There is a variety of mosquito repellents on the market. There are repellents that clear specific areas of mosquitoes. There are also those in spray or liquid form that can be applied directly to the body. These repellents generally consist of inactive ingredients that work as a vehicle for active ingredients that do the repelling.
Conventional Repellents
Conventional ingredients used to repel mosquitoes include Picaridin and DEET.
DEET is the active ingredient found in many insect repellents. It is available in liquid, spray and lotion form. It can also be impregnated into plastics. While DEET has come under suspicion as being potentially hazardous, the Environmental Protection Agency considers DEET safe for short-term exposure. DEET has a distinctive odor that some find objectionable and, on application, may leave skin feeling greasy. It can also stain and damage certain fabrics.
Picaridin has been used as an effective alternative to DEET. It is a colorless, nearly odorless nontoxic liquid. Products generally contain between 5 to 20 percent Picaridin.
Biopesticide Repellents
Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus and p-Mentane-3,8-diol are used as mosquito repellents. Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus is the extract of the plant, Eucalyptus cittriodora. p-Mentane-3,8-diol is the synthesized equivalent. Both are available in spray or lotion form. These repellents provide similar protection to that of DEET.
Methyl nonyl ketone is an oily liquid extracted from oil of rue. Originally used as a repellent for pets, it is also available for human application. It also has a distinctive odor.
IR3535 is another repellent that is applied to skin to protect against biting insects including mosquitoes. Used in Europe for over 20 years and in the United States since 1999, this repellent is considered safe and effective.
Oil of Citronella is derived from Citronella grass. It has a distinctive citrusy odor. It works primarily by masking the carbon dioxide and other chemicals given off by humans that mosquitos target. The repellent is available in candles that are burned to release to oil in the air and in topical products.
Geraniol, a substance also found in citronella,as well as lemongrass and rose oil has been identified as a potential mosquito repellent. In the 1990's, research from the University of Florida identified Geraniol as an effective replacement for DEET.
Area Repellents and Repellents for Clothing
Permethrin is both a mosquito repellent and insecticide. Permethrin-based products can be applied to clothing, bed nets and camping equipment. It is a persistent repellent. Pretreated clothing, tents, sleeping bags and other gear impregnated with Permethrin continue to repel effectively, even after repeated washings.
Allethrin is used to treat outdoor areas to control mosquitoes. The product vaporizes when heated. Allethrin is found in mosquito coils, mats, candles and lanterns. It is also used as an ultra low volume spray for commercial mosquito control.
Metofluthrin is another outdoor area-wide mosquito repellent formulated in paper or plastic strip devices that are hung up within an area to treat it. This product vaporizes readily and does not require heating. Recently, this product has been used in small fan-operated personal repellent devices placed nearby for protection.
Natural Repellents
A wide variety of natural products are available that may provide relief from mosquitoes. These include essential oils from lemongrass, peppermint, geranium, castor, cinnamon, rosemary, cedar, juniper, soybean, coconut or palmarosa. These can be combined with denatured alcohol in various combinations to produce a repellent that can be applied to the skin.
Warnings
Test skin prior to applying any repellent for potential allergic reactions. Prior to use, place a small sample of the product on the skin and wait for several hours to observe for redness or irritation.
Also, the effect of any repellent that is applied to the skin is diminished by sweat, exposure to water, evaporation and skin absorption. Re-application may be necessary.
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