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deet, oil of lemon eucalyptus, picaridin,
<br />a chemical called IR3535, and products
<br />made with natural plant oils.
<br />Our brave testers had a different repel-
<br />lent applied to each of their forearms and,
<br />30 minutes later, reached into an 8- cubic-
<br />foot cage containing 200 disease -free,
<br />female mosquitoes in need of a blood
<br />meal to lay their eggs. We used culex
<br />mosquitoes (the kind that transmit West
<br />Nile and are most active between dusk
<br />and dawn) and aedes (a variety that likes
<br />to feed on humans, is active all day long,
<br />and carries chikungunya). Our experts
<br />watched and recorded bites every hour.
<br />A repellent failed if a tester was bitten
<br />two or more times in one 5- minute ses-
<br />sion, or once in two consecutive sessions.
<br />For ticks, we marked each tester's bare
<br />arms with three lines, then released, one
<br />at a time, five disease -free deer ticks to
<br />crawl on them. The repellent failed if two
<br />ticks crossed into the treated area.
<br />What Bugs a Bug Most?
<br />The top - performing products contained
<br />20 percent picaridin (Sawyer Fisherman's
<br />Formula) and 30 percent oil of lemon eu-
<br />calyptus (Repel Lemon Eucalyptus). They
<br />kept mosquitoes and ticks away for at least
<br />7 hours. Two deet products also earned at
<br />least Very Good scores, and the repellent
<br />that was 15 percent deet (Repel Scented
<br />Family) outperformed the 25 percent deet
<br />product (Off! Deep Woods VIII), possibly
<br />because of its inactive ingredients. The
<br />IR3535 products, Coleman SkinSmart and
<br />BullFrog Mosquito Coast, didn't make
<br />our list of top sprays. Some of the plant -
<br />oil products couldn't ward off the aedes
<br />mosquitoes for even half an hour. To see
<br />the bugs in action on our testers' arms, go
<br />to ConsumerReports .org/cro / insectsO715.
<br />Repellents: The Bottom Line
<br />GO PLANTLIKE Look first for products
<br />with 20 percent picaridin or 30 percent
<br />oil of lemon eucalyptus; we think they're
<br />safer than those with deet.
<br />LIMIT DEFT If you do opt for deet, avoid
<br />concentrations of more than 30 percent
<br />(which are potentially dangerous) or below
<br />8 percent (which may not work as well).
<br />SKIP THESE Don't bother with "all- natural"
<br />plant -oil repellents. Skip wristbands, too.
<br />Neither worked well in our tests.
<br />We tried a candle, a diffuser, and a fan. Here's what worked.
<br />TO FIND OUT HOW WELL area repellents
<br />worked, we simulated a backyard barbecue
<br />in a 25x30 -foot room and unleashed 250
<br />aedes mosquitoes, known to be aggres-
<br />sive biters. We suited up four testers in
<br />protective suits and sat them at a "picnic"
<br />table, where we lit an Off! Citronella Bucket,
<br />$8.50, containing a candle with 0.5 percent
<br />oil of citronella. Then we counted how
<br />often mosquitoes landed on them. We
<br />tested again with the Bug Band Portable
<br />Diffuser, $20, which uses a battery -
<br />operated blower to propel the scent of
<br />20 percent geraniol, another plant oil.
<br />Last, we cranked up an oscillating pedes-
<br />tal fan to its highest speed to see whether
<br />it could literally blow mosquitoes away.
<br />What we found. Neither the citronella
<br />bucket nor the geraniol diffuser kept the
<br />mosquitoes at bay. But the fan showed
<br />some promise: It cut mosquito landings by
<br />45 to 65 percent, at least among people
<br />sitting close to the fan. Our survey found
<br />similar results: 45 percent of people who
<br />used fans said they were especially helpful,
<br />compared with 31 percent of those who
<br />tried candles. What else can you do? Clean
<br />out gutters and empty old tires and bird-
<br />baths (where mosquitoes breed) and clear
<br />away ivy and decaying leaves (where they
<br />hide). For ticks, keep your lawn mowed,
<br />remove leaves, and let in as much sun as
<br />you can. Consider fencing, to keep out
<br />deer and other animals that carry ticks.
<br />The Scoop on Deet and Its Alternatives
<br />DEFT (N, N- diethyl- meta - toluamide) has
<br />been the go -to insect repellent since it was
<br />introduced in the 1950s. But consumers are
<br />still confused by it: 64 percent of people
<br />we surveyed admit that they don't know
<br />how much deet a repellent should contain
<br />for it to be considered safe. And balancing
<br />safety and effectiveness is tricky. Products
<br />with 15 percent or more deet do work,
<br />though concentrations above 30 percent
<br />are no better, past tests have found. And
<br />deet, especially in high concentrations, can
<br />cause rashes, disorientation, and seizures.
<br />That's why we say you should avoid repel-
<br />lents with more than 30 percent deet and
<br />not use it at all on babies younger than
<br />2 months. But go too low —such as 7 per-
<br />cent deet —and it won't stop bites for long.
<br />PICARIDIN AND OIL OF LEMON
<br />EUCALYPTUS —two repellents intro-
<br />duced in the last decade —make good
<br />alternatives to deet. Here's why.
<br />They work. The repellents we tested
<br />that contain 20 percent picaridin and
<br />30 percent oil of lemon eucalyptus
<br />(p- Menthane- 3,8 -diol) warded off
<br />mosquitoes for at least 7 hours and kept
<br />deer ticks away for at least 6 hours. But
<br />the concentration is important: A spray
<br />that contained just 5 percent picaridin
<br />performed worse than the 7 percent deet
<br />product we tested.
<br />They're safer. Picaridin is made to
<br />resemble the compound piperine, which
<br />occurs naturally in black pepper plants.
<br />Oil of lemon eucalyptus comes from
<br />the gum eucalyptus tree. Both have
<br />less serious side effects than deet has.
<br />Oil of lemon eucalyptus can cause
<br />temporary eye injury. The Food and
<br />Drug Administration says it should not
<br />be used on children under age 3. Of the
<br />two, picaridin is a better choice for kids,
<br />although it can cause some irritation of
<br />skin, eyes, and lungs.
<br />ILLUSTRATIONS BY OLIVER MUNDAY CONSUMER REPORTS 35
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