In case you’ve missed the excessive heat warnings, it’s officially summer. For many, summer means more outdoor time. But summer in the Ozarks also means one more thing – bugs.
When venturing outdoors, you’ll need a good bug repellant. But there are literally thousands on the market from natural remedies to scientific solutions. Which are good, which are bunk and what do you really need to know when selecting one for your family?
Dr. Kip Thompson has spent decades in public health, previously for the United States military and most recently as a professor at Missouri State University.
He’s going to break it down — the good, the bad and the ugly of bug spray.
“It’s a balance between how much protection do I need for how long,” he said. “Deet has been around a long time. From a health standpoint, as long as it’s used correctly, there’s no evidence like over and over and over with research of any negative health outcomes.
“It can be used incorrectly and that can lead to health problems for sure," he said.
Natural versus synthetic is often a big choice for one group in particular — parents.
“I know a lot of people worry about it with children, and they’re recommended none of them should be put onto children less than two months old,” he said. “For children, my recommendation would be minimize the area that's available for the insects to bite.”
Read Thompson’s full breakdown and recommendations in this episode’s transcript.
