Catch the Latest Buzz…

June marks the official start of summer activities—fishing, camping, boating and mosquito slapping. With disease-carrying mosquitoes just itching to grab a bite to eat, they're no longer just a pest; they're a real threat. According to the Centers for Disease Control, the most effective repellents for protection against West Nile Virus and encephalitis-carrying mosquitoes are those that contain DEET. In a test conducted by The New England Journal of Medicine, non-DEET products offered little or no protection, while DEET-containing products provided full protection for several hours. DEET has a remarkable safety record after 40 years of use and remains the gold standard for protection from disease-carrying insects—it also protects from Lyme-disease carrying ticks and other pests. Watkins Insect Repellent Spray contains 23.75% DEET—the amount that provided the most protection in this study—just enough to keep insects from being a pain in the neck.