InsectRepellent.org

Insect Repellents

Humans have always been plagued by biting and stinging insects. Some insects will bite or sting for protection and some feed or lay eggs on or under the skin of humans. Throughout the past century, scientists have been developing and testing repellents to protect humans not only from the annoying, painful and sometimes harmful bites and stings, but also from the potentially fatal diseases that can be transferred from an insect to a human.

Insect Repellents can be used for many different insects and many different activities. You should have repellent handy when you are hiking, fishing, hunting, camping, trail biking, at the river or some beaches, in the forest, on nature trails etc. Most commonly, repellents are used to repel flies and mosquitoes, which bite or suck blood. Mosquitoes and some flies can carry and transmit diseases such as West Nile Encephalitis, Malaria, Yellow Fever and Dengue Fever. Mosquitoes are found virtually everywhere in the world and one encounters them anywhere there are areas of standing water or flood areas.

Repellents are also used for ticks, which also feed off blood by burying themselves under the skin’s surface. Ticks live in trees and on grasses and wait for a host to feed from. People who do a lot of hiking, camping, or working in forest areas are the most susceptible to a tick. Some diseases carried and transmitted by ticks are Lyme’s Disease, Rickettsioses, Rocky Mountain Fever and tick-borne Meningoencephalitis. Repellents that are used for both mosquitoes and ticks usually work twice as long for mosquitoes. Gnats, contrary to popular belief, are not a specific insect, but rather a colloquial term for small biting insects. Repellents that work for gnats work for most biting insects including black flies, biting midges, crane flies etc.

Chemical Repellents

It is no wonder that, considering all of the above mentioned diseases, humans have worked for decades searching for a way to repel these insects. In 1946, a chemical called DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) was developed by the US Army and released for civilian use in 1957. DEET confuses the receptors of most biting insects, rendering them virtually ‘blind’ and thus much less likely to bite. 100% concentration of DEET can help repel some insects for up to 12 hours.

The problem with DEET, as is the case with many chemical agents, is that it has some undesirable effects on humans, animals and environments. For example, DEET is not recommended for infants under 3 years old - a preliminary warning sign that DEET may be harmful. Also, manufacturers of repellents that use DEET as their active ingredient advise that DEET should not be used under clothing, on any wounds, and should be washed off after it is no longer needed. Some hospital-based studies have linked DEET to increased risk of testicular cancer. DEET can also damage certain fabrics such as rayon, spandex, plastics, leather and some synthetic fabrics. DEET is a pesticide and should not be used around water sources. Heavy DEET treatment has had slight toxic effects on coldwater fish like tilapia and trout.

Permethrin is another chemical used for repellent purposes. Permethrin is a neurotoxin and cannot be used directly on the skin. It is primarily used on the outer clothing of an individual protecting themselves from gnats, mosquitoes and other biting insects. Permethrin kills ticks on contact, and usually deters other biting insects from coming within a 1 foot radius of the clothes treated. Permethrin also kills head lice, scabies, mites etc. Permethrin is a neurotoxin and cannot be used directly on the skin. The US EPA has classified it as a Category C Carcinogen. Besides humans, Permethrin is also very toxic to other ‘helpful’ insects such as bees and ants, and is extremely toxic to fish. Using Permethrin around any water source is a danger to the aquatic environment.

Natural Repellents

Considering the above risks of DEET and Permethrin as repellents or pesticides, many people are looking toward natural repellents. In fact, recent studies have shown that natural repellents can be just as effective as chemical repellents, with virtually no human or environmental side effects. Some natural substances that work for repelling insects are citronella, lemongrass, eucalyptus, soybean oil, garlic, camphor, lavender, peppermint, tea tree and achilliea alpine. Eucalyptus oil and Achillea Alpina both work well for repelling mosquitoes.

Guelph University recently conducted a study comparing a natural insect repellent (Buzz Away) to a DEET-based repellent. The results concluded that Buzz Away was equally as effective as the top chemical based repellents Off! and Skintastic. Natural repellents such as Buzz Away use the newest research to combine plant oils and different natural repellents into one product. Buzz Away is as effective as DEET repellents, according to various studies and has been shown to repel bugs for between 4 to 8 hours. The result is a repellent that not only works on an array of different insects but is completely safe any person, child or environment. Indeed, some of the ingredients are actually beneficial to the body!

Summary

It seems as we progress into the 21st century there is a massive trend pulling away from ‘chemicals, pills and synthetics’ and leaning back toward natural medicines, treatments, clothing, products and the like. Because consumers are demanding more and more natural products, more research is being funded on natural solutions. The result with repellents is clear - we have found natural, safe ingredients that can protect against insect bites just as effectively as harmful synthetic chemicals.

For more information see Buzz Away

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