Does the Electronic Cheat Keychain Mosquito Repellent Work? Review

The lights are off. The covers are snug beneath your chin. Y'all're falling blissfully into a long overdue sleep—when you hear the high-pitched whine of an approaching mosquito.

This article has been updated from its original text.

Tackling problems-bites in the eye of the night may be 1 drawback of summer, simply mosquitos are more than an annoyance in many parts of the world. Conveying diseases similar malaria, dengue fever, and Due west Nile and Zika viruses, they account for more than one one thousand thousand deaths each yr according to the World Health Organization. Every bit climate alter warms the planet and increases mosquito-friendly habitat worldwide, this number is expected to rising.

The seriousness of mosquito-borne diseases is the reason so much inquiry has gone into keeping people safe from their bites. It's also the reason so many products on the market claim to prevent you from condign a mosquito'due south adjacent meal. But are these products constructive?

Whether you lot're trying to avoid a disrupted slumber or a risky affliction, it's worth spending your coin on measures that piece of work. Here'due south what scientists are saying about the efficacy of musquito control products. Here likewise are the most effective remedies that volition keep mosquitoes at bay this summer.

The latest advances (don't work)

In that location really is an app for everything. In the past few years, many developers have come up out with smartphone applications that purport to repel mosquitoes. LG besides unveiled a smartphone with built-in, mosquito-repelling engineering. The but problem? They don't work.

More accurately, at that place's no scientific evidence to support the claims that the ultrasonic technology employed in mosquito-repelling devices actually keeps mosquitoes away. In fact, the contrary is true.

Many studies disprove the idea that ultrasonic technology repels mosquitoes. In one blinded, controlled study, scientists constitute no significant deviation between a test area field of study to an ultrasound device designed to repel mosquitoes and an surface area without the device. Some other written report demonstrated that electronic devices purporting to control mosquitoes with sound really increased biting rates.

While researchers conducted these studies earlier the release of the latest smartphone apps, mosquito-command apps on the market today use the same technology as the ultrasonic devices tested. The conclusion is that this engineering science didn't piece of work in other devices, so why should information technology work in smartphones?

The same goes for the ultrasonic wearable patches available from a variety of manufacturers. A 2017 study published in the Journal of Insect Science tested five wearable devices, finding that only i had any results. That one used a nebulizer containing metofluthrin, an ingredient known to repel mosquitoes when used every bit a fogger to emit a vapor effectually its wearer.

Of ultrasonic technology, the study concluded: "We're not aware of any scientific study showing that mosquitoes can exist repelled by audio waves, and therefore we consider these devices as the modern equivalent of snake oil."

What actually keeps mosquitoes away?

Today's scientists generally concord that the best musquito controls include a combination of repellents applied to skin or article of clothing and physical barriers that prevent mosquitoes from reaching you in the beginning identify. But not all products are created as. Here's a look at the most effective controls backed up by science.

Repellents

Since the The states Department of Agronomics adult DEET in 1944, the constructed chemical has been a mainstay of bug repellents. Curt for N, N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide, DEET works past activating the olfactory receptors in mosquitoes, effectively repelling them because they dislike its scent. Unfortunately DEET can irritate mucous membranes and cause skin reactions, called-for eyes, breathing difficulties, and headaches in some people.

Both the EPA and the CDC have adamant DEET to be condom, but recommend concentrations of 30% or less on children. (The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends ten%). Never utilise DEET to rubber, vinyl, plastic, and spandex because it may dissolve these fibers.

Although scientists and manufacturers have done many trials to notice a DEET equivalent, only a few plant-based source take shown promise.

Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) containing p-menthane-3, 8-diol (PMD) performed every bit well every bit DEET in the Journal of Insect Science report quoted in a higher place. It likewise worked for the same length of time as DEET products. Study authors concluded that, "DEET and PMD [are] the about effective and longest lasting mosquito repellents currently available." PMD is establish in products containing C. Citriodora (oil of lemon eucalyptus) and the tradenames Citrosynthol, Citrepel and Citriodiol. Information technology is also effective confronting ticks.
Neem oil has besides been proven effective by 1 study conducted in the tribal forested villages of Mandla, India. Derived from the neem tree (Azadirachta indica) native to the Indian subcontinent, Neem oil mixed with coconut oil and applied directly to the skin reduced musquito bites by upward to 91%. When added to kerosene and oil lamps along with other fuel, neem oil is also known to reduce mosquito presence.
Picaridin is another synthetic ingredient proven constructive against mosquitoes. Adult in Europe in the late 1990s, picaridin became available to American consumers in 2005. Studies prove information technology must brand upwards at least 20% of the solution to exist effective. While it's generally considered to be a safe alternative to DEET (without any of that chemic'due south plastic-dissolving traits), picaridin hasn't been as heavily tested.
A kid's version of Herbal Armor also fared well in the Insect Science study. Containing a mix of essential oils including citronella, cedar, lemongrass, and peppermint, it performed only also equally a 40% DEET solution and better than a 10% picaridin solution.

