ALTERNATIVES TO MOSQUITO REPELLANT

Some Least-Toxic Mosquito Sprays Include:

􏰀 Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus- CDC recommends lemon eucalyptus oil repellents as a good alternative to DEET. The scented oil of lemon eucalyptus masks both carbon dioxide and lactic acid exhalations that alert mosquitoes to our presence, essentially hiding humans from detection. According to CDC, this plant-based mosquito repellent provides protection time similar to low concentration DEET products.(Repel Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent-www.repel.com).

􏰀 Essential oils- Pesticides made with essential oils are derived from plants that are known to have insecticidal properties. Some essential oils used in repellents include Cedarwood, Soybean Oil (www.biteblocker.com), and Geraniol (MosquitoGuard- www.wildroots.com, Bite Stop- www.bitestop.com, Bugband- www.bugband.net) When compared against products like Citronella, Geraniol proved to be 100% more effective. Against products containing 10% Deet, Geraniol proved to be more effective.

􏰀 Picaridin (KBR 3023), dervived from pepper, is a newly registered repellent that CDC claims provides comparable protection as DEET products with similar concentrations (Cutter Advanced- www.cutterinsectrepellent.com/). The limited data available on this product suggest that it has low potential for toxicity.

􏰀 Citronella sprays- The same ingredient in the candles that repels mosquitoes also is in some mosquito sprays, including the repellent Natrapel (www.tendercorp.com).

􏰀 Some repellents include many of these ingredients, including: Quantum Buzz Away Mosquito Repellent (www.quantumhealth.com), All Terrain (http://www.allterrainco.com/), Avon Skin-So-Soft, and Herbal Armour.These recommendations are based on what is known about the relative toxicity of the active ingredient. The inert ingredients, which often makes up the largest portion of the product, is not disclosed, and therefore cannot be evaluated.

With all these repellents, be sure to reapply often (following the directions on the label) to repel the mosquitoes most effectively.

http://www.beyondpesticides.org/mosquito/documents/LesstoxRepellents.pdf