We Asked 4 Pest Experts to Name the Top Mosquito Repellents

I’m determined to enjoy my backyard this summer, so I’m already plotting my defense against mosquitoes. There’s no lack of repellent sprays, candles, oils, and devices on the market, and I’m tempted to buy all of them. But I won’t give those annoying little bloodsuckers the satisfaction of also taking a bite out of my budget. So I asked four different pest experts for their help in narrowing down the most effective options. Here’s what they had to say.

Top 3 Mosquito Repellents

“The best repellents contain DEET, Picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus,” says Natasha Oldham, general manager of MissQuito, a woman-led and -run mosquito control company. “All three of these ingredients have ample evidence of effectiveness in protecting people from mosquito bites.”

DEET and picaridin are chemicals that have been approved by the Environmental Protection Agency as safe for the environment. The Centers for Disease Control and the World Health Organization approve their use for humans older than two months. Lemon eucalyptus oil, on the other hand, is a natural ingredient. Let’s take a closer look at all three.

Learn more from Barbara Bellesi Zito here.

写真サムネイル ブログ執筆者
Online Resource
Apartment Therapy

Apartment Therapy is dedicated to helping people transform their lives by providing everything they need to create beautiful, organized, and healthy homes.

Launched in 2004 by interior designer Maxwell Ryan, Apartment Therapy is an independently owned, nationally-distributed, and Webby Award-winning destination for creating and celebrating the life you love at home. With a global audience of 20MM across our site and social networks, we reach readers at every stage — renters, first-time homebuyers, empty nesters, and everyone everywhere in between — across a broad spectrum of coverage through approachable and affordable advice, inspiration, and ideas to help you make your space uniquely your own.

メディア

This Sawyer repellent won a SELF Outdoor Award in 2022.

Sara Coughlin

メディア

The first detections of West Nile virus this year are a reminder to take steps to prevent mosquito bites and possible disease.

Desiree Fischer
Reporter

メディア

Both Consumer Reports and the Environmental Working Group (EWG) suggest that oil of lemon eucalyptus and picaridin can each serve as an alternative to DEET.

Terry Graedon
Editor, The People's Pharmacy