Summer is almost here, which means vacations, backyard barbecues, beach days, and unfortunately bugs. Insect repellent is a great way to battle against buzzing mosquitoes in your face, itchy bites, and creepy ticks. But not all bug sprays are effective, so Consumer Reports put 53 repellents to the test to find the best ones for you.
How does sticking your arm in a cage filled with hundreds of hungry mosquitos sound? That’s exactly what Consumer Reports has brave volunteers do. A standard dose of repellent is applied to the test subjects’ arms.
After 30 minutes, they stick their arms into cages of 200 disease-free mosquitoes for five minutes and testers count every time a mosquito lands on their arm or bites. The process is repeated until the repellent fails or until eight hours have passed.
“A repellent fails our test if a mosquito bites twice in one 5-minute session. Or if there’s one bite in each of two consecutive five-minute sessions,” said Catherine Roberts with Consumer Reports.
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Now, while the mosquitoes in these tests are disease free, the bugs you’ll encounter might not be. Using an effective insect repellent is one really good way of reducing your risk of contracting diseases like Lyme disease and West Nile virus.
The key word is “effective.” Consumer Reports tests found that many of the most effective repellents in fighting against mosquitoes and ticks contained 25 to 30% Deet as its active ingredient.
Two repellents Consumer Reports recommends: 3M Ultrathon Insect Repellent8, and Ben’s Tick and Insect Repellent Wilderness Formula Pump. Both excelled in protection.
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Properly applying the repellent is just as important as the kind you use. Follow the directions on the label, and use a thin coat on all exposed skin. You can also spray on top of your clothes but don’t apply it under your clothing.
If you’re wary of Deet, Consumer Reports tests found some repellents that contain 20% picaridin or 30%t oil of lemon eucalyptus were effective as well.
