Consumer
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The search for the perfect and safe insect repellent has been going on for a long time. DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) has long been used as a mosquito repellent. As kids and adults we used products that contain DEET like OFF or put up with mosquito bites. Recently in the United States the use of mosquito repellent has become more important with the discovery of the West Nile virus in the US.
There is an ongoing debate if DEET is safe or not. You can read articles that say DEET is very safe, but then you take a look at another article that says it is not safe. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) in the United States says that insect repellents containing DEET do not present a health concern. Human exposure is expected to be brief. Long-term exposure is not expected. They don’t say what they believe brief is and they don’t seem to take into account that DEET like any chemical will be absorbed into the body through the skin. That appears to be the major concern with DEET. The studies don’t take the absorption through the skin into the body as a concern.
Another new chemical for mosquito repellent is called Picaridin, also known as Bayrepel, which according to the CDC is as effective as DEET and others say that it isn’t. Natrapel® from Tender Corporation is a DEET-free mosquito and tick repellent with Picaridin.
A good natural mosquito repellent is oil of lemon eucalyptus. Along with DEET and Picaridin, the CDC recommends oil of lemon eucalyptus as effective protection against mosquitoes that carry the West Nile virus. A product called Repel® Lemon Eucalyptus says it is effective for up to six hours against mosquitoes and deer ticks. According to Consumer Reports August 2005 tests, Repel® Lemon Eucalyptus was the highest scoring of the botanical mosquito repellents they tested.
Soybean oil has been found to deter mosquito bites as well as 15 percent DEET does. One study showed protection from mosquito bites up to 7 hours and another study showed protection of only one and one-half hours.
The company Homs LLC makes a soybean-based mosquito and black fly repellent called Bite Blocker™, which they say is 97% effective for 4-8 hours.
Citronella has long been used in candles for outdoor patios as a way to keep mosquitoes away. As a repellent that you can put on your skin, there are mixed results. Several companies have products for use as a mosquito repellent. A company called Quantum has a product called Buzz Away™ that you spray on yourself. The company says it will keep bugs away for hours. It is all natural and of course DEET free, made from the oils of cedar wood, citronella, peppermint, eucalyptus and lemongrass.
Some people report skin allergies and it does cause eye irritation. Other studies have found possibly more severe side effects with citronella including liver and stomach tumors and genetic damage1.
The University of Florida identified geraniol as the first alternative to DEET in the late 1990s. USDA research found that geraniol based repellents protect against mosquito bites from two to four hours. The EPA found that it could cause moderate eye and skin irritation. The company EES, Inc. has a product called BugBand, which you can spray on, wipe on or use the wristband version you can wear.
According to the Journal of Entomology, a natural compound found in the Tauroniro tree (Humiria balsamifera) of South America has been found to deter the biting of mosquitoes and ticks. In laboratory tests, the US Agriculture Service has found the compound known as isolongifolenone deters the biting of mosquitoes and ticks more effectively than DEET does 2.
Isolongifolenone has been used safely as fragrances in cosmetics and deodorants and with new processing methods it could soon become as cheap to make as DEET currently is.
With any of these products always read the warning labels.
Note: Do not confuse DEET with DDT, as they are different.
© 2009 Sam Montana
Resources
Consumer Reports
Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides (NCAP)
1 http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/rtecs/ge8583b0.html
I would use the Repel Lemon Eucalyptus from now on since it is all-natural and it did very well in test against DEET and Picaridin. The past couple of years I have used Cutter. The selling point was it is DEET free. Though I never stopped to think what it had instead, which is Picaridin. I never liked the feel or smell of any of that stuff on me and I rarely used anything until West Nile virus got here. Some people like Avon’s “skin so soft” mosquito repellent, it has coumarin. It works for an hour and then you can reapply it. Coumarin has been used in perfumes for a long time and is the precursor to anticoagulants like Warfarin. I am very interested in what they come up with concerning the recent research on plants from the rain forest. I called one health food store (Sunflower Markets) and the only repellent they carry is the BugBand. I searched the Whole Foods web site and they dont list anything. I will try and call them.
Sam, You beat me to this one. I was just thinking of doing an article on natural mostquito repelents to couple with my blueberry picking article http://factoidz.com/blueberry-picking-inexpensive-outdoor-family-fun/ Another alternative while not exactly all natural is any kind of mouthwash. While I have not tried it yet I have heard it works great. I live in south Carolina where the mostquito is considered the state bird. I'm not the sure however that the mouthwash would work better than good ole halitosis:0
I have wondered why some people get bitten all over and others don’t get a bite while sitting around together and using the same repellent. Mosquito repellents work different on different people. I’ve though it could be their diet. Mouthwash could confuse the bugs, I’ve never heard of that one. Maybe the more garlic someone eats the less the bugs bite. I think I will eat more raw and cooked garlic this summer.
not so many mosquitoes but tons of bugs = can you purchase at health food stores or nurseries?