|
|
Article: Insect repellants: use extreme caution.
- Article from:
- Nutrition Health Review
- Article date:
- March 22, 1989
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1989 Vegetus Publications. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Insect Repellents: Use Extreme Caution
Insect repellents have been widely used for many years. In the early 1900s, people applied oily preparations containing turpentine, cedarwood, eucalyptus, or wintergreen to their skin. After World War II, these products were demonstrated to be useless. Since then, more than 15,000 compounds have been tested, but only a few have been found effective and safe enough to apply to the skin.
The ideal insect repellent should have a pleasant odor, protect for several hours, and be effective against a wide variety of insects. Repellents do not kill insects, but rather keep certain species away from the treated areas. Most ...