Choosing and Using Insect Repellents

Insect repellents can help reduce your risk of being bitten by insects and therefore reduce your risk of getting a disease carried by mosquitoes or ticks. Numerous products are available to repel mosquitoes and ticks. Sometimes, it can be difficult to decide which product to use when you are planning to be outdoors. The information below and EPA's Insect Repellent Locator can be useful when deciding on insect repellents. Find out where to locate important information on pesticide labels using NPIC's poster.

Learn more about insect repellents:

Using Insect Repellents

Find the Repellent that is Right for You - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Repellents: Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks and Other Arthropods - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Skin-Applied Repellent Ingredients - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Regulation of Skin-Applied Repellents - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Protection against Mosquitoes, Ticks, & Other Arthropods - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
How to Prevent Mosquito and Tick Bites - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Preventing West Nile - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Avoid Bug Bites - Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
Insect Repellents - Health Canada
Insect Repellent Use and Safety - New York City Department of Health
Repellent Wars - University of Florida Extension
Interim Guidance for Protecting Workers from Occupational Exposure to Zika Virus - Occupational Safety & Health Administration

Children and Insect Repellents

Are Insect Repellents With DEET Safe for Kids? - KidsHealth.org
Insect Repellents - American Academy of Pediatrics
Prevent Mosquito Bites (video) - American Academy of Pediatrics
DEET-based Insect Repellents: Safety Implications for Children and Pregnant and Lactating Women - Koren et al., 2003; Canadian Medical Association Journal 169(3)
Exposure of Children to DEET and Other Topically Applied Insect Repellents - Menon and Brown, 2005; American Journal of Industrial Medicine

Comparing Efficacy of DEET and Other Insect Repellents

Guidelines for West Nile Virus Surveillance and Control - Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
Comparative Efficacy of Insect Repellents against Mosquito Bites - Fradin and Day, 2002; New England Journal of Medicine 347(1):13-18
Mosquito Repellents - University of Florida Extension
Mosquitoes and Repellents - University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension
Repellent Wars - University of Florida Extension
Insect Repellents - American Academy of Pediatrics

DEET Use and Safety Information

Children and Pregnant/Nursing Women

DEET and Pregnancy - Organization of Teratology Information Service (OTIS)
DEET-based Insect Repellents: Safety Implications for Children and Pregnant and Lactating Women - Koren et al., 2003; Canadian Medical Association Journal 169(3)
Exposure of Children to DEET and Other Topically Applied Insect Repellents - Menon and Brown, 2005; American Journal of Industrial Medicine
Is DEET safe for children? - Zachary A. Flake, MD; Jose R. Hinojosa, MD. The Journal of Family Practice, 54 (5), 2005

Insect Repellents and Sunscreen

Using sunscreen and insect repellent with children - PennState Extension
Insect Repellent and Sunscreen Safety Tips for Children in Child Care - eXtension.org
Bug repellent safety - US National Library of Medicine
Insect Repellant Interactions: Sunscreens Enhanced DEET Absorption - Ross et al., 2004; Drug Metabolisn and Disposition 32:783-785

Insect Repellent Toxicology

NPIC Fact Sheet: Insect Repellents

DEET

DEET Information - NPIC
The Insect Repellent DEET - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
DEET RED Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
DEET Reregistration Eligibility Decision - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

IR3535

IR3535 Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
WHO Specifications and Evaluations for Public Health Pesticides: IR3535 - World Health Organization (WHO)
Ethyl butylacetylaminopropionate (PT19) Assessment Report - European Union, European Chemicals Agency

Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus

p-Menthane-3,8-diol (Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus) Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
p-Menthane-3,8-diol Biopesticide Registration Eligibility Document - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Picaridin

Picaridin Information - NPIC
Picaridin Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Icaridin - National Institues of Health, National Library of Medicine

Oil of Citronella (Citronella Oil)

Oil of Citronella Information - NPIC
Citronella (Oil of Citronella) Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Oil of Citronella RED Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Permethrin

Permethrin Information - NPIC
Permethrin Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Permethrin RED Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Other Repellents:

2-undecanone (also called methyl nonyl ketone)

Methyl Nonyl Ketone RED Facts - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Methyl Nonyl Ketone Reregistration Eligibility Decision - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
Substance Registry Services: Methyl Nonyl Ketone - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Soybean Oil

Flower and Vegetable Oils (includes Soybean Oil) Reregistration Eligibility Decision Fact Sheet - Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

If you have questions about this, or any pesticide-related topic, please call NPIC at 800-858-7378 (8:00am - 12:00pm PST), or email us at npic@ace.orst.edu.