Aerosol Bug Repellent
Picnics, camping, and fires… Oh bugs?
As summer barrels around the corner, vacations, camping trips, and enjoying the beautiful outdoors comes with it.
Unfortunately, spending time outside and in heavily wooded areas means that bugs have a feast of human flesh to nibble on. Using an aerosol bug repellent is the best way to ward off unwanted bugs and to stay safe during the summer.
The Dangers of Bug Bites
Besides being annoying and painfully itchy, bug bites can transmit seriously fatal diseases to their victims. Ticks, mosquitoes, and large flies can carry diseases such as West Nile, Lyme disease, and various forms of encephalitis.
Although contracting these various diseases is rare, dealing with the repercussions of a bug bite is an uncomfortable hassle that no one wants to experience.
Correctly Using Aerosol Bug Sprays
Aerosol and spray insect repellent is a cost-effective and efficient form of protection from bugs, but there are several tips consumers should know before purchasing an aerosol bug repellent.
Knowing what you want to Repel
There is a big difference between going camping in Michigan and camping in Tennessee. The most important thing consumers should realize about bug repellents is that they repel different types of bugs.
Aerosol bug repellents that specifically eradicate mosquitoes are great to use when spending time in a park or in your back yard, but if your outdoor adventures take you to heavily wooded areas, it is important to have repellents that ward off ticks as well as mosquitoes. Make sure to read the labels to know which spray repels which bug as well as to know how often you should reapply your repellent.
Bug Spray is First!
Make sure that when you and your family head off to the pool or the beach to take a relaxing dip in the water, bug spray is applied before sunscreen. No matter if you’re using an aerosol spray or a cream, sunscreen needs to be re-applied more often than bug spray.
Also, although it may be convenient to purchase aerosol sunscreen and bug repellent combination products, they are less effective as sunscreen should be applied more frequently than bug spray. Applying bug spray as frequently as sunscreen can exceed the suggested limits of daily exposure to the contents in the bug spray. (For more information about what goes into bug spray, look at this diagram.)
Apply it Thoroughly
Most people who put on bug spray only covers a few areas of exposed skin. Although those areas will be covered, the areas that expose themselves when your clothes shift or were not exposed to the repellent will act as a beacon for bugs.
Make sure that when you apply your bug spray, you rub the product into your skin and then wash your hands to reduce the likelihood that you will rub the product into your eyes or ingest it through your mouth.
Stay Smart
Keeping yourself, your family, and friends safe from bugs and sun exposure requires constant vigilance and planning. Aerosol bug spray and sunscreen are great assets for vacations and spending time outdoors, but in order to truly enjoy your time outside, make sure to follow the guidelines mentioned above and read the product labels.
