EWG's Guide to Bug Repellents

Which is worse, bug bites or bug repellent? Choosing the right bug repellent can make a hike, picnic or outdoor event a pleasure instead of a painful, itchy experience that may have serious consequences.

 How to Choose Insect Repellents

It's also worth noting that different repellents work on different bugs. Mosquitoes are the one pest all repellents are designed for, and many repellents are effective against ticks as well. Black flies and no-see-ums (aka midges, sandflies and biting gnats) aren't a big disease risk, but are pests nonetheless. Repellents offer varying levels of protection against flies (many offer none at all). And finally, no repellent works against stinging insects. If you're dealing with yellow jackets at home, then trap-style products will be your best option.

 Insect Repellent Myths

If you’re not a fan of insect repellent sprays, don’t be fooled by the number of insect repellent products on the market.

 The Best Bug Repellents

For a bug repellent that’s safe and effective—and that won’t stink or leave a puddle of oil on your skin—skip the DEET and get a picaridin formula, like Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent. It’s the best bottle of bug spray we found after testing 23 repellents and talking to everyone from the EPA to the American Mosquito Control Association.

 The Inside Scoop on Why Your Insect Repellent Product Isn’t Working

Does it feel like the steps you’ve taken to protect yourself from bugs haven’t worked? It turns out that not all types of insect repellent products are equally effective. Thanks to trials conducted by Consumer Reports and the American Mosquito Control Association, we can share what repellent products you might want to steer clear of this summer if you want the bugs to steer clear of you.

 These bug repellents actually work—if you use them correctly

Even the best products can be dangerous if used incorrectly. Here’s what the EPA recommends—and what experts say are completely ineffective.

 Why Essential Oils Make Terrible Bug Repellents

Even if essential oils were subject to the EPA’s efficacy-testing guidelines, all indications are that they would fall short of repellents containing picaridin and DEET. Essential oils are just not that great at repelling mosquitoes and ticks. We have tested a number of other essential oil repellents over the years and many of them have since been discontinued. This only further increases our skepticism about the overall reliability of the category in general.

 Why Repellents Are Better Than Pesticides

Why not use insecticides and acaricides (chemicals that kill ticks and other mites) instead of using repellents? Here are some of the drawbacks of pesticides.

Burning Question: Is It Safe to Use DEET to Ward Off Bugs?

Despite its risks, the popular insect repellent is often still the best option.

Does Bug Spray Do More Harm Than Good?

Protecting yourself from bites is important, but if the repellent annoys the mosquito, have you ever wondered if it can also hurt you?

High Tech Hope for Repelling Mosquitoes

In Alaska, where I grew up, mosquitoes outnumber people some 24 million to one. That makes it a great place to test the very latest in mosquito shields.

Insects Be Gone!

Products such as DEET are effective at repelling insects, but they contain chemicals many of which are toxic to the human body. Many of them recommend washing hands thoroughly immediately after handling the product. In my search for a more natural way of repelling mosquitoes, I came up with the following methods...

LOOK: What's Really Inside Your Bug Spray?

The bad news: there's no sure, completely safe way to prevent bug bites. All bug repellents have pros and cons. The good news: some repellents are effective and relatively low in toxicity -- provided you take precautions when using them, particularly on children.

Best Insect Repellents for Kids

There are also non-DEET/non-Picaridin repellents that seem to work moderately well. These repellents use natural ingredients such as citronella, cedar, soybean, etc. Let me be very clear: these repellents do NOT work as well, but they may be good enough for those trying to avoid stronger chemicals.

Bug Control Gear That Actually Works

In an industry rife with bogus products, these are the repellents and traps that experts agree can effectively keep bugs away.

Bug Spray Cheatsheet

Banish bugs from your homestead WITHOUT using toxic sprays.

Chemicals of Concern in Bug Repellent

Bug repellents are made up of two types of ingredients. Active ingredients are the active repelling chemicals and must appear on the label. Inert ingredients are everything else in the products and can range from solvents and preservatives to anti-caking or foaming agents and even fragrance. None of these inert ingredients are required to be listed on the label.

Comparative Efficacy of Insect Repellents against Mosquito Bites

Currently available non-DEET repellents do not provide protection for durations similar to those of DEET-based repellents and cannot be relied on to provide prolonged protection in environments where mosquito-borne diseases are a substantial threat.

Do Bug Zappers Work? Yeah—About As Well As Any Other Indiscriminate Wildlife Slaughter

Bug zappers kill bugs by the thousands. But there’s a problem: They kill the wrong bugs. They are ineffective against mosquitoes and other biting flies, and their otherwise indiscriminate killing can disrupt pollination and generally throw the environment out of balance. Plus, the force of their electrocution can spew a mist of disease-ridden bug parts out into the air. All of the mosquito experts we spoke with and every relevant university extension office we could find unanimously condemned bug zappers.

How to Make a Natural Bug Repellent

With the help of modern science we’re now able to know with certainty which natural substances work best at repelling insects. Covering your skin in specially prepared concoctions will have the bugs reeling back before they even get close enough for you to hear them buzzing or feel them crawling. For a natural alternative that you can pick up straight from the shelf, soy-based insect repellents work great.

New mosquito repellents that work better than DEET

DEET disrupts a mosquito’s ability to locate humans. Until recently, it was considered the gold standard among topical repellents, but some find its strong odor offensive. It has to be reapplied frequently, and at high concentrations, it can damage synthetic fabrics and plastics. Another popular repellent known as picaridin is now regarded as a better alternative, since its protective effect lasts longer, and it doesn’t have an odor or damage items. However, like DEET, it has to be reapplied after swimming or sweating.

The green take on insect repellents and sunscreens

Most conventional insect repellents contain DEET (also listed on labels as N, N-Diethyl-m-toluamide or N, N-Diethyl-3-Methyl benzamide). DEET is highly effective at repelling mosquitoes, but is also an eye irritant and can cause blisters and rashes on some users. More rarely, DEET has been associated with lethargy, confusion, disorientation, and mood swings. These concerns have resulted in Canada’s banning DEET in concentrations higher than 30 percent.

The Quest to Make a Better Mosquito Repellent

Leslie Vosshall is trying to block mosquitoes’ sense of smell, but the blood-suckers are proving to be tricky foes.

Which insect repellents should we choose? Implications from results of local market survey and review of current guidelines

Mosquito-borne diseases are global problems. The use of topical insect repellents is a key measure recommended by health authorities to prevent mosquito-borne diseases. Despite more than a hundred commercial products available in the market, there are relatively few active ingredients used across these formulations. The most common active components are diethyltoluamide, picaridin, p-menthane-3,8-diol, ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate (IR3535) and a range of plant-derived products. Research has shown that each of these active ingredients vary in the duration of protection provided against biting mosquitoes.