Sleepy

[bobpbx]

I bought some of those 25% Deet wipes. Never used them before, but I'm wary about the mosquito situation now at my age. So, I used just one each for the last 3 plant surveys.

But even with one wipe, I was personally wiped out by 4 in the afternoon. I'd put the cell alarm on for a 15 minute nap, and when it came on I shut it off and kept sleeping for an hour. And when I woke up I was still tired. I started worrying about this situation, but then thought of the Deet. Now I know why I was so sleepy.

"Systemic reactionsThese occur when DEET is absorbed from the surface of the skin into the body. If this happens, DEET can affect the nervous system and may produce confusion, drowsiness (feeling tired), muscle weakness, muscle spasms, seizures and coma."

 

[bobpbx]

Great news! you'll soon be too distracted by your chemo-therapy treatments and attendant nausea, upset stomach, Fatigue (intense exhaustion), Hair loss: loss of hair on the scalp and other parts of the body, neuropathy (nerve damage that causes tingling, burning, weakness or numbness in the hands and or feet), diarrhea and or constipation to worry about the confusion and muscle weakness!

How Safe Is Deet? - Consumer Reports

Despite assurances that the chemical deet is safe, consumer concerns persist. Is there a reason to worry?

www.consumerreports.org

I'm about your age. I'm at a point where I avoid all chemicals. I even bake my own bread because Walmart's "bakery fresh bread" contains 25 chemical additives. Fortunately, I inherited a gene from my parents that makes me very un-tasty (is that a word? It is now!) to mosquitoes, gnats, and Green heads! All of my family without the gene migrated to the Ohio Country with Reverend Collins about 1806. I can spend a carefree mid-summer afternoon in a swamp or marsh entirely unmolested by these unpleasant creatures.

Best of luck!

Are you the same Gibby who was assembling all the data he could to publish something about the Giberson name? It was maybe 12 years ago.

 

[Boyd]

I never had a reaction to DEET (that I recall), but I just don't like the smell or feeling of it on my skin and don't use it.

 

[enormiss]

Interesting, I was dead tired early last night and slept a full 8hrs (unusual for me).
Spent yesterday afternoon & evening out back on patio with a generous application of OFF
I'll pay attention to see if it happens again

 

[bobpbx]

Interesting, I was dead tired early last night and slept a full 8hrs (unusual for me).
Spent yesterday afternoon & evening out back on patio with a generous application of OFF
I'll pay attention to see if it happens again

Actually, I did too sleep the night through when I used it.

 

[enormiss]

Maybe found a new sleep aid LoL

This was surprising to me
From the link above
"Research shows that the concentration of active ingredient [deet] has an impact on how long the compound lasts, not on how well it works."

 

[bobpbx]

Maybe found a new sleep aid LoL

This was surprising to me
From the link above
"Research shows that the concentration of active ingredient [deet] has an impact on how long the compound lasts, not on how well it works."

Yes, they did say they have not really figured out why it works. They only have theories.

 

[Boyd]

An old post from Sue about ticks and DEET, but seems related. But this was from 2008 so there may be more research since then...

DEET acts to basically cover up the chemical receptors in the bug that it uses to locate you. It makes you chemically invisible to ticks. it is not that ticks find it repulsive, but they don't notice you. If they do find you, they may not recognize you as a host, so you are likely to see ticks walking on you, but they are oblivious that you are the tasty treat they are looking for.

 

[bobpbx]

An old post from Sue about ticks and DEET, but seems related. But this was from 2008 so there may be more research since then...

"Cover up the chemical receptors"? Sounds dubious, we don't put it on the ticks, we use it on us. Maybe it's just how she worded it.

 

[Boyd]

I took "cover up" to mean "hide". In other words, the smell of DEET overwhelms their receptors so that they just smell it and not you. But if you want to challenge Sue's knowledge of insecticides... I know which side of that bet I'd take!

 

[Boyd]

Not so hard to imagine if you've been around here for awhile, discussion of bugs and how to keep them away has often been a "hot topic".

 

[Sue Gremlin]

I took "cover up" to mean "hide". In other words, the smell of DEET overwhelms their receptors so that they just smell it and not you. But if you want to challenge Sue's knowledge of insecticides... I know which side of that bet I'd take!

aw. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

Bob, your skepticism is valid!

The mode of action of DEET is, indeed, to block the chemical signal (lactic acid and carbon dioxide, mainly) that ticks use to locate hosts by engaging with tick receptors. As with other repellents, it's volatile so gets into the air where ticks can pick it up. Some ticks rely on these more than others, so efficacy varies depending on the ticks you're talking about. Other repellents actively work to make the ticks go "ewwww" when they smell it. DEET just makes them go "meh" when they smell it along with your chemical signals.

 

[bobpbx]

aw. Thanks for the vote of confidence!

Bob, your skepticism is valid!

The mode of action of DEET is, indeed, to block the chemical signal (lactic acid and carbon dioxide, mainly) that ticks use to locate hosts by engaging with tick receptors. As with other repellents, it's volatile so gets into the air where ticks can pick it up. Some ticks rely on these more than others, so efficacy varies depending on the ticks you're talking about. Other repellents actively work to make the ticks go "ewwww" when they smell it. DEET just makes them go "meh" when they smell it along with your chemical signals.

Sue, what about those electronic ones that people wear. Are they any good?

 

[Sue Gremlin]

Sue, what about those electronic ones that people wear. Are they any good?

Nope. There is absolutely nothing I've ever seen or read that shows any efficacy whatsoever.