When it comes to fending off insects, most of America reaches for DEET, a chemical invented by the U.S. Army in 1946 to keep bugs away from soldiers.

Now it's DEET that's causing concern. The chemical can migrate into the body and create problems. Some highly sensitive individuals have suffered seizures linked to DEET exposure, and a 2001 study at the Duke University Medical Center found that the chemical can cause brain cell death and behavioral changes in rats after frequent and prolonged use. DEET has also been known to trigger asthma attacks.

Below are some safer strategies that will let you enjoy summer nights without the constant "slap-slap" of fighting away insects.

Avoiding the insects

• Wear long-sleeved clothes, socks and long pants when out in the woods. Loose fitting clothing keeps you cooler, and makes you less of a target for heat-seeking bugs.
• If you are enjoying the outdoors at a table or in a recliner, wear colors that blend in with your background. Mosquitoes find their prey partly through contrasting colors and movement. Camouflage yourself to confuse them.
• If you'll be moving around, choose light-colored clothing, which is harder for mosquitoes to see.
• Set up mosquito netting, especially for sleeping.
• Don't use perfumes, colognes, and other fragrant products. The scent attracts biting bugs.
• Go light on bananas, peanuts and chocolate. They cause your body to secrete the serotonin-laden scents that can attract mosquitoes.
• Minimize outdoor activities at dusk and dawn when biting insects are most active.
• Avoid standing water, ponds, and stagnant pools where mosquitoes breed. Remove any standing water near your home and get rid of anything that collects it.
• Don't use bug zappers, which indiscriminately kill beneficial insects and aren't all that effective against mosquitoes.
• To stop ticks, wear long pants and tuck them into your socks to seal off the path to your skin. Avoid long grass and underbrush, and do a full body check after you've been outdoors.

Repelling the Insects—Naturally

• Rub on some soybean oil, which has been found to protect against mosquitoes for an average of 94 minutes. Or look for repellents that contain the oil.
• Natural oil of lemon eucalyptus protects as well as lower concentrations of DEET. Note, however, that this ingredient has not been tested in children under 3 years old and experts do not advise using it on the very young.
• Citronella oil is also effective, but only for a period of about 20 minutes.
• Remember: natural repellents need to be reapplied more frequently than DEET-based formulas. Your mileage may vary!

If you choose to use DEET, keep these precautions in mind

• Never use DEET on children under 2 years old.
• Use only a 10% or lower solution of DEET on children over the age of two. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends limiting children's DEET applications to just one per day. Don't apply DEET to kids' hands because this can increase the risk of ingestion.
• Adults should use products containing 30% DEET or less. Higher concentrations do not increase effectiveness.
• Don't apply DEET repellants to open wounds
• Wash off DEET as soon as are finished with your outdoor activities.
• Don't use repellents containing permethrins or pyrethrins. These chemicals can enhance the toxic effects of DEET and are hazardous on their own. Clothing treated to repel insects is usually coated with permethrins.
• A new repellent called picaridin is now beginning to appear in American products. Precaution is advised until more about the safety of this new alternative is known.