Study summary
Efficacy of some wearable devices compared with spray-on insect repellents for the yellow fever mosquito, Aedes aegypti (Diptera: Culicidae)
Rodriguez SD, Drake LL, Price DP, Hammond JI, Hansen IA
- Study type
- Lab
- Year
- 2015
- Published in
- Journal of Insect Science 15(1):140
- Evidence strength
- Well-supported evidence
Summary
Wind-tunnel attraction-inhibition assays measuring how spray-on repellents and a range of wearable devices (bracelets, a sonic-output device, and a metofluthrin clip-on) reduced the attraction of female Aedes aegypti to a human hand.
Key findings
DEET-based and oil of lemon eucalyptus/PMD spray-ons sharply reduced mosquito attraction. Among the wearables, only the metofluthrin clip-on significantly reduced attraction; the repellent bracelets and the sonic device performed no better than no repellent at all.
Limitations
Laboratory wind-tunnel attraction metric rather than real-world bite-protection time; single species; devices tested at fixed distance under controlled conditions.