Contact: Pauline O’Keeffe The Schawbel Corporation 781-541-6900 [email protected] WHEN IT COMES TO MOSQUITOES, WHICH REPELLENT WORKS BEST? Consumers Learn Repellent Lingo as Mosquito-Borne Illnesses Flourish
With West Nile Virus and Eastern Equine Encephalitis (Triple E) continuing to be prevalent in the United States, consumers want and need to become more familiar with reading mosquito repel ent labels. What is the active ingredient that makes one repel ent more effective than another and when should a specific repel ent be used? There are dozens of insect repel ent formulations and hundreds of products today. When in doubt, it is best to look to the experts for advice. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) recommends the use of products containing active ingredients that have been registered with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These products have brand names that consumers recognize such as OFF, Cutter, and ThermaCELL — an area repel ent that is up to 98 percent effective and is quickly gaining popularity. Area repel ents are a good solution for parents who do not want to put harmful repel ents on their child’s skin. When the EPA registers a repel ent, it evaluates the product for efficacy as wel as potential effects on human beings and the environment. EPA registration means that the EPA does not expect a product, when used according to the instructions on the label, to cause unreasonable adverse effects to human health or the environment. Repel ents registered with the EPA have demonstrated a high degree of efficacy and contain active ingredients such as:
• Allethrin: a synthetic analog of a natural insecticide found in chrysanthemum flowers that is
odor-free and is an alternative to lotions and sprays which must be reapplied to skin. Allethrin is an area repel ent that is dispersed into the air and is up to 98 percent effective in fighting mosquitoes, black flies, and no-see-ums.
• DEET: (N-diethyl-m-toluamide). Repel ents containing DEET are safe for adults and children
when used according to directions. Don't put repel ents with DEET on kids’ hands because it may get in their mouth or eyes. The CDC warns: Use these repel ents careful y as DEET in high concentrations may be harmful to kids.
• Permethrin: a cousin to Allethrin, is recommended for use on clothing, shoes, bed nets, and
camping gear. Permethrin-treated clothing repels and kil s ticks, mosquitoes, and other arthropods and retains this effect after repeated laundering. Permethrin is not to be used directly on the skin.
• Picaridin: (KBR 3023) forms a barrier on your skin, which blocks an insect’s ability to locate
humans. Picaridin was tested against mosquitoes, flies and ticks in both field studies and in laboratory cage tests. Picaridin provides equal or longer protection than identical concentrations of DEET. Efficacy against ticks has been demonstrated in laboratory cage tests.
• Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus [p-menthane 3,8-diol (PMD)] is a plant-based repel ent. In two
recent scientific publications, when oil of lemon eucalyptus was tested against mosquitoes found in the US, it provided protection similar to repel ents with low concentrations of DEET.
The Schawbel Corporation ● 26 Crosby Drive, Bedford, MA 01730 ● www.thermacel .com ● 1-8-NO-SKEETERS
Contact: Pauline O’Keeffe The Schawbel Corporation 781-541-6900 [email protected] What repellent should be used when?
Hiking, biking or walking in Applying permethrin to your clothing ahead of time wil provide protection. cooler weather
Area repellents, such as ThermaCELL products that use allethrin, provide hours
Enjoying the patio, at a
of protection, are highly portable and create a 15 x 15 ft zone of protection. The
campsite or spectator
hand-held units and lanterns are up to 98% effective in fighting biting insects and
sport; gardening at dusk
are affordable. The ThermaCELL lantern was voted #1 Tabletop Mosquito
Repel ent by Good Housekeeping Institute.
Playing a sport at dusk or
For many hours outside (over 3-4 hours) and/or where biting is very intense—look
for a repellent containing more than 20% DEET.
- Even if you’re going out for 10 minutes use a repellent —that’s long enough to
- Products with more than 50% DEET DO NOT offer additional protection.
Helpful Tips
- For shorter periods of time, repellents containing less than 20% DEET, a
repellent with 7% picaridin, or a product containing oil of lemon eucalyptus may provide adequate protection.
The Schawbel Corporation ● 26 Crosby Drive, Bedford, MA 01730 ● www.thermacel .com ● 1-8-NO-SKEETERS
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Contact: Pauline O’Keeffe 
Contact: Pauline O’Keeffe