Nothing can ruin a day outdoors like some blood-thirsty mosquitoes. I can’t count how many times I’ve been stuck outside on a day hike or a camping trip and I forgot to bring some insect repellent while the onslaught of mosquitoes begin to feast on my exposed skin.

Thankfully, researchers at the University of Florida are working on the next generation of insect repellents and have identified seven alternatives to DEET, the most widely used repellent. Some of the new repellents may even work several times longer than DEET.

The study reviewed 23 possible repellents found using USDA data on hundreds of chemicals collected over a 50 year span. Test volunteers were then exposed to mosquitoes while they wore arm patches containing standard doses of repellents. The study then measured the time it took until the repellent wore off and identified several compounds more effective than DEET.

…early tests on cloth were promising, with some chemicals repelling mosquitoes for as long as 73 days and many working for 40 to 50 days, compared to an average of 17.5 days with DEET, according to a study in Tuesday’s edition of Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

DEET is the most common active ingredient found in the currently available insect repellents. DEET was developed by the US Army after it was originally tested as a pesticide on farm fields and was used by the military as early as 1946 with the EPA approving it for civilian use in 1957. [1]

DEET has a good safety record and low toxicity levels, but it is not without drawbacks. A common complaint with DEET is its strong odor and safety concerns when used by some individuals, particularly children and pregnant women.

Insect repellents are important in preventing against insects bites from mosquitoes and ticks which can spread diseases like malaria and dengue Fever, encephalitis, Lyme disease, and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. The new repellents are currently undergoing safety testing this summer and won’t likely be available commercially for a few years.

Reference:

1. epa.gov

National Academy of Sciences

via AP