With growing concerns over insect-borne diseases, protecting yourself against bug bites is top of mind for many people. From traditional bug sprays to chemically-treated clothing, there are plenty of options on the market, but not all of them provide the same level of protection.
Consumer Reports tested 16 insect repellents with a range of active ingredients. They were tested for their effectiveness against the Aedes mosquito that can carry the Zika virus and the Culex mosquito which can spread the West Nile virus. The lab also tested the repellents against deer ticks, which can carry Lyme disease.
The most effective spray that’s available in Canada was Ben’s 30% DEET Tick and Insect Wilderness Formula, which costs about $5.
The natural or plant-oil based insect repellents did not fare well in Consumer Reports tests.
"Five out of the six that we tested lasted only an hour and a half or even less against the Aedes mosquito, which is of course the one that carries the Zika virus,” said Consumer Reports Health Editor Jeneen Interlandi.
The Natural Products Association says some plant oils do work and some people want alternatives to DEET.
An alternative to the sprays is insect repellent clothing. The clothing is treated with permethrin—a chemical insecticide effective against a wide range of insects.
L.L. Bean and ExOfficio sell shirts treated with permethrin that promise to repel insects for up to 70 washings. Consumer Reports tested to see how well the shirts performed, both when new and after 25 washes. Volunteers put their arms into cages filled with 200 mosquitoes.
"All of the permethrin-treated clothing that we tested did stun or kill many mosquitoes that landed, but none were foolproof in preventing mosquito bites,” said Interlandi.
None of the volunteers were bitten when wearing the new L.L. Bean shirt, but after it was washed, three out of four testers were bitten by Aedes mosquitoes.
All four volunteers wearing the ExOfficio shirts, both new and washed, were bitten by the Aedes mosquitoes and the Culex mosquitoes.
The companies that make the permethrin treatment, Burlington and Insect Shield, cited formal studies and field-testing data to underscore the effectiveness of their products. A government expert also said the clothing can reduce the number of mosquitoes around you.
If you prefer a more do-it-yourself approach, you can spray regular clothes with a 30 per cent DEET repellent. Consumer Reports tried the same mosquito test with clothes treated this way, and none of the volunteers were bitten. However, if you do this, Consumer Reports recommends that you spray the clothes before you put them on and wait until they’re dry. They also don’t recommend using a product with more than 30 per cent DEET.
