The Product
The familiar company, Repel, now makes a plant-based mosquito repellent called Repel® Lemon Eucalyptus Mosquito Repellent. The manufacturer claims that the oil of lemon eucalyptus effectively repels not only mosquitoes, but deer ticks and no-see-ums as well, for up to six hours.
The Test
Everyone where I live is commenting on how bad the mosquitoes are this year. There are always mosquitoes in the summer here, but this year they are really, really bad. Perhaps the unusually high amount of rain we received is to blame. Perhaps the fact that I do not use chemical pesticides in my backyard makes it a mosquito paradise. Nonetheless, any product claiming to repel mosquitoes would certainly be put to an extreme test in my backyard.
I had previously been using a high concentration DEET product. Because I am concerned about personal and environmental health, I sought out an alternative to DEET to combat the pesky mosquitoes.
I had my doubts about a plant-based mosquito repellent. After all, my backyard has mounds of marigold plants growing and flowering prolifically. Marigolds are supposed to be a natural insect repellent because the unique scent is unattractive to insects. I even purchased a lemongrass plant and placed it prominently in the backyard. Still, to my chagrin, mosquitoes danced about in my backyard, eagerly awaiting my presence.
It Works!
I sprayed my exposed skin before venturing out into my mosquito saturated backyard air. To my amazement, the mosquitoes did not land on my exposed arms, legs, neck, and face. I had not sprayed my clothing, and I noticed a mosquito or two land on the outside of my clothing, but they were rendered harmless since they could not bite me through my loose, airy clothing.
Although I have not put the lemon eucalyptus spray to test for deer ticks, it definitely outperforms the DEET product at repelling mosquitoes.
It Smells Good, But . . .
For the Fourth of July, I attended an outdoor event to watch fireworks. The location was a grassy hillside near a murky pond. There were lots of people sitting on blankets, breathing out carbon dioxide. For those not in on the mosquito’s secret, the chemical compound carbon dioxide attracts mosquitoes, letting them know where the tasty animals are.
Since I couldn’t choose to stop breathing, I began spraying my exposed skin generously with the Lemon Eucalyptus spray. Our friends immediately commented on how nice the spray smelled. My husband also always says how good it smells when I spray it on before we go for our evening walk.
But, I have noticed that when I spray a lot on and breath in too deeply, the smell is overwhelming. It produces a slight burning sensation in my nose. Being careful not to inhale deeply right when the product is being sprayed has made this a non-issue.
Where to Buy
Repel Lemon Eucalyptus spray is available at REI, Target, and Wal-mart, as well as other outdoor or sporting goods stores. The 4-ounce spray bottle retails for $7.25 at REI. It can be found less expensively at Target or Wal-mart. I bought my 4-oz bottle at an Academy Sports + Outdoors store in Oklahoma City for $6.49.
The Bottom Line
The Lemon Eucalyptus spray repels mosquitoes even better than the commonly used DEET product. It is gratifying to use a plant-based, renewable resource that smells wonderful and is good for me and for the earth.
