Maybe it's your genes Steve - my parent could walk along the beach & Mum would get bitten & the mozzies ignored Dad.

I'm not often walking around beaches or in mosquito territory, but have been with folks who got bitten at a BBQ, & I don't, so maybe I have more of Dad's genes than Mum's.

I hadn't heard of 50% DEET, so looked it up - N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide, also called DEET (/di?t/) or diethyltoluamide, is the most common active ingredient in insect repellents. It is a slightly yellow oil intended to be applied to the skin or to clothing and provides protection against mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, chiggers, leeches and many biting insects.

Now, recent review of DEET's effects on human health has found the insect repellent is safe to use on the skin. The review is one of several that researchers have done over the past 20 years, all finding that DEET is generally safe. In fact, there's no direct evidence using DEET normally harms the nervous system. Jun 4, 2014

I hope the cooler weather i s kind to you, Steve.

I think I'll stick to avoiding outside activities in mosquito season!

sandra (not a typical beach-dwelling Australian)