Buzzoff the Bugs in the Summertime

By Barbara Day

One thing I hate about summer is the bugs - mosquitoes, ticks, flies, chiggers and ants - well, you get my point. In fact, if you like to spend time outdoors, bugs can be a real nuisance and, in some cases, a health hazard. Two summer-time diseases, West Nile Virus (carried by mosquitoes) and Lyme Disease (carried by ticks) can actually be life threatening.

To help protect you and your family from these hazardous insects two new lines of clothing have been developed. There is a tight-netting type of clothing manufactured by Buzzoff® Outdoor Wear and clothing called Buzz Off that contains an insect repellent.

BUZZOFF® OUTDOOR WEAR - A LABOR OF LOVE

Mary Fiorini Baltes, a single mother of two, whose youngest son, Jonas, was born allergic to mosquito bites created BuzzOff® Outdoor Wear in 1992. When he was an infant, Mary covered his stroller and playpen with mosquito netting, but when he grew into a toddler and began romping around, protecting him from biting insects became problematic. Her choices boiled down to using toxic bug sprays or creating an entirely new alternative to protection from biting insects. Thus, BuzzOff Outdoor Wear was born. Lightweight and comfortable, BuzzOff Outdoor Wear is distributed all over the world, worn by federal, state and local officials and considered to be the best alternative to insect protection. Even NASA wears BuzzOff when walking the shuttle out to the launch pad and at night time when unloading the pay-loaders.

Because the nylon no-see-um netting material is very tightly woven BuzzOff clothing protects from mosquitoes, ticks (even in the nymph stage), biting flies, gnats, chiggers, no-see-ums, spiders, etc. The clothing line has been shown to be up to 95 percent effective. In addition, it offers 63 percent UV and 62 percent UAB protections. The clothing washes and packs easily.

Unlike the clothes that have had insect repellent added to them, washing does not affect the protective ability. You can use BuzzOff while fishing, camping, hunting, backpacking, golfing and gardening, on the lake or in the backyard - even at the ball game.

The entire line of BuzzOff products is made with U.S. raw goods; all components are cut and sewn in the U.S. and backed by a 100 percent guarantee from manufacturer's defects. BuzzOff Outdoor Wear is flame retardant, and all the seams are finished, flushed and sewn on a five-thread surger.

BuzzOff Outdoor Wear's clothing line includes: a bug shirt for $29.95, an ultimate jacket with hood for $59.95 (most popular), pants for $19.95, socks for $9.95 (which can be worn over your regular socks), and a pop up hat and head net for $14.95. In addition, Buzzoff has a line of children's suits, a cot cover, and a stroller cover. All clothing is available in olive drab or white. For more information on where to find BuzzOff products, call 800-640-3529, email mary@buzzoffoutdoorwear.com or visit www.buzzoffoutdoorwear.com.

INSECT-REPELLENT CLOTHING

Insect-repellent clothing is another way to protect you and your family from insects. Orvis (www.orvis.com) and REI (www.rei.com) both offer lines of insect repellent clothing. Orvis' clothing is called Buzz Off T and REI's line is Ex Officio Buzz OffT. Each company has shirts, pants, and socks. The Orvis line sells for $69 for shirts, pants for $89 - $139, and socks for $45. They also carry a kid's line. The REI line sells for $69 - $84 for shirts, pants for $79 and socks for $18. Each of the clothing lines utilizes the insect repellent, BUZZ OFFT, which has been approved by EPA to repel insects.

Both companies claim that the repellent stays on the clothing through 25 washings. All garments need to be washed separately as the tiny insect repellent fibers do tend to come off in the wash.

INSECT REPELLENT

Insect repellent is another option for protection. DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) containing products are recommended to help protect against insects. Products containing 23.8 percent DEET will provide an average of five hours protection; 20 percent DEET - four hours protection; 6.65 percent DEET - two hours of protection and 4.75 percent DEET and 2 percent soybean oil were able to provide 1 1/2 hours of protection.

Recently, a number of insect repellent/sunscreen products have been developed. However, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) does not recommend these products because sunscreen requires frequent reapplication whereas DEET does not.

GETTING THE BIONIC EDGE ON GARDENING

I have to admit I am not known as the gardening guru in my family. In fact, when I am outdoors, I am generally running, walking or cycling, but I do occasionally get into my flower gardens to weed - a chore I really dislike. Because I have arthritis sometimes my fingers and hands don't want to cooperate and tend to be stiff and painful - so pulling weeds can be uncomfortable. But recently, a Bionic Gardening Glove has found it's way into my home.

The Bionic Gardening Glove was designed and manufactured right here in Louisville at Hillerich & Bradsby Co. Renowned orthopedic hand surgeon Dr. Jim Kleinert designed the Bionic Glove. I put the gloves to a test when I was tasked with ridding my flower gardens of some unwanted weeds over the Memorial Day weekend. Using the Bionic Glove has certainly made my weed-pulling job a lot easier because it offers me a better grip on those darn weeds; plus with patented anatomic relief pads at potential pressure points on the thumb, fingers and palm areas - the grabbing and pulling motion are much easier. I was so impressed with my gloves, that I got my husband a pair.

The form-fitted Velcro closure on the gloves provides additional wrist support and keeps the gloves very snug so dirt and debris are not able to penetrate. The pads are strategically located to help reduce fatigue, vibration, blisters and calluses. The sheepskin gloves are so soft you don't want to take them off. The sleek design makes items easier to pick up because they provide more flexibility than typical gardening gloves. Bionic gloves can be hand- or machine-washed and air-dried to enhance durability.

The gloves, which were garden-tested by more than 65 Kentuckiana gardeners, have been granted the Arthritis Foundation's Ease-of-Use Commendation because users who tested the gloves reported they could perform tasks better and with less pain while wearing the gloves as compared to doing the same tasks barehanded. (I actually have also used the gloves to open tight lids!).

There are three types of Bionic gloves on the market: Bionic Garden Gloves, Bionic Extended-Wear Gloves and Bionic Pro Work Gloves. Each pair is $45 and comes in a variety of sizes.

They are available at www.bionicgloves.com or by calling 1-800-282-2287. You can also find the gloves in Indiana at Grantline Nursery, New Albany , IN ; Walnut Ridge,  Jeffersonville , IN ; Sounds of Water, Sellersburg , IN. Or in Louisville at Digs, St. Matthews Feed Seed, Plant Kingdom, Frank Otte Nursery, Wallitsch Nursery, Chenoweth Chicks, Boone Gardener, Kitty's Produce and Bunton Seed Company.

Barbara Day, M.S., R.D., C.N., is the publisher and nutrition editor of KHF and a runner, cyclist and hiker.