Repelling Mosquitoes Naturally
Everyone I know is looking forward to summertime. Swimming all day, outdoor barbeques for dinner and sitting outside in the evening to watch the fireflies are the classic summer activities we all love. It’s all perfect and fun until the mosquitoes come along to join you. And I am one of those fortunate enough to have a small bite turn into a big red swollen welt. That’s why I am so excited about the recent discovery of isolongifolenone, a natural compound found in the Tauroniro tree (Humiria balsamifera) of South America, that’s been found to deter biting of mosquitoes and even to repel ticks, both of which are known spreaders of diseases like malaria, West Nile virus, and Lyme disease. This derivatives of this chemical have been widely and safely used as fragrances in cosmetics, perfumes, deodorants, and paper products for some time, and it’s about as cheap to produce as DEET.
Researchers recently found that isolongifolenone deters Aedes aegypti (L.) and Anopheles stephensi Liston mosquitoes more effectively than DEET in laboratory bioassays and it also repelled blacklegged ticks and lone star ticks as effectively. It can be easily synthesized from inexpensive turpentine oil feedstock so it’s both cheap and safe. While we wait for this stuff to become available, you may want to check out oil of Citronella which is also great as a repellant. You could also use a combo of these oils in grain alcohol and make up your own at home: basil, cedar, citronella, juniper, lemon, myrrh, palma rosa, pine, rose geranium and/or rosemary (available at health food stores). If you are bitten by a nasty bug, I have found a direct application of tea tree oil to work. Others have mentioned fresh lemon to me as a remedy and others say—meat tenderizer. I have also heard that catnip, believe it or not is a great remedy for nasty bites and twice as effective as DEET. I would love to hear what works best for you.
Tags: DEET, Essential oils, insect bites, mosquito bites