Tick-Repellent Clothing: How Laundry Suds Affect Your Permethrin-Treated Duds
A study on the durability of permethrin-treated clothing found that, after 16 cycles of wearing and washing the clothes, their repellent effect on ticks was indeed reduced, but it was still better than untreated clothing.
Study ID’s Several Bed Bug Repellents That Could Keep Your Luggage Pest-Free
Travelers' luggage is an attractive harbor for bed bugs, which then hitch a ride to new locations. In the search for effective bed bug repellents, researchers at Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station and Bedoukian Research, Inc., have found that DEET as well as several naturally derived compounds could protect luggage from attracting stowaway bed bugs.
Do Chestnut, Lemon, or Peppermint Scents Repel Spiders?
In a study on three commonly cited natural spider repellents, both chestnut and peppermint oil showed apparent repellent effects on two species of spider but not on a third. Meanwhile, lemon oil did not have a significant effect on any of the three species included in the study.
Natural Compound Deters Lone Star Tick Larvae
A naturally occurring botanical compound found in anise, fennel, vanilla, and cranberries might be effective in deterring the larval stage of the lone star tick
Could Repellents Be Useful in Protecting Crops From Spotted-Wing Drosophila?
By Edward Ricciuti Cornell University scientists are tuning up the entomological version of psych war tactics that, instead of killing insect pests outright, manipulate their behavior so they avoid crops […]
Could Catnip or Chrysanthemum Bring Cows Relief From Biting Flies?
By Meredith Swett Walker We generally don’t associate cows with pleasant aromas, but in the future you may catch a whiff of mint, lemongrass, or chrysanthemum when visiting a barn […]
Researchers Develop Improved Lab-Testing System for Mosquito Repellents
By Edward Ricciuti Among the processes by which researchers gauge the effectiveness of a mosquito repellent is one that depends on convincing a volunteer to shove an arm treated with […]
Study Compares “Natural” Mosquito Repellents to DEET
By Josh Lancette Every summer while preparing for long weekends at our family cabin in the north woods of Minnesota, we’d face the same dilemmas. What food should we bring? […]