Catnip lotion as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes, study finds

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/07/catnip-lotion-as-effective-as-deet-at-repelling-mosquitoes-study-finds

by atombender • 13 days ago

18 7 13 days ago

theguardian.com

dofm2• 13 days ago

Or try picaridin-based products if for some crazy reason you would prefer not to be appealing to cats.

It too is as effective as Deet, which you probably don't want to use.

tencentshill• 13 days ago

link to the study abstract

P3.15

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vvvgg1ub4n3rtqlm0gidz/SEB_Flo...

bell-cot• 13 days ago

A homegrown catnip lotion has proven “just as effective as Deet” as a mosquito repellant in trials carried out in Uganda.

While this is good news...a quick realty check, for those unfamiliar:

Malaria, which is transmitted by mosquito bites, kills ~16,000 Ugandans per year. That is a profoundly different social and economic situation from what mosquito repellents face in most of the world.

Also, the research is aimed straight at local, low-tech production in Uganda. Criteria like "shelf stable", "no unpleasant odor", and "doesn't stain clothing" could be very low priorities.

EDIT: Fixed mortality number, added source:

https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profil...

Note the >10M annual cases. Malaria is really not a nice disease, and Uganda's population is only about 50M.

vablings• 13 days ago

This also has domestic use too. People with small children and pets that are sensitive to things like DEET, I have two parrots and must be careful to not expose them to DEET as its very toxic to them.

dofm2• 13 days ago

Picaridin is safe for birds I think?

(Less so for dogs, which is a shame)

eth0up• 13 days ago

20 years ago, my best friend (Wylie), a former low level Navy-NSA vet studying Eastern medicine would make all sorts of potions from his library of essential oils and extracts. At that time, I was living outdoors, in Florida. He had a product specifically for mosquitoes, which used a mixture of thiamine, cornmint, x, y, maybe z, and most distinctly, catnip.

I remember the night that I bedded down in a field, swarmed by mosquitoes. I applied the Wylie solution and immediately became impervious to the black clouds of pestilence. However, the duration of protection was short lived, and I cannot recall with certainty, but perhaps only an hour to two and no more than 3. I would have to sit up several times to reapply the solution, but it worked quickly and effectively.

That night, I had been dreaming of something strange. I could hear, feel pattering sounds around me. As I opened my eyes, the sound began to register. I was being circumnavigated by a mewing cat, over and over, it would encircle me, nearly screeching in a state of torment and intrigue. Despite my stupor, I soon realized what was happening and broke out in laughter. It really was one of the more amusing and funny things I've ever witnessed.

I can tell you, some cats care nothing for catnip. But the oil is a different instrument. Even the most indifferent of cats will respond in strange ways to the oil -- from a distance. However, for the love of animals and their well being, I advise caution and recommend being very conservative if experimenting. I think, in oil form, it could actually be harmful if overdone.

Yaa101• 13 days ago

Trading in mosquitoes for cats isn't a bad thing, unless you hate cats more, hard to imagine though...

Catnip lotion as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes, study finds

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