Health
Mosquito repellent: what works and what doesn't
Consumer Reports and the Metropolitan Mosquito Control District have weighed in on which repellents and treatments actually work.
SAINT PAUL, Minn. — Mosquitoes can quickly ruin your day, but with so many ways to keep them away, what works and what doesn't?
Consumer Reports recently tested several repellents and treatments to keep mosquitoes away. The testing process began in the lab with a handful of brave volunteers.
“It's a really cool process,” says Kevin Loria of Consumer Reports.
“We put repellent on their arms, they wait 30 minutes and then they put their arms in a cage with 200 disease-free mosquitoes.”
The researchers count the number of mosquitoes that land on the subjects' arms and how many times they are bitten. After spending five minutes in the cage, the subjects place their arm in a second cage containing a different species of mosquito.
Loria said the team plans to repeat the process every hour until the repellent wears off. They also simulate sweating and physical activity by having the subjects walk around and do other physical activities.
“Sweat and water can affect repellents, so we wanted to take that into consideration,” Loria said.
The researchers tested different types and brands of mosquito repellents and found that the most effective repellents all contained one of three main ingredients.
“DEET, lemon eucalyptus oil, picaridin,” Loria says.
The Metropolitan Mosquito Control District (MMCD) agrees that all three provide excellent protection.
“One of my favorites is actually picaridin because it's just as effective as DEET but doesn't leave as much residue or odor,” said MMCD spokesperson Alex Carlson.
Carlson says lemon eucalyptus oil is a great natural option.
Consumer Reports tested several other natural repellents, and most of them only lasted an hour or less. Testing showed that the concentration of these active ingredients also makes a difference.
According to Consumer Reports, testing has found that higher concentrations of DEET don't provide greater protection: the optimal concentration range for DEET products is between 15% and 30%.
As for products containing picaridin, sprays with 10% and 20% concentrations were the most effective, according to Consumer Reports. Four products containing 30% oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) also performed well in tests, according to Consumer Reports.
Consumer Reports researchers also recently tested citronella candles, personal fans that purportedly ward off bugs, and bug bracelets, but the team said none of these alternatives performed well in their tests.
“What we find with these spatial-type products is that they often tend not to deliver what people really want,” Loria said.
Insect repellent stickers are also sold as an alternative to insect repellent spray.
Consumer Reports has not yet tested these products and therefore has no opinion on their effectiveness, however, Consumer Reports recently tested whether rotating fans are effective repellents for mosquitoes and found that the fans offered substantial protection.
“Mosquitoes aren't very strong fliers, so even just the air movement can help keep them away,” Loria said.
So a rotating fan and a good bug spray may be your best defense against swarms.
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