With expert insight from Professor James Logan, of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, we reveal which types of repellent are scientifically proven to work - and where to buy the cheapest ones. Sonic mosquito repellers. These claim to drive mosquitos away with high-frequency sound but, again, studies show that they don't work. Mosquitos may bite through some clothing so if you're in a high-risk area, spray clothes with 100% DEET (or, if the clothing is synthetic, with a non-DEET repellent).

We do not know the effectiveness of non-EPA registered insect repellents, including some natural repellents. If you’re in an area where mosquito bites are a risk, the C.L.O.A.K strategy can be an effective additional defense. So if you’re out in the sun, remember the following: Each was worn by, used, or applied to a human subject in a wind tunnel near a three compartment cage containing Ae. aegypti female mosquitoes. Each repellent was tested for a 15-minute period, during which time mosquitoes were free to wander from the middle compartment of the cage into either the compartment closer to the human or the one further away. Then, the mosquitoes were counted in each compartment to determine how attracted they were -- or weren't -- to the human wearing the repellent being tested. Whether you're spending summer at home or in warmer climes, insect repellent is important for preventing bites and stings.PMD is the active ingredient in some insect repellents. Its odor and chemical structure are similar to menthol and has a cooling feel. [1] It is found in small quantities in the essential oil from the leaves of Corymbia citriodora, formerly known as Eucalyptus citriodora. This tree is native to Australia, but is now cultivated in many warm places around the world. C. citriodora oil, when refined to increase its PMD content for use in insect repellents, is known in the United States as oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE). [2] C. citriodora oil contains only 1–2% PMD, while refined OLE contains approximately up to 70% PMD. [3] Some commercial PMD products are not made from C. citriodora oil, but rather from synthetic citronellal. Herbal extract bracelets. These typically contain strong smelling oils such as citronella, lavender and peppermint, but they aren't supported by the science. When tested for their ability to deter mosquitos, bracelets containing herbal extracts made little difference. Don't rely on DEET bands or bracelets either as these can only offer localised protection. Carroll, Scott P.; Loye, Jenella (2006). "PMD, a Registered Botanical Mosquito Repellent with Deet-Like Efficacy". Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association. 22 (3): 507–13. doi: 10.2987/8756-971X(2006)22[507:PARBMR]2.0.CO;2. PMID 17067054. S2CID 225645. Eucalyptus', 'lemongrass', 'citronella' and even 'lemon eucalyptus oil' are not the same as 'oil of lemon eucalyptus', and they don't offer the same level of protection against bugs. You might also see it by the trade names Citrapel and Citrodiol. Eat well, live better and stay healthy – sign up to our free monthly Food & Health newsletter for the latest insights delivered straight to your inbox

Citronella. This is a popular choice among consumers but research shows that citronella's volatility means its repelling properties only last for a short time (a 57% protection rating after just two hours compared to DEET's 90% over six hours) and there is insufficient information for them to be seen as reliable repellents. Few if any studies have evaluated possible interactions when using PMD with sunscreens. [6] Chemistry [ edit ] incognito ® is a powerful mosquito protection spray, it works by camouflaging the wearer rather than repelling mosquitoes. It does this through a wide range of different ingredients, many of which have been used for centuries by indigenous peoples of Asia to protect themselves from insects and the diseases they carry. One of these ingredients is an essential oil called Citronella. This naturally occurring oil repels insects by preventing the mosquitoes from sensing our kairomones. Kairomones interact with insects like mosquitoes in a similar way to how humans are attracted to each other’s pheromones. Whilst a typical repellent that repels insects from the local area, incognito ® has a far reaching affect, as a female mosquito can detect kairomones from up to a kilometer away, thus by masking your kairomones, you’re effectively ‘invisible’ and can sneak past mosquitoes without being ‘eaten alive’.

The best mosquito repellents for 2023 are:

Looking for a natural and clinically proven Insect Repellent to protect against mosquitoes? incognito® protects against all biting and stinging insects including all 3000 species of mosquito, 33 of these live in the United Kingdom. It can be used on children over three years old, and is produced when oil of lemon eucalyptus or OLE is distilled. Although it is a byproduct, the leftover product is far more effective at repelling mosquitoes than the oil itself.

There are four active ingredients that are scientifically proven to repel mosquitos and three of these are synthetic, or chemical based: DEET, IR3535 and Icaridin. a b Drapeau, Jeremy (2011). "Green synthesis of para-Menthane-3,8-diol from Eucaplytus citriodora: Application for repellent products". Comptes Rendus Chimie. 14 (7–8): 629–635. doi: 10.1016/j.crci.2011.02.008.When we looked at repellents containing these ingredients we found that prices varied considerably – even in ones containing the same percentage of active ingredients.

The golden rule is (much like sun cream) to apply thoroughly to any exposed skin, before you head out, and re-apply often – especially if you're sweating a lot, or have been swimming. If you need both, remember it's sunscreen first, mossie repellent second. The only wearable device that fared well in the study was OFF!® Clip-On, which features a nebulizer to vaporize its repellent chemical, Metofluthrin. The sonic repeller and bracelets showed no significant reduction in mosquito attraction. Odours (bodily, or otherwise) are strong attractors of pests, so ensuring that you’re clean and not wearing any perfumes can help prevent unwanted attention from mosquitoes and other bugs.Keep away from stagnant water, as this is another place that many biting and stinging insects like to gather (and breed).This 2021 summer there are more insects than ever before because of the excess groundwater combined with high temperatures. Do not use products containing oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) or para-menthane-diol (PMD) on children under 3 years old. Although the active ingredients in some bracelets may be mosquito repellents, we hypothesize that the concentrations that are emitted by all of the bracelets that we tested were too low to have an effect," the researchers note in the study.