Don't let insects compromise your safety
There has been much discussion about the use of DEET insect repellent because of concern about West Nile Virus. DEET (chemical name, N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide) is the active ingredient in many insect repellent products. It is used to repel biting pests such as mosquitoes and ticks. Products containing DEET currently are available to the public in a variety of liquids, lotions, sprays, and impregnated materials (e.g., wristbands). DEET is designed for direct application to human skin to repel insects, rather than kill them.
DEET is the active ingredient in the most successful & popular insect repellents and is HIGHLY flammable, especially in concentrated form. Products such as Deep Woods Off contain about 26% DEET, which is the most you can buy over the counter. However, 100% DEET spray is available on the internet.
The best advice is to spray any insect repellent ONLY on skin and never on clothes. There is a significant risk that clothing sprayed with DEET could ignite and continue to burn if exposed to an ignition hazard. In this scenario the DEET is serving as a fuel source.