West Nile know-how

NORTHERN BUGWEAR
Don't forget that your pets need bug protection too. According to the Canadian Animal Health Institute, all animals risk being infected with West Nile virus. DEET-based products are not safe to use on animals, as they may be ingested. So Maximum Bob is modelling a suit made from netting and hemp, while Deanna (our associate editor and Bob's “mom”) is showing off the human version, a jacket (with the hood unzipped) and pants (SHOWN). The cuffs and sleeves have Velcro closures for extra protection. The dog version is available in extra small to extra large sizes; make sure you check your dog's dimensions before ordering. Northern Bugwear also carries a line of colourful outfits for children.

TROPICAL TOPICAL
Extracted from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica), which is native to India, neem oil is used as a topically applied insect repellent and pesticide. Because it's not registered with Health Canada for this purpose, retailers such as Veseys Seeds, for example, can only advertise it as having “many different agricultural applications.” According to Veseys' horticulturist Lois McDonald-Layden, the company started carrying neem oil because of customer demand. It's said to be very effective against lily leaf beetle, as well as other insects. “Despite not being able to say much about it, neem oil sells very well,” says McDonald-Layden. As for its safety for humans, it's been used in everything from toothpaste to scalp stimulators in India with no known adverse effects and is registered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for use as an insecticide.

POND PROTECTION
A larvacide for use in ponds, rain barrels and other enclosed bodies of water, Aquabac's active ingredient is Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, or Bti, a naturally occurring bacterium used as an insecticide by organic gardeners. Aquabac kills mosquito larvae within 24 hours of application and should be applied beginning in early spring. Larvae can only survive in stagnant water, says Sandy Mitchell, co-owner of Natural Insect Control, a company that sells environmentally friendly pest insect controls in Stevensville, Ontario. “[The larvae] have a proboscis they stick above the surface to get air, and they can't do that if the surface is moving.” It takes them just five days to hatch in warm weather, and even ponds with a fountain or waterfall can have pockets of still water around their edges. Swimming pool covers and low-lying areas should also be checked regularly for standing water.