An insect repellent is a substance used to protect the body from insect bites. Some bites skin irritation whereas some bites can cause serious illnesses and possibly death. So, to avoid such problems insect repellents can be used to protect us from harmful bites. Insect repellents are categorised into chemical repellents and natural plant-derived repellents.
Insect repellents like DEET, picaridin and oil of lemon eucalyptus keep mosquitoes, flies and other bugs away. They are also the safest way to prevent insect-borne diseases. The insects also cause a nuisance with their bites and loud hums, this also can affect the mental health of human beings. And people die every day due to insect-borne diseases, and controlling such insects is the only way to bring down the death rate.
For that, we need to use effective insect repellents that are safe and with the least side effects. In this article, we will find out more about the ideal characteristics of insect repellents, the way they work and some of the insect repellents available that we can use to deal with insects and the problems they bring along.
An ideal insect repellent should be active against a wide variety of biting insects. It should be effective for longer hours, it should be non-irritating to skin and mucous membranes and also it should be toxin free. It should be cosmetically and aesthetically appealing, that is, it should be either odourless or have a pleasant odour and it should not be weird on the skin. It should be water resistant and should remain on the skin for a long period. Another important factor should be its economical viability, it should be affordable and available for widespread usage.
Insects find their hosts or victims using a combination of sight, heat and smell. Also, they are more attracted to the smell of carbon dioxide, lactic acid and other odours from the skin. Thus, most insect repellents work on the principle of creating a vapour barrier that repels the insect from coming into contact with the skin.
DEET is very effective against insects such as mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and flies. It is a synthetic chemical compound which can protect you from mosquito-borne illnesses and tick-borne illnesses. It is available in concentrations ranging from 5 to 100 per cent, but the preferred concentration of DEET is 30 per cent. It is considered the best insect repellent.
You can buy DEET for your skin in the form of lotions, sprays, and wipes. The 30 per cent DEET with long-acting formulations gives 6-12 hours of protection from insects. Allergic reactions and serious side effects caused by DEET are very rare. But small side effects like rash, mild irritations and itchings have been reported. And it is safe for children and infants older than 2 months.
Picaridin is available in 5 to 20 per cent concentrations and is effective towards insects like flies, mosquitoes and ticks. This is a synthetic chemical that mimics a natural compound found in black pepper named piperine. They are mostly used as spray products. They don’t cause damage to plastic or fabric and they are not as sticky as DEET on skin.
Catnip Oil is an extract of oil from the mint family of plants. It can be applied directly to the skin to repel black flies, mosquitoes and other biting insects. It should be reapplied after every 6 hours. Due to its low toxicity, it causes no risk to human health, but it can cause eye irritation if it somehow goes into the eye. It can even be consumed without any side effects and thus it can be sprayed on fruits to repel fruit flies. There is also a ten-fold increase in effectiveness over DEET.
IR3535 is available as a lotion and a spray, it is often sold in combination with sunscreen. But it is recommended to use both the repellent and sunscreen separately. Because sunscreen needs to be applied more often than the repellent and excessive use of repellent can cause some side effects like skin irritation and itching. These are available in concentrations ranging from 7.5 to 20 per cent.
This is a plant-based repellent and it provides 6-hour long protection against mosquito bites. This repellent should not be used in children younger than 3 years of age. This is available as a spray and they can cause eye irritation if sprayed anywhere near the eyes.
Permethrin is not for skin application, it can be sprayed on clothes, insect nets, sleeping bags and shoes. It can repel and kill ticks, mosquitoes and other biting insects. Clothing and other items must be treated 24 to 48 hours before use and its effect will linger for several weeks.
It is a synthetic pesticide with a low toxicity rating. It is found to be an effective mosquito repellent for 6 hours and an effective tick repellent for 2.5 hours. BioUD is derived from wild tomato plants.