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Subject: Re: Insects Posted on: 1 Dec 2003 17:07:53 GMT

"Gary Webster" wrote in message
news:oFoyb.31798$Wy4.12756@newsread2.news.atl.earthlink.net...

> My husband and I and another couple just got back
> from our 4th trip to Costa Rica, mainly beaches. We
> got eaten alive, the other couple hardly got any bites.
> We used the same repellant with DEETS. Why were
> we so tastey and what can we do to avoid this
> happening again.

It's deet, not deets.

Pedantry aside, maybe try a different repellent. The more deet the better.
Stuff like Deep Woods Off is crap: if I remember correctly, it's not even
50% deet. Go to a good camping store and you should be able to find an
insect repellent that comes in a little plastic squeeze bottle, maybe 50 mL
(~ 2 oz) at most but it's 90-95% deet. You can use a couple drops of that
stuff and be bug-free for hours.

Aside from repellent, other scents like soap, deodorant, shampoo, perfume or
cologne all attract insects. The best way to be bite-free is to smell of
body odour and deet. Not much of an issue when you're roughing it up in the
bush but not very ideal when you're trying for a nice week on the beach.
It's up to you to find a happy medium.

Richard