Study summary
Essential oils of Cupressus funebris, Juniperus communis, and J. chinensis as repellents against ticks and mosquitoes and as toxicants against mosquitoes
Carroll JF, Tabanca N, Kramer M, Elejalde NM, Wedge DE, Bernier UR, et al.
Read the original paper- Study type
- Lab
- Year
- 2011
- Species tested
- Amblyomma americanum, Ixodes scapularis, Aedes aegypti
- Published in
- Journal of Vector Ecology 36(2):258-268
- Evidence strength
- Limited evidence
How it was tested
Oils were characterized by GC-MS and tested in laboratory bioassays for the dose per unit area needed to repel ticks and mosquitoes, plus larval toxicity.
Summary
A lab study of three cypress-family oils (juniper and cypress) for repelling ticks and Aedes aegypti and for toxicity to mosquito larvae. Juniperus communis oil stood out, roughly matching DEET on a dose basis against ticks in the assay.
Key findings
Against the lone star tick, Juniperus communis and Cupressus funebris oils repelled at doses in the same range as DEET (around 0.4 to 0.5 mg/cm2 versus DEET's 0.68), and juniper was described as nearly as potent as DEET. But against mosquitoes only juniper worked; the two cypress oils failed to stop Aedes aegypti biting even at the highest dose. All of this is dose-based lab bioassay, not on-skin protection time.
Limitations
Laboratory bioassay only, with no human field trial or on-skin protection time, and two of the three oils did not repel mosquitoes at all.