Search Here

Due to the threat of mosquito-borne diseases like dengue and Zika, the market has been saturated with a number of mosquito repellent products. However, not all these products are able to deliver what they claim to be as effective mosquito repellents.

Researchers from New Mexico State University conducted a comparison study of a number of mosquito repellent products in the market and found these are the most effective mosquito repellents.

According to the results of the study, published in the Journal of Insect Science, most spray-on mosquito repellents containing DEET or PMD are the most effective mosquito repellent products available in the market today. The researchers also found that some products, mostly those wearable devices like mosquito repellent bracelets or sonic repellents were found simply to be ineffective when it comes to repelling Aedes aegypti, the most common mosquito that borne diseases like dengue and Zika.

The researchers tested five wearable mosquito repellent devices, one candle, and five spray-on. The five wearable mosquito repellent devices are OFF Clip-on, PIC Personal Sonic Mosquito Repeller, Mosquito-No! Repellent Bracelet, Mosquitavert, and InvisabandTM. The Cutter Citro Guard and the spray-on mosquito repellents Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus, Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin, Repel Sportsmen Max Formula, All Terrain Kids Herbal Armor, and Ben's Tick & Insect Repellent.

All products were used, worn or applied by human participants. These participants were asked to stay in a wind tunnel that had a three compartment cage containing Aedes aegypti female mosquitoes. The participants stayed inside the tunnel for 15 minutes during which the mosquitoes were freed inside the tunnel. The researchers then counted how many mosquitoes have wandered on each compartment which helped determine whether the mosquitoes were attracted or repelled with the product being tested.

According to the results of the study, most of the wearable mosquito repellents are not effective against mosquitoes except for OFF Clip-on. The researchers explain that although the wearables contain active ingredients known to repel mosquitoes, the concentration present in the wearables are too low to be effective.

The most effective mosquito repellents are the spray-on mosquito repellents. In particular, spray on-mosquito repellent products that contain DEET and/or PMD. Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus and Ben's Tick & Insect Repellent which contains 30 percent PMD and 98 percent DEET respectively. Not only are products containing PMD or DEET effective mosquito repellents, they have also been found to have a long lasting effect.