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Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, S. Horseshoe Dr. Hailey A. Luker, Keyla R. Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Skeen Hall, Las Cruces, NM, , USA. Department of Computer Science, New Mexico State University, Frenger Mall, Las Cruces, NM, , USA.

Institute for Applied Biosciences, New Mexico State University, S. You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar.

performed and troubleshot experiments, collected raw data, prepared figure legends, authored and reviewed drafts of the paper, and approved the final draft. performed and troubleshot experiments, collected raw data, and approved the final draft.

performed experiments, collected raw data, and approved final draft. analyzed data, prepared figures, and approved final draft. analyzed data, prepared figures, and tables, authored and reviewed drafts of the paper, and approved the final draft.

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Reprints and permissions. Repellent efficacy of 20 essential oils on Aedes aegypti mosquitoes and Ixodes scapularis ticks in contact-repellency assays.

Sci Rep 13 , Download citation. Received : 22 August Accepted : 25 January Published : 30 January Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content:.

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Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily. Skip to main content Thank you for visiting nature. nature scientific reports articles article. Download PDF. Subjects Animal behaviour Entomology Infectious diseases.

Abstract Cases of mosquito- and tick-borne diseases are rising worldwide. Introduction Diseases transmitted by mosquitoes and ticks impact hundreds of millions of human lives annually 1 , 2 , 3.

Table 1 - Essential oils used in this study. Full size table. Materials and methods Mosquito culture For all experiments conducted in this study, female Aedes aegypti from the UGAL University of Georgia Laboratory strain was used.

Formulations All active ingredients used in this study were procured from Millipore Sigma see Table 1. Ethics declarations All experiments conducted in this study have been reviewed and approved by the New Mexico State University Institutional Review Board.

Mosquito arm-in-cage assay This assay was conducted following the published guidelines of the U. EPA procedure tick on-arm crawling assay This assay was conducted according to the published guidelines of the U.

Repellent efficacy of different essential oils on Aedes aegypti Figure 1 c and Supplemental Table S1 show the complete protection times CPTs of different lotion formulations measured in the arm-in-cage assay.

Figure 1. Full size image. Figure 2. Discussion Global warming is impacting the distribution ranges of many arthropod disease vectors, as a result increasing the number of people at risk of contracting vector-borne diseases 63 , Figure 3.

Data availability All data generated or analyzed during this study are included in this published article and its Supplemental Information files. References McFee, R. Article Google Scholar Rosenberg, R.

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Article CAS Google Scholar Download references. Acknowledgements We acknowledge our lab technicians Maria Chacon and Ilse Tolentino for their help in raising the mosquitoes used in this study and Conrad Brooks for his help modifying the BugDorm cages. Author information Authors and Affiliations Department of Biology, New Mexico State University, S.

Hansen Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, New Mexico State University, Skeen Hall, Las Cruces, NM, , USA F. Omar Holguin Department of Computer Science, New Mexico State University, Frenger Mall, Las Cruces, NM, , USA Harley Bendzus-Mendoza Institute for Applied Biosciences, New Mexico State University, S.

Hansen Authors Hailey A. Luker View author publications. View author publications. Ethics declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Additional information Publisher's note Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Supplementary Information. Rights and permissions Open Access This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4. About this article. Cite this article Luker, H. Copy to clipboard. This article is cited by Efficacy of unregulated minimum risk tick repellent products evaluated with Ixodes scapularis nymphs in a human skin bioassay James C.

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Publish with us For authors Language editing services Submit manuscript. Search Search articles by subject, keyword or author. Show results from All journals This journal. Advanced search. It turns out that certain essential oils are not only effective and natural mosquito and bug repellents - in some instances even better than DEET - but others can also help soothe painful or itchy bug bites….

So just how does the scent of essential oils work to fend off mosquitos, flies, ants, moths, gnats and many other bugs?

Chemical pesticides basically help repel insects by confusing their sense of smell. For instance, a mosquito is first attracted to the carbon dioxide we breath out, and then zeroes into her target yes - the biters are all female by sensing the lactic acid on your skin.

