Insect Repellants

• Forms of insect repellants

  • Aerosol
  • Pump-spray
  • Liquid
  • Cream
  • Lotion
  • Spray
  • Stick
• Insect repellant concentration


  Useful in areas with minimally exposed or highly infested places where insects are difficult to repel
• 1. OCTEN-OL


  Chemical present in human sweat and breath that attracts biting insects like mosquitoes
• 1. OCTEN-OL is often used in combination with CO2 in mosquito traps
• Traditional insect repellants are cost-effective, readily available, and believed to be more natural, user, and environment-friendly
• Traditional insect repellants


  • Smoke
  • Pyrethrum
• Smoke as insect repellant

  1. Waste plant materials burned

  2. Fire with coconut husks and papaya leaves

  3. Herbs thrown in fire

  4. Burning local wood and leaves
• Pyrethrum


  • Natural plant oil from two species of pyrethrum daisy
  • Insecticidal component - six esters (pyrethrins)
  • Incorporated into mosquito coils
  • Affects the central nervous system of insects
• Modern synthetic insect repellants

  • DMP
  • Indalone
  • Rutgers 612
  • 6-2-2 or M-250
• DMP


  • Significant protection against scrub chiggers
  • Resulted in hot and restricted vision on head nets of troops
• Indalone


  • Significant protection against scrub chiggers
  • Resulted in hot and restricted vision on head nets of troops
• Rutgers 612

  Voluntarily removed in USA and Canada markets showing low lung expansion in the offspring of an exposed mammal
• 1. 2-2 or M-250


  • Six parts DMP, two parts Indalone and two parts of Rutgers 612
  • Mild developmental toxicity after cutaneous administration to pregnant rats
• Health risks and environmental effects of previous insect repellants led to the development of safer alternatives
• Commercially-available natural insect repellants


  • Citriodiol
  • Citronellol and Geraniol
• Citriodiol


  • Can be extracted from lemon eucalyptus oil
  • Natural occurring substance - para-menthane3,8-diol known as PMD
  • 20%-26% PMD may be useful as 15%-20% of DEET against mosquitoes and ticks
  • Most effective botanical insect repellant
  • Can cause allergic skin reactions
  • Effective against mosquitoes, fly, gnat and as a miticide against insects and mites
• Citronellol and Geraniol


  • Can be extracted from citronella oil
  • Natural occurring substance - 3,7-Dimethyloct-6-en-1-ol
  • Available as lotion, oil, solid wax, and components of citronella candles and flame pots
  • Has a short duration of action
  • 4.2% of concentration provides 1 hour of mosquito and tick protection
  • Ineffective against Asian tiger mosquitoes, flies, fleas
  • Mildly irritating to the eyes and skin
• Commercially-available synthetic insect repellants

  • DEET
  • IR-3535 or MERCK 3535
  • Picaridin
• DEET


  • Principal and most effective repellant use today
  • Gold-standard repellant
  • Broad spectrum repellant highly effective against mosquitoes, sand flies, black flies, chiggers, hard and soft ticks, bedbugs, and fleas
  • Proven to reduce malaria
  • Available as liquid, lotion, spray, and impregnated materials
  • Designed for direct application to human skin to repel insects, rather than killing them
  • Use lower concentration (<6%) on children and not allowed to infants and pregnant women
• IR-3535 or MERCK 3535


  • Developed in 1975 by Merck
  • Low toxicity, irritating to the eyes and sometimes on the skin
  • Classified as a biopesticide, as it is a substituted B-amino acid
  • No recorded incidence of adverse reaction
• Picaridin


  • Also known as Icaridin, Bayrepel, KBR 3023
  • Developed by Bayer in 1980
  • Very low toxicity
  • Practically no dermal and eye irritation
  • Colorless, odorless, and has a pleasant feel on the skin
  • Evaporates slower rate than DEET (less repellant than DEET when freshly applied)
  • WHO designated it as a "repellant of choice for malaria prevention"