Researchers compare 'natural' mosquito repellents to DEET

phys.org ^ | 10/28/2015 | by Josh Lancette &Provided by: Entomological Society of America

[petercooper]

Cutter lawn spray is the way to go. Keep the grass short as well.

[SkyDancer]

Original yellow Listerine works pretty well and also dryer softener sheets.

[Red Badger]

Black Flag or Diesel fuel works pretty good........................

[Cowboy Bob]

The products were tested against two mosquito species, the yellow fever mosquito (Aedes aegypti) and the Asian tiger mosquito (Aedes albopictus), both known vectors of dengue fever, chikungunya, yellow fever, and other diseases.

AIDS?

[21twelve]

Some Liberals have freaked out when I pull out my bottle of 100% Deet!

[doorgunner69]

I will never understand why biting bugs like skeeters and smaller ankle biters prefer me to the wife, but it has been true for decades.

I laugh when she finally gets nailed to share the misery.

Sure seems like something could be ingested to make you less palatable to the damn things.

[Red Badger]

SHHHHHHH................no one is supposed to say that!...................

[BJ1]

I wonder how many poor countries with malaria problems have banned DEET and it has cost them in lives.

[Red Badger]

It’s the opposite for me and my wife. She gets all the skeeters and they leave me alone...................

[Red Badger]

BRING BACK DDT!..............................

[mason-dixon]

I have had good results with the herb tansy when I used it to repel mosquitos during camping trips in Southern New Jersey. It has similar scent to Avon Skin so soft. Apply by rubbing the leaves to your skin. It is very easy to grow, since it is a perennial.

[mountainlion]

Had a guy in Viet Nam that said “I don't know what this stuff has in but it sure works good”! Another guy looked at the container and said “Possum, that is DDT” to which Possum replied yep, sure works good.

[NorthMountain]

Sure seems like something could be ingested to make you less palatable to the damn things.

Garlic works for me. Most of the time. But that's an uncontrolled, unscientific study with a sample size of "one".

Which makes it better science than Global Warming ...

[Paladin2]

“Victoria’s Secret Bombshell perfume”, Really? Who wanted a lifetime supply of this stuff?

[NorthMountain]

DDT is an insecticide, not an insect repellent.

And Rachel Carson was a liar ...

[Paladin2]

"efficacy is also dependent on the species of mosquito"

Uh, how many species of Mosquitos are there? The number in various locales in the US?

[Vigilanteman]

The trouble with keeping the grass too short is that you don't give it the opportunity to develop healthy roots. A better alternative is just planting clover which doesn't need to be mowed so often.

My wife swears by Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard as do a lot of her customers. Without it, the skeeters feast on her; she's diabetic. I don't get bothered much here in SW Pennsylvania.

I grew up in NW Minnesota/eastern North Dakota and am very familiar with the variety of aggressive skeeters there. My brother and I used to work outdoors and would attract a lot of them once the daytime temperatures started to cool. The swarm of dragon flies they would attract did more good than any repellent. We'd sometimes stop work just to watch the dragon flies flying frenzied CAP missions for us. Our Dad started World War II as a Navy pilot, so that was the term we used.

[doorgunner69]

The way I cook, if garlic was going to help, I would have triple immunity.................

[Safetgiver]

I don’t get bothered much here in SW Pennsylvania....Skin So Soft also keeps the Dog Peter Flies away (punkies, gnats, whatever). I’m from Erie and used it a lot.