I saw my first mosquito of the season last night. It was like the bugger could smell virgin baby flesh and was angling hungrily for a bite. Of course he made his appearance just as I was relishing the thought of dinners on the patio during the long and lovely summer evenings. But as carriers on the potentially fatal West Nile Virus, those buzzing pests not invited to dine at our table. The quandary is how to keep them away.

Though repellents containing the chemical DEET are generally held up as safe and highly effective (see this statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics), parents concerned about possible long-term health and environmental effects are turning to natural alternatives, of which there are many.

Dancing Willow Herbs, located on Main Avenue in downtown, carries a repellent called Bug Be Gone, which derives from catnip. It also contains aloe vera, witch hazel and essentials oils.

“It’s mild and you don’t need to use a lot,” said Alexis Mclean, who works at the store owned by Debra Swason.

She said it is safe for all ages. A 4-ounce bottle costs $15.50.

Nature’s Oasis just started carrying a new line of products for babies that includes an organic repellent.  Lafe’s Natural Bodycare, based in Austin, Texas, uses geranium, cedarwood, eucalyptus, lavender and almond oil in it’s spray, which is packaged in plastic “free of estrogenic activity,” according to the company’s Web site.  A 4-ounce bottle costs $10.99 (cheaper, I noticed, than you can order it online).

“It’s a really beautiful new line,” store manager Becky Most-Reinfeld said.

A repellent that Kelli Reese, general manager at Durango Natural Foods, recommended is by All-Terrain and contains citronella, peppermint, cedarwood and geranium. 

“I think it works great,” she said.

The store also carries Dancing Willow Herbs’ repellent.

Natural Grocers carries a product out of Boulder called WishGarden, which contains catnip oil. A 1-ounce bottle costs $7.99.

Other brands carried by natural food stores included Burt’s Bees, Kiss My Face and Jason’s.

Sprays and lotions aren’t the only way to combat mosquitoes. Using netting over child carriers, wearing long sleeves and pants, and getting rid of standing water where mosquitoes can breed will also help avoid itchy and potentially infectious bites. Thus protected, parents and children can take back the night.