Cutter's Advanced/DEET/Cactus Juice

[Qnape]

My daughter and I got back from a week in Utila a few days ago. We used 23% deet sparingly in the evenings and generally nothing during the day before and after diving. Some of the folks with us at Utopia Dive Village were more affected by the sand flies than others and we donated our second bottle of Deet to some continuing on to the mainland for some rafting. Some there did use the cactus juice but reported only fair results.

Between us only I got a single mosquito bite during the trip. The sand flies got to us from time to time (when the breeze died, of course), despite application of the deet. but oddly the bites bothered me and became visible only after I returned to NJ. Nothing extreme but for two days the ich did force me to use sunburn gel a few times to get relief.

The folks we met living and working there used baby oil exclusively for the sand flies. It does nothing for mosquitos, but the flies basically drown in the oil as they are so small. This seemed to do the trick for them quite nicely and if we return to the area we will try the baby oil. Yuck, but not harmful like deet. We will still bring the deet for time inland, like waiting on the airstrip where you could literally observe circling squadrons of mosquitos above travelers heads!

 

[ktownhero]

The folks we met living and working there used baby oil exclusively for the sand flies. It does nothing for mosquitos, but the flies basically drown in the oil as they are so small. This seemed to do the trick for them quite nicely and if we return to the area we will try the baby oil. Yuck, but not harmful like deet. We will still bring the deet for time inland, like waiting on the airstrip where you could literally observe circling squadrons of mosquitos above travelers heads!

I'm bringing Skin So Soft oil with me, do you think that would function in the same capacity?

 

[robint]

I'm bringing Skin So Soft oil with me, do you think that would function in the same capacity?

some people say yes, others say no. The big thing to remember is whatever you use APPLY IT EARLY & OFTEN. Don't put it on once then think it will last all day, it won't. Nothing lasts all day.
We used the Cactus Juice and applied it every few hours or after rinsing off after diving (we were told that the sand fleas love salty skin). It worked for us.
Take some DEET for mosquitos at night, around sunset anywhere in tropics they come out!

 

[tridacna]

I'm bringing Skin So Soft oil with me, do you think that would function in the same capacity?

Consumer Reports did a review of that. It acts as a mosquito/no see um magnet. You're better off just slicing your skin with a dive knife and offering blood to the insects.

Only Picaridin and DEET have the ability to disguise the odor of your skin and prevent bites. All else is basically witches brew with little if no scientific backup.

 

[bluedog67]

I just bought some Picaridin based cutters as a deet-free option for pre-diving. I thought it wouldn't be as harmful to reef, fish and my wet suit. Anyone know if this is true?

Anyone know about aerosol cans on checked bags for SOSA flights? Have 10% DEET in pump, but couldn't find anything else stronger except aerosol.

 

[John_B]

Cutters may or may not be harmful to reef, fish or your wet suit, I don't think it's been determined yet. But DEET definitely is bad for all of the above. Given the choices, go with Cutters (its very effective and is available in a pump spray in 1 oz and 6 oz sizes).

 

[RTBDiver]

John,
Can you point me to any studies done about deet harming the reef. I have seen and heard all about how harmfull it is to the reef but have not been able to find any scientific results. I would love to be able to point people to this information when they ask about it. Thanks

 

[tridacna]

John,
Can you point me to any studies done about deet harming the reef. I have seen and heard all about how harmfull it is to the reef but have not been able to find any scientific results. I would love to be able to point people to this information when they ask about it. Thanks

Partridge, M.S., R.D. Gardner and D.A. Rutz. 1994. Non-agricultural Pesticide Use in the Wallkill/Rondout Watershed Region of New York State for 1991. March, 1994

New York State Department of Health. 1991. Background information on Deet. May 20, 1991.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1980. Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances. N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (Deet) Pesticide Registration Standard. December, 1980. 83 pp.

Ambrose, A.M., D.K. Huffman and R.T. Salamone. 1959. Pharmacologic and toxicologic studies in N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 1:97- 115.

The Agrochemicals Handbook. 1983. The Royal Society of Chemistry. The University, Nottingham, England.

Many more.

 

[RTBDiver]

Partridge, M.S., R.D. Gardner and D.A. Rutz. 1994. Non-agricultural Pesticide Use in the Wallkill/Rondout Watershed Region of New York State for 1991. March, 1994

New York State Department of Health. 1991. Background information on Deet. May 20, 1991.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. 1980. Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances. N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide (Deet) Pesticide Registration Standard. December, 1980. 83 pp.

Ambrose, A.M., D.K. Huffman and R.T. Salamone. 1959. Pharmacologic and toxicologic studies in N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol., 1:97- 115.

The Agrochemicals Handbook. 1983. The Royal Society of Chemistry. The University, Nottingham, England.

Many more.

So Basically
Deet, in concentrations much higher than its registered use have been shown to have slight toxicity to some cold, freshwater fish species but when used as registered DEET not likely to adversely affect terrestrial wildlife or aquatic organisms.
I know that stats can be twisted in a multidude of ways and of course deet is certainly not healthy for the environment but has there been any substantiated studies directly relating to deet and the ocean environment? It seems most of the bad press comes from manufacturers, suppliers and distributers of non deet products. Many of which do not label themselves as an insect repellant in order to avoid having to be tested and epa approved. They call themselved skin care products.
Deet is by far the most tested and studied of all repellants and is still approved for use by the EPA and their equivalent agencies in Europe and Canada. The biggest thing is to use as directed.
Just one legit study relating to DEET refencing its effects on the reef would be greatly appreciated.

 

[tridacna]

Just one legit study relating to DEET refencing its effects on the reef would be greatly appreciated.

I'm with you. I doubt that anyone beside the snake oil sales people (Avon, Cactus Juice, etc.) wants to or is prepared to do one. There isjust no reason to do so. There is a page dedicated to DEET myths online. I think that DEET harming the reef is just another one. Can it harm the environment? Yes. But in the concentrations resulting from human wash off residue? No way.

I have read that Icaridin 7% is almost as useless as Skin So Soft.