Catnip lotion matches Deet in mosquito repellent effectiveness, study finds

A study presented at the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Florence found that a catnip oil lotion repelled mosquitoes as effectively as the widely used repellent Deet.

• The study, presented on Tuesday, found that a 6% catnip oil lotion was as effective as 15% Deet in preventing mosquito landings on volunteers' legs.
• Dr Simon Scofield of Cardiff University stated that Deet is unaffordable for most rural Ugandan farmers and that the catnip lotion can be produced locally by community enterprises.
• Researchers tested the lotion in eastern Uganda by comparing mosquito landings on volunteers using Deet, 2% or 6% catnip lotions, or placebo creams.
• Swai Kyeba, a research entomologist from the Ifakara Health Institute, said that new low-cost vector-control tools are needed but noted that topical repellents face low compliance due to required regular application.