Boston Globe: Will bug-repellent clothing protect you from being bitten?

Follow these tips to help you ward off mosquitoes and other insects safely and effectively.

Last summer, a colleague tried out a bug-repellent shirt on a five-day hike in the Cascade Mountain Range. While hiking , she didn’t notice bugs. But at the swampy lakes at the top, there were plenty. She was worried about mosquitoes and ticks — and was bitten by both. Now, she’s skeptical of the shirt’s effectiveness in severe conditions. “I’ll wear it again in a mild bug situation,” she says.

Her experience highlights a common issue with insect-repellent clothing: It’s more effective in certain circumstances and when used properly. “A lot of people do it the wrong way,” says Thomas Mather, director at the University of Rhode Island’s Center for Vector-Borne Disease and the TickEncounter Resource Center. “So they’re doing something, but they’re not getting the same level of protection” they would if the products were used correctly.

Read the full article by Cindy Govender on Boston Globe's website here.