from Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry
The mosquito repellant chemical DEET has long been the go-to product to protect against bites, but it is only effective for several hours. And it smells! An article in the peer-reviewed Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry details new possible alternatives to DEET. Researchers started with two plant-based natural repellants and converted them into chemicals that were longer-lasting than current products, including DEET. They then developed additional repellants from inexpensive, commercially available chemicals that are longer lasting and smell better than DEET. Human volunteers reported at least eight hours of mosquito protection from the new class of repellants. Although still experimental, they hold promise for future development and availability.