If only the bugs at the park had Miss Spider’s sense of decorum, we’d have a perfect summer evening. Since we’re not in Sunny Patch, we’ve put together a list of the best the drug store has to offer. Grab one of these and tell Lyme disease and the West Nile virus to buzz off. — Jeanne Sager
Babble Best: OFF!® FamilyCare Insect Repellent III Tropical Fresh - $5.54
From the makers of the noxious-smelling Deep Woods OFF! you wore as a kid, this tropical scented version convinced our little reviewer she was wearing perfume, and the bugs steered clear for an evening at the playground. OFF’s FamilyCare line falls on the lower end of the products on the market that still incorporate DEET into their make-up, with just five percent in the mix. DEET’s still the most effective deterrent for bugs carrying West Nile and Lyme, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), but it should be used sparingly. The best news: OFF! FamilyCare can be sprayed on their clothes instead of their skin.
Get it from Amazon.
Insect Repellents : Runners-up
Bug Bam! Insect Repellant Wristband - $3.99
Our little testers were waving their arms and stomping their feet while sporting these fancy red bracelets and anklets. A major benefit of the Bug Bam! bands are that they’re reusable for up to one hundred hours if they’re slipped back into the accompanying plastic pouch at the end of the night. And there’s certainly no “bug spray” smell. These are DEET free, with five percent citronella oil, five percent geranium oil and five percent lemongrass oil. The imprint around the band reads, "Because Mosquitoes Suck." They won’t with these in place.
Get it from Bug Bam!
Avon SKIN SO SOFT BUG GUARD Plus PICARIDIN Aerosol Spray - $12
A new line of Avon Bug Guard products that incorporate sun block has overshadowed this die-hard. But the Centers for Disease Control and AAP advise against a combined sun and bug blocker, so we convinced our Avon lady to bring us the original bug guard. We weren’t disappointed. Used by gardeners for decades, the DEET-free Skin-So-Soft has undergone a makeover and come out smelling all the better. And the aerosol can works upside down – perfect for spraying squirming toddlers!
Get it from Amazon.
Bite Blocker® 4oz Herbal Lotion - $8.50
For moms who want to keep things natural, we recommend the bug-fighting power of soybean, coconut and geranium oils in this organic lotion. The lotion form of Bite Blocker was easier to apply than some of the sprays, but the coolness of the lotion takes some getting used to. This one doesn’t last nearly as long as some of the other products, so frequent applications are advisable.
Get it from Bite Blocker.
Repel - Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent (4oz Spray Bottle) - $7.50
This spray is only for kids three and up, but it's still good to stock in the family’s medicine cabinet. Why? It works. The bugs on the playground steered cleared for the night. What’s more, it doesn’t destroy your clothing, smells like a fresh squeezed lemon and is ranked right up there with DEET and Picaridin by the Centers for Disease Control for its bug-fighting abilities.
Get it from REI.