The crippling pain and sickness left my doctors stumped for over 13 years! One day, I thankfully walked into a brand new doctor’s office, and she said to me, “You have Behcet’s Disease.  Why hasn’t anyone ever told you that?” Wow, what a life changing moment that was.  That diagnosis led to more and more doctors, tests, and results I was finally glad to hear, but saddened at the realization that the rest of my life would be spent dealing this disease.  Little did I know then, what huge effects it would have.

Autoimmune diseases affect over 24 million Americans.  The rate of these kinds of diseases present in our bodies has tripled over the last few decades.  Autoimmunity affects more women that breast cancer and heart disease combined! There are hundreds of them, all of which turn a normal immune system into a killing machine.  You see, normally your immune system acts as an army to go attack invading “bad” cells like disease and illness.  In autoimmunity, the army turns on the good cells as well, reeking havoc on the hosts’ bodies.  My disease attacks my blood vessels, any of them are at risk.  That means, anywhere blood flows in my body is at risk.  Serious stuff!

So, what is causing this epidemic rise in autoimmune diseases? Scientists and doctors are now able to make a distinct link between these diseases and environmental toxins.  We are exposed to astounding amounts of toxic chemicals. A recent government survey (“National Report on Human Exposure to Environmental Chemicals” issued in July 2005: http://www.cdc.gov/exposurereport/) found an average of 148 chemicals in our bodies.  Other research has found 287 industrial chemicals in the umbilical blood of infants, including pesticides, phthalates, dioxins, flame-retardants, Teflon, and toxic metals like mercury.  Our babies are being born already “glowing” with toxins!

Dr. Douglas Kerr, M.D., Ph.D, a professor at John Hopkins school of Medicine says, “There is no doubt that autoimmune diseases are on the rise and our increasing environmental exposure to toxins and chemicals in the fueling risk.  The research is sound.  The conclusions, unassailable.”

So, what do we do? Do we ignore it and hope it goes away.  Do we really want this proof?  Knowing something and acknowledging it means dealing with it right?  Do we all really want to come face to face with this toxic soup we are all carrying around?  That would mean dealing with it.  What a huge undertaking that would be for our country to declare war on toxins.  Isn’t it time we demand that? Aren’t our babies worth it?  The science is there and needs to be acknowledged.

Surely, we are all going to be exposed to toxins on some level no matter what we do. However, I hope you will join me in an effort to detoxify, at the least, our homes.  I am but one person making a change in my own home.  I have purged my home of toxic chemical cleaners and replaced them with nontoxic, safe cleaners that do an outstanding job!  At least I can take comfort in knowing I’m doing something to lessen my family’s risks.  There is much more to be done though.  Much, much more.