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CDC says Lemon-Eucalyptus Oil as effective as Deet on Mosquitos?

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
Link to story at TREEHUGGER => http://www.treehugger.com/lawn-garden/cdc-confirms-lemon-eucalyptus-oil-as-effective-as-deet.html

Probably a bigger issue for some areas of the country than others, but the summer months, especially in areas with rain/ponds/water, mosquitoes can destroy a hike or picnic.

DEET has been the go-to treatment, but there may now be a legitimate new treatment to rid yourself of the nasty bugs.

It's easy to say you'll never use DEET, that is until you come down to South Carolina. My home state boasts mosquitoes that rival your house pet in size and stature. But even still, many fear the toxicity of DEET and try to avoid it even with those mini-monsters landing on you noon and night. According to the CDC, lemon eucalyptus oil could be a much safer and more natural weapon. The CDC confirmed that lemon eucalyptus oil can be as effective as DEET in repelling mosquitoes, a story reported on Mattermore:

Oil of lemon eucalyptus [active ingredient: p-menthane 3,8-diol (PMD)], a plant- based repellent, is also registered with EPA. In two recent scientific publications, when oil of lemon eucalyptus was tested against mosquitoes found in the US it provided protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET​

.
Mattermore reports that until recently, DEET was the only repellent recommended by the CDC, and approved for individual use by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Oil of lemon eucalyptus is plant-based repellent oil made from leaves of Eucalyptus citriodora.

Concerns with DEET
The most serious concerns about DEET are with the central nervous system:

Dr. Mohammed Abou-Donia of Duke University studied lab animals'
performance of neuro-behavioural tasks requiring muscle co-ordination. He found that lab animals exposed to the equivalent of average human doses of DEET performed far worse than untreated animals.​
Children with DEET toxicity reported lethargy, headaches, tremors, involuntary movements, seizures, and convulsions though the amount that led to this toxicity was unreported, according to the CDC.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter
at home I have 4 bat houses and they help some.

Yup, but hard to transport the bat houses out to a state park:whistling:

We have had rain nearly every day since I've been back from England, have had to pump OUT the swimming pool as it overflowed twice. It needs to be pumped out again. The back field is a lake. The field across the creek is a lake. Lots of small bodies of standing water for the past 10+ days. Its all pretty much stagnant and perfect breeding/hatching grounds for the little pesky bugs. Figure in another week we should see a bumper crop of mosquitoes living in the woods and landscaping around the house. More rain is coming so the land is not going to dry out.

Looks like it might be a miserable summer. Skeeters the size of big hummingbirds seem likely :unsure:

Not sure where to even buy Lemon-Eucalyptus oil so I'll probably stick with the commercially available remedies but I figured some might be interested in an all natural treatment.
 

Melensdad

Jerk in a Hawaiian Shirt & SNOWCAT Moderator
Staff member
GOLD Site Supporter

road squawker

Active member
GOLD Site Supporter
.... tested against mosquitoes found in the US it provided protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET...

noticed how quickly they skipped over the "low concentrations of DEET" part

just about anything is as good as "low concentrations"

IOW, it doesn't really work:doh:
 

jask

Member
Heard a recent program on the radio about how coffee and coffee grounds ( caffine ) were toxic to mosquitos and the were recommending tossing coffee grounds in standing water to kill the larvae..... time to go to starbucks and pick up 50lbs of grounds :)
 

jask

Member
mosquitos on caffeine let us know how it works.

We tested the toxicity of used coffee grounds, a
recently proposed larvicide, to
the species’ larvae, which is known to be tolera
nt to a wide range of water quality levels. High
concentrations of used coffee
grounds induced very large larval
mortality within a few days.
However, large mortality occurred in the cont
rols after two weeks, and there was an apparent
boost to larval survivorship in
treatments with low to medi
um concentrations of coffee
grounds. Although the results suggest that used coffee grounds could constitute a cost-free and
environmentally sound alternative
to less desirable insecticides,
we believe that extensive field
trials are necessary before their use as
a larval control method is advocated.
http://www.derraik.org/Publications/Derraik&Slaney-Coffee_grounds.pdf

The study also determined that caffeine combined with other insecticides increases their killing power. In one test, a small dose of caffine increased a known pesticide's potency by ten times.
The potency of the combination, the report stated, was far greater than that of the sum of the parts.
http://www.thecrimson.com/article/1984/10/9/caffeine-kills-insects-scientist-says-pif/
 

Cidertom

Chionophile
GOLD Site Supporter
As with any of the "natural" products. Just because it is plant based does NOT make it any less harmful than a product synthesized from 'chemicals'.

Use appropriate caution and education with any product.
 

jask

Member
As with any of the "natural" products. Just because it is plant based does NOT make it any less harmful than a product synthesized from 'chemicals'.

Use appropriate caution and education with any product.

That is great advice, a lot of people would be suprised how close chemically most of these "citrus" cleaners are to good old turpentine..... another " all natural" cleaner.
 

EastTexFrank

Well-known member
GOLD Site Supporter
During our recent road trip, we stopped off at a Bass Pro Shop for a quick visit. It lasted 4-1/2 hours as my wife loves to remind me. :yum: However, my wife who hates DEET in any shape or form, bought some of the Lemon-Eucalyptus oil. She hasn't tried it since we've been home so I can't comment ... yet.

I too noticed the comment, "As effective as DEET at low concentrations". I think that it's pretty well accepted that DEET isn't really affective at all at low concentrations so I'm not sure what that statement means.
 
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