Barriers

When cases of dengue fever began cropping upwardly in Key West, Florida, local officials asked residents to protect themselves by dressing in long sleeves and long pants at dusk and dawn, when mosquitoes were more prevalent and more probable to bite. Treating habiliment with repellent can aid as well. Just be aware that permethrin, a common ingredient used to treat vesture for mosquitoes, is a known carcinogen if consumed and has been linked to Parkinson's illness. Permethrin besides acts like an insecticide instead of a deterrent, and then mosquitoes may still bite you through a permethrin-treated garment and non die until afterwards. Permethrin-treated article of clothing is generally considered safety and is now available from major outdoor retailers.

When camping in areas with healthy mosquito populations, nil beats a physical barrier like bug jackets with enclosed hoods and mosquito shelters for sleeping or eating. We especially similar Onsight insecticide-costless mosquito shelters because they're made from 60-100% recycled materials.

Aerosols

Recently products take entered the market that are effective at warding off mosquitoes using scents or aerosols emitted into the air. Ane common ingredient used in these products is the insecticide allethrin. The Thermacell uses butane gas to rut pads soaked with allethrin. These pads emit an aureola that attacks the nervous system of mosquitoes. Allethrin is constructive at warding off mosquitoes in targeted outdoor areas. Scientists recommend against using the product in enclosed spaces. The product is also known to be toxic to bees, cats and fish, so circumspection should be used when choosing anything containing this ingredient.

Other ways to command mosquitoes

Get rid of mosquito habitat

Eliminate standing water such as puddles, stagnant ponds, and uncirculated birdbaths to forestall mosquitoes from reproducing and lower musquito populations in your neighborhood. In places where yous can't remove standing water, effort calculation mosquito dunks. These unique products utilize a naturally occurring bacterium toxic merely to musquito larvae. They'll kill in a few hours and keep working for thirty days.

Light a candle

While citronella candles are by and large not effective outdoors, they can be effective when used inside, in small spaces. Other candles containing essential oils may assist fool mosquitoes cheers to their strong scents, though more studies are needed to determine their effectiveness.

Plow on the fan

Oscillating fans can help remove the carbon dioxide breathed out by people and pets, which attracts bugs. This is another solution for pocket-size indoor spaces.

Plug in electronic bug killers

Not to be confused with ultrasonic problems killers, these devices attract mosquitoes and other bugs using UV low-cal and octenol lures. Bugs wing direct into an electrified filigree and die chop-chop. Electronic problems killers are designed to piece of work in areas of upwardly to one and a half acres and should be plugged in 25 feet away from areas of high human action—betwixt you and your almost probable problems source. Power using an extension string and replace UV bulbs one time per year. If yous are targeting mosquitoes, be certain to use the octenol lure or you lot may terminate up killing beneficial insects instead.

Add together some bird and bat houses

While installing biological controls won't be your first line of defense against mosquitoes, adding bird and bat houses to your backyard is one fashion to subtract the mosquito population. Bats, dragonflies, and birds similar Regal martins, all do their share of the work when hunting for food. Still, continue in mind that they eat a small fraction of the mosquitoes when other casualty is bachelor, and so using other controls at the same time is important. For more details on how to use bats to assist control mosquitoes, read our commodity, How to use Bats for Natural, Not-Toxic Mosquito Control.

Mosquito control myths

The following tales almost things that attract (or repel) mosquitoes just aren't true.

Floral scents attract them (nope). Researchers involved in one of the studies above looked at floral scents as possible mosquito magnets. What did they find? There was no attraction. In fact, some floral scents had short-term repelling furnishings thanks to their ability to mask our human scent, though not enough to make them your go-to mosquito repellent. Thankfully, you don't have to end wearing that floral scented perfume—unless yous actually want to.
Consuming vitamin B1 will make you less desirable to mosquitoes (lamentable—not true). There's no proof that vitamin B1 (or whatever other vitamin) is a adept systemic mosquito repellent.
Eating bananas brand y'all into mosquito bait (no over again). While bananas contain octenol (a mosquito attractant), there's no show that eating them will somehow make you exude this mosquito-friendly substance, drawing them to you like flies to love. And so go ahead and grub down: mosquitoes won't care.
Mosquitoes don't like some people (partly true). A mosquito chooses its victims based on a few factors. The first is visual stimulus, and at that place'due south some prove showing that dark colors could make you stand up out and be more attractive to mosquitoes. The side by side, and probably virtually important factor, is the amount of carbon dioxide you breathe out with each breath. People with faster metabolic rates tend to produce more carbon dioxide. Larger people do, too. Certain smells may also make you a target, such equally the lactic acid exuded during exercise. Ever wonder why that sweaty jog came with then many bug bites? At present yous know.

Using a diversity of proven controls, you lot can keep mosquitoes at bay while staying healthy and avoiding impacts to your environment. That makes information technology easier to sleep at night—uninterrupted.

Well-nigh the Writer

Shannon Cowan
The blog editor at Eartheasy.com, Shannon lives on half-dozen acres of land with her husband, daughters, and backyard poultry flock.

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