Most alternatives to topically applied repellents have
proved to be ineffective. No ingested compound, including
garlic and thiamine (vitamin B
1
), has been
found to be capable of repelling biting arthropods.
26-28
Small, wearable devices that emit sounds that are purported
to be abhorrent to biting mosquitoes have
also been proved to be ineffective.
29
In our study,
wristbands impregnated with either DEET or citronella
similarly provided no protection from bites, consistent
with the known inability of repellents to protect
beyond 4 cm from the site of application.
30