HWN Suggests

Why Essential Oils Make Terrible Bug Repellents

We get it: Essential-oil bug repellents sound great. Who wouldn’t want to use a natural plant oil to keep bugs away? But after digging into the research and talking to two mosquito experts, we put essential-oil repellents firmly in the “do not buy” category. Simply speaking, there’s just no way to know how effective they are or for how long. In relying on them, you’re likely heading outdoors with a false sense of security that could put you at greater risk than if you were using nothing at all.

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Articles of Interest

How to Make Homemade Essential Oil Bug Repellent Spray with Essential Oils

Looking for a safer and more natural approach to repelling bugs? In a world where concerns about toxic chemicals and their impact on our health and the environment prevail, taking control of what we put on our bodies becomes a powerful act of self-care.

Are Essential Oils Essentially Bunk?

Well, first, let’s talk about what they are. Mm hmm. So they’re oils from plants and they’re mostly Tarpeena, Turpin, Loyd’s and aromatic compounds. I can see why they went with essential instead of annoyance. And they come from all parts of the plant. So they can come from the flower. They can come from the seeds. They can come from the bark.

Catnip and grapefruit are ushering in a new era of insect repellants

Soon you may not need DEET at all.

Certain Essential Oils Found To Be Highly Effective at Killing Mosquito Larvae and Adults

A range of essential oils can provide high levels of larvicidal and adulticidal activity against a commonly found species of mosquito, according to research published last week in Scientific Reports. The use of essential oils in mosquito management has generally been limited to personal protection, with synthetic pesticides often the first choice for vector control activities. This research highlights the potential role of these natural compounds to replace hazardous synthetics in managing larval sources and killing adult mosquitoes under last-resort scenarios.

Do essential oils repel mosquitoes?

Essential oils are an effective source for natural mosquito bite prevention, however they are not always the best mosquito repellents. Most essential oils are not registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and are not required to be approved by the Food and Drug Association (FDA). With the exception of OLE, the EPA has not evaluated the effectiveness of most commonly known insect repellents.

Effectiveness of Herbal Essential Oils as Single and Combined Repellents against Aedes aegypti, Anopheles dirus and Culex quinquefasciatus (Diptera: Culicidae)

Petitgrain, peppermint and basil oil were highly effective against female A. aegypti and C. quinquefasciatus. Combining petitgrain/basil, petitgrain/coriander, basil/coriander and basil/sage showed efficacy against A. aegypti, as did a combination of sage and patchouli oils against A. dirus. Field trials should include a study of operational feasibility and dermal toxicity before these essential oil combinations can be developed as alternative and safe insect repellents for individual use to reduce and control vector-borne diseases.

Essential Oils as Repellents against Arthropods

Enormous efforts have been made to develop effective repellents against arthropods, and thus far synthetic repellents have been widely used. However, the use of synthetic repellents has raised several concerns in terms of environmental and human health risks and safety. Thus, plant essential oils (EOs) have been widely used as an alternative to synthetic repellents. In this review, we briefly introduce and summarize recent studies that have investigated EOs as insect repellents.

NMSU researcher studies effectiveness of essential oils as mosquito repellent

f you want to keep mosquitoes away, certain essential oils might just do the trick – for a while anyway. New Mexico State University graduate student Hailey Luker’s research demonstrating the effectiveness of various essential oils as mosquito repellents was published recently in the journal “Nature.” Luker tested essential oils by making 10% essential oil and unscented lotion emulsions. Using human subjects Luker was able to test the repellency of these oils over time to determine which were most effective. Among the 20 essential oils she tested were cinnamon oil, clove oil and rosemary as well as commercial oils such as cedarwood, lemongrass and citronella.

Perfumes That Are Also Mosquito Repellents

But when it comes to efficacy, most essential oils can do only so much, said Dr. Dendy Engelman, a dermatologist in Manhattan. She pointed to guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which recommend only four mosquito-repelling ingredients: DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and oil of lemon eucalyptus.

Repellent efficacy of 20 essential oils on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and Ixodes scapularis ticks in contact-repellency assays

The scientific literature on the repellent efficacy of essential oils on Aedes aegypti is often inconsistent. These deviations often appear to directly correlate with the concentration of the essential oil tested, and the type of solvent used to dilute the essential oil.

Why plant-based mosquito repellents are so hard to design

As humanity experiences relentless pressures from disease-carrying mosquitoes in many parts of the world, there is an urgent need for new tools to use against those beasts – because they keep getting scarier. Even though DEET remains the most commonly used, and most powerful, mosquito repellent ever developed, scientists are actively pursuing effective products based entirely on plant oils, some tracing their roots to traditional remedies.

Resources

10 Essential Oils that Naturally Repel Insects

Repel insects naturally with essential oils. Learn how to create your own natural insect repellent spray and protect your home without harmful chemicals.

5 Essential Oils That Double as Bug Repellent

Because each of these essential oils contains mosquito-repelling compounds, they can work on their own. But their effects are even more powerful when used together, according to Gagnon.