• A+
• A+
• A+

Adjust font size

GuideWisdom™

This WisdomCard managed by: Chris Miller

An insect repellent is a substance that is applied to repel certain pests such as ticks or mosquitoes. Insect repellents do not kill the insects, they just discourage them from the surface the repellent is on. DEET is one of the most common, and more controversial, ingredients in commercial insect repellents.

Fast Facts:

• --Always read labels and follow directions. ¹
• --Children should not apply insect repellents to themselves. ¹
• --Insect repellents are used to prevent or help control diseases such as West Nile Virus¹, Lyme disease and malaria.².

5 Great Resources on Insect Repellents

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): Questions and Answers - Insect Repellent Use and Safety
• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene: Insect Repellent Use and Safety
• Wisconsin Department of Health Services: Tick and Insect Repellents
• BCHealthFiles: Insect Repellents and DEET
• ConsumerSearch: Insect Repellent Reviews

5 Latest Headlines on Insect Repellents

• More Insect Repellents News from Topix

What are Insect Repellents?

• HighBeam Encyclopedia: Insect Repellent
• Wikipedia: Insect Repellent
• Michigan.gov: General Use Information - DEET Use - How it Works

What are the Uses for Insect Repellents?

• Vermont Department of Health: Why Should I Use Insect Repellent?
• University of Michigan Health System: Itchy or Painful Insect Bites - How Can I Help prevent Bites?
• WebMD: Avoid Mosquito Bites to Avoid West Nile Virus Infection - Avoid Mosquito Bites
• CDC: Avoidance - Lyme Disease - Keep Ticks off Your Skin

What are the Side Effects, Interactions and Precautions for Insect Repellents?

• New York State Department of Health: Health Advisory: Tick and Insect Repellents
• University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County: What's the Scoop on Insect Repellents? - The Hazards of DEET and How To Avoid Them
• CDC: Updated Information Regarding Insect Repellents - EPA Recommends the Following Precautions When Using Insect Repellents

What are the Types of Insect Repellents?

• Environmental Protection Agency: Active Ingredients found in Insect Repellents
• National Environment Agency: Insect Repellent - Types of Mosquito Repellent
• North Carolina Cooperative Extension Department of Entomology: Insect Repellent Products

What are the Holistic Types of Insect Repellents?

• Colorado State University Extension: Garlic May Repel Pests as Well as People
• The Holistic Medicine Cabinet: Insect Repellent
• Holistic Pediatric Association: Non-Toxic Bug Repellents - Alternative Repellents

Wisdom, Blogs and Message Boards about Insect Repellents

• PetnBlog: Make Summer Living Easier with Essential Oils - Insect Repellent
• Wellcast: Take the Bite Out of Summer
• Cookerati: Cloves + Bayleaves + Sage = Natural Insect Repellent

Clinical Trials for Insect Repellents

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Clinical Trials on Insect Repellents
• CenterWatch: Insect Repellent Clinical Trial

Controversy and Lawsuits about Insect Repellents

• NoSpray.org: No Spray Coalition
• Organic Consumers Association: OCA Warns About Using DEET Insect Repellent (Aug. 8, 2003)
• Scoop: Pesticides: NYC Settles Lawsuit Against Giuliani (April 17, 2007)
• North Carolina Court: Harleysville Mut. Ins. Co. v. Buzz Off Insect Shield, LLC (May 6, 2008)

Abuse of Insect Repellents

• BeyondPesticides.org: National Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides
• Rand.org: Pentagon Press Conference on Environmental Exposure in the Gulf War Features Details of Recently Released RAND Research
• SpokesmanReview: Keep Pets Safe This Holiday (July 4,2008)

Scientific and Medical Journal Articles on Insect Repellents

• PubMed Central: Articles on Insect Repellents
• JAMA: Insect Repellent Articles
• Google Scholar: Articles About Insect Repellents

Related WisdomCards

• Insect-borne Diseases
• Mosquito Bites
• How to Prevent Mosquito Bites
• Encephalitis
• Natural Mosquito Repellents
• Lyme Disease
• West Nile Virus
• Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever
• Ticks
• Malaria

GuideWisdom and Fast Facts References

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1 1.2} Center for Disease Control (CDC): Insect Repellent Use and Safety
2. ↑ Wikipedia: Insect Repellent

User Recommended Links for Insect Repellents

Are we missing any great links? Please Login or Register to be the first to add to this list of recommended links to help others and improve this WisdomCard.