If those smells are masked by another scent, she misses her mark and moves on. But did you know that certain scents and compounds in essential oils can do the same thing? Citronella masks both carbon dioxide and lactic acid in humans, the two scents that are attractive to mosquitoes.

Other essential oil active compounds, like linalool in lavender, give off a scent that mosquitoes hate. In fact, linalool is often used as an active ingredient in conventional insect repellents. It also turns out geraniol, the active compound in geranium oil, is in fact more effective at repelling mosquitoes than linalool - and even citronella - as found in another study.

And because there are many different compounds in essential oils that can repel mosquitos and other bugs, it often pays to use a mix of two or three oils to do the job most effectively. Just experiment with a few different oils you like to find out which recipe works best for you.

A perfect carrier to use is coconut oil as its fatty acids also effectively repel many blood-sucking pests, including mosquitos, biting flies, ticks and bed bugs. Use any combination of the following essential oils as a powerful and effective insect repellent for mosquitos, flies, gnats and a whole bunch of other bugs you may encounter….

Probably the most widely recognized bug repellent oil, citronella, which is derived from lemongrass, contains well-known insect deterrents citronellal, citronellol, geraniol, and limonene. Many years ago, it was shown to be as effective dose-for-dose as DEET and has been registered as a natural plant-based insect repellent in the U.

since Unlike many other essential oils which repel bugs by their scent, citronella works by masking those odors most attractive to insects. A review of 11 studies found that using citronella oil together with vanillin found in vanilla beans repelled mosquitos for up to three hours.

A member of the mint family, catnip frequently grows as a weed in many parts of the United States, and is considered to be a highly efficient means of staving off mosquitoes, roaches, and other pests. In a study comparing catnip to DEET, it was found that catnip was significantly more effective at keeping mosquitos away when sprayed into the air.

When used as a repellent on the skin, it did not prove to be nearly as efficient as DEET, suggesting this oil would be best used in a diffuser. Another study found that catnip was highly successful in repelling mosquitos for at least 2 hours. Well known as natural pesticide for plants, neem oil is a highly effective natural bug repellent for people too.

Neem derivatives can neutralize nearly pests , including insects, mites, and ticks. It successfully repels them and affects their growth rather than killing the pests right away. Best used topically when combined with a carrier oil, it can protect against mosquitos and other biting insects.

Another confirmed that it is effective for up to 10 hours against sand flies too. If your summer is being ruined because your home has been overrun by flies, thyme essential oil can be your savior.

A highly effective insecticide against house flies, thyme is also very efficient in repelling mosquitos. Thyme contains five powerful insect fighting substances carvacrol, p-cymene, linalool, alpha-terpinene, and thymol , which have been found to be effective mosquito repellents.

Two of these substances have even showed themselves to be more effective than DEET. Thyme has also been shown to repel beetles.

Lemon eucalyptus oil not only contains large amounts of citronellal but also eucalyptol and limonene, and so includes three well-known natural bug repellents. For instance, eucalyptol has been shown to act both as a mosquito deterrent as well as a tick repellent. In addition, a study has found that eucalyptus essential oil , which also contains eucalyptol, is effective against flies.

Another study found that three species of eucalyptus can also repel blood sucking sandflies. Lemon eucalyptus oil should not be confused with oil of lemon eucalyptus OLE. They are not only processed in different ways but oil of lemon eucalyptus has far more of an ingredient called PMD that repels mosquitoes, and which has been found to be as effective as DEET.

However, lemon eucalyptus, and even eucalyptus essential oil , are still effective options to use as bug repellents. There are a whole bunch of essential oils that actually do double-duty on the bug front - they not only repel mosquitos and other pests but can also help relieve the soreness and irritation associated with painful or itchy bug bites.

They are made up of a wide variety of active ingredients, many of which are common across a number of different oils. For instance, linalool makes up a large part of lavender essential oil , but is also available at lower concentrations in other oils like, for example, thyme.

