Study summary
The efficacy of some commercially available insect repellents for Aedes aegypti and Aedes albopictus
Rodriguez SD, Drake LL, Price DP, Hammond JI, Hansen IA
Read the original paper- Study type
- Lab
- Year
- 2015
- Species tested
- Aedes aegypti, Aedes albopictus
- Published in
- Journal of Insect Science 15(1):140
- Evidence strength
- Well-supported evidence
How it was tested
Mosquitoes chose between a treated and an untreated human hand in a Y-tube olfactometer, with attraction measured at 0, 30, 120, and 240 minutes after application.
Summary
A lab comparison of eight over-the-counter repellents, two fragrances, and a vitamin B1 skin patch, measuring how much each reduced mosquito attraction to a treated hand. DEET and lemon eucalyptus lasted; most botanicals and the patch did little.
Key findings
The 98% DEET product was strongest and most durable, and a 30% lemon-eucalyptus (PMD) product was comparable, both cutting attraction sharply through four hours. Lower-concentration DEET worked but weakened by four hours. The 5% geraniol product had no significant effect at any point, citronella was weak and inconsistent, and the 300 mg vitamin B1 skin patch did nothing at all. Only DEET and PMD gave lasting repellency.
Limitations
A single volunteer as bait, laboratory olfactometer conditions rather than field bite protection, only two Aedes species, and an acknowledged high perfume concentration for the fragrance arms.