Protection from arthropod bites is best achieved
by avoiding infested habitats, wearing protective clothing,
and using insect repellent.
11,12
In many circumstances,
applying repellent to the skin may be the only
feasible way to protect against insect bites. Given that
a single bite from an infected arthropod can result in
transmission of disease, it is important to know which
repellent products can be relied on to provide predictable
and prolonged protection from insect bites. Commercially
available insect repellents can be divided
into two categories — synthetic chemicals and plantderived
essential oils. The best-known chemical insect
repellent is
N,N
-diethylm
-toluamide, now called
N,N
-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (DEET). Many consumers,
reluctant to apply DEET to their skin, deliberately
seek out other repellent products. We compared
the efficacy of readily available alternatives to
DEET-based repellents in a controlled laboratory environment.