Insect repellent

Pest animals commonly serving as vectors for disease include insects such as flea, fly, and mosquito; and ticks (arachnids).

[1][2] For protection against ticks and mosquito bites, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommends DEET, icaridin (picaridin, KBR 3023), oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diol (PMD), IR3535 and 2-undecanone with the caveat that higher percentages of the active ingredient provide longer protection.

[3] [4] [5] In 2015, researchers at New Mexico State University tested 10 commercially available products for their effectiveness at repelling mosquitoes.

However, Victoria's Secret Bombshell, a perfume not advertised as an insect repellant, performed effectively during the first 120 minutes after application.

[12] Although highly toxic to cats, permethrin is recommended as protection against mosquitoes for clothing, gear, or bed nets.

However, these electronic devices have been shown to be ineffective based on studies done by the United States Environmental Protection Agency and many universities.

Canadian researcher, Xiaochen Gu, a professor at the University of Manitoba's faculty of Pharmacy who led a study about mosquitos, advises that DEET should be applied 30 or more minutes later.

[21] The Pesticide Information Project of Cooperative Extension Offices of Cornell University states that, "Everglades National Park employees having extensive DEET exposure were more likely to have insomnia, mood disturbances and impaired cognitive function than were lesser exposed co-workers".

[22] The EPA states that citronella oil shows little or no toxicity and has been used as a topical insect repellent for 60 years.

[citation needed] A 2018 study found that Icaridin, is highly toxic to salamander larvae, in what the authors described as conservative exposure doses.

However, scientists have determined that these plants are "effective" for a limited time only when the leaves are crushed and applied directly to the skin.

[78] People can reduce the number of mosquito bites they receive (to a greater or lesser degree) by: Testing and scientific certainty were desired at the end of the 1940s.