I would probably favor the 100% deet stuff also.

Consumer Reports says that deet is safe if used according to directions, but over the years, there have been scattered reports of severe neurological effects, most involving children. In areas affected by West Nile virus, the risk of adverse effects from deet, including minor skin reactions, is almost certainly much lower than the riesk of catching the potentially devestating disease.

Consumer Reports offers the following advice on the use of insect repellents:

* Don't use a stronger product than you need. If you're going out for an hour stroll in the evening, you don't ned a product that keeps mosquitoes away for 13 hours. And if two products give equivalent protection, choose the one with the lower deet concentration.

* Follow the application instructions on the product. Using more than the specified amount won't give you extra potection, but may increase your risk.

* Don't apply deet near eyes or mouth, or on broken skin. If using a spray, don't spray your face directly or breathe in the spray mist. Spray the product on your hands and then rub it on your face.

* Don't apply deet under clothing. This can hasten its absorption by the skin. Spray over your clothes, and be sure to wash them before wearing again to avoid spreading the chemical. Deet generally doesn't harm cotton, nylon, or wool, but it cam damage some synthetics such as acetate, rayone, and spandex, along with plastic eyeglasses and watch crystals.

* When you come back inside, wash the repellent off your skin.

* Take precautions with young children. Don't apply deet to infants under 2 months of age. Don't let a young child apply or handle the product, an d don't apply repellent on a child's hands. If uysinga spray, spray your own hands and then rub repellent on the child. The American Academy of Pediatrics currently says deet concentrations of up to 30 percent are safe for adults and for children over the age of 2 months.

Another repellent Consumer Reports tested contained permethrin, which kills bugs on contact, instead of just repelling them. These sprays are for use on clothing, not on skin, and can provide long-lasting protection when you're wearing long-sleeved shirts, long pants, and socks. They tested Repel Permanone, with 0.5 percent permethrin, which kept all mosquitoes from biting for 24 hours, and killed all ticks for two weeks. Consumer Reports says that other sprays with the same amount of permethrin should perform similarly. I don't know whether the permethrin sprays will stain or damage any fabrics or other materials, though. I assume that that info will be on the label.