And linalool itself also has many wide-ranging benefits, ranging from its well-known sleep-enhancement and stress reduction properties to both repelling pests and reducing pain and inflammation. As most essential oils are very powerful and potent, they need to be diluted in a carrier oil, like coconut, jojoba or avocado, before applying to the skin.

Any combination of these essential oils will do double-duty as a mosquito and insect repellent and a soothing treatment for any bug bite. Just experiment and find a combo you like — and your bugs hate….

For bug bites: Relieves itching, reduces pain and swelling, especially for bee or wasp stings, and ant bites. Not to be used on broken skin. A study has shown that clove oil is also an effective bug repellent for up to 1½ hours, better than both citronella and lemongrass oils.

Another study noted that clove oil repelled mosquitoes for between hours, beating 37 other oils tested. Lavender Repels: Mosquitoes, gnats, fruit flies, lice, spiders, ants, bed bugs, ticks and moths. For bug bites: Natural analgesic to relieve pain, reduces swelling, redness and irritation especially with bee stings or spider and ant bites, promotes healing, best and safest essential oil for babies and toddlers.

Lavender can help reduce and soothe painful and itchy bug bites. It can be used for fire ants and bees as well, due to its anti-inflammatory properties which reduce the redness of the bite, cool the hurt area, and calm it at the same time. A must-have multipurpose oil for your first aid kit, lavender is the go-to kid safe essential oil - as an insect repellent and for bug bites - for your baby or toddler.

Well-known as one of the gentlest oils, lavender can be applied direct to any insect bite, unlike most essential oils. Lavender can help reduce the redness , itching, and irritation, and may speed up healing and recovery. While it can soothe pretty much any itchy bug bite mosquitoes included , it can be especially helpful for spider bites, fire ant bites, and bee stings.

Lavender essential oil is also a highly effective insect repellent that keeps you and your family safely protected from mosquitos and other bug bites they hate the scent , particularly important if you have little ones.

Try creating a permanent bug-free lavender oasis in your home. Diffuse a mix of lavender and geranium oils to chase all the mosquitos and midges away. Display a dried lavender bouquet in a pretty vase and burn decorative lavender candles.

To repel moths and other pests, simply slip a few lavender sachets into your drawer or closet. A lavender spray can also effectively keep ants, bed bugs and other insects at bay. There Are Many Uses Of Lavender Oil You Probably Want To Know About — Read More.

Peppermint Repels: It is an essential oil to repel m osquitos, gnats, spiders, ants, bed bugs, fruit flies, roaches, lice, wasps and ticks. For bug bites: Tingling, cooling sensation to soothe and numb, reduces itchiness, redness and pain, speeds healing.

Does peppermint oil repel bugs? With its strong scent and cooling effect, peppermint is another great multipurpose essential oil for not only repelling many different types of bugs, but also soothing itchiness, reducing selling and treating the most painful of bites, such as those from fire ants.

New Recipe Live. This post will tell you Coconut Oil Toothpaste we like natural bug Essential oils for insect repellent, which essential oils to use, repfllent considerations to be repellwnt of, Essntial of course! some flr Coconut Oil Toothpaste Best ginseng products blend recipes to insecy DIY natural bug repellent that smells amazing! When we need to protect ourselves from itchy bites, stings, and insect-borne illnesses, natural bug repellent offers a safer alternative to the chemical-laden bug repellents on the market. Plants have natural defenses to protect themselves from harmful invaders like fungus, bacteria, and insects. The naturally occurring oils contained in the leaves, stems, bark, wood, and flowers of some plants help to keep the plants healthy. These are the essential oils! Essential oils for insect repellent fragrant blend of Pre-workout supplementation guide, lavender, geranium, repellemt, cedarwood, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, Turmeric, and insext. A great Essenyial to naturally keep the Coconut Oil Toothpaste at bay this summer! Fractionated Coconut Oil, Essential Oil Blend of citronella, lavender, geranium, lemongrass, cedarwood, peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, rosemary, and thyme. For best results, reapply every few hours or as needed. To apply to the face, spray into hand first. Do Not Ingest. Do Not Spray Directly into Face.