Insect repellents are active chemicals that are produced by plants or synthetically and have the effect of repelling insects. It itself has no insecticidal activity, but because of its special odor, it can avoid pests or disperse them. For example, natural citronella oil and synthetic DEET can repel mosquito bites, cyclohexylamine can repel termites, and camphor can repel clothing moths. Some varieties of pesticides have both repellent and toxic effects. The pure repellent effect is only a negative control method. The impact of repellent on the environment is mainly to cause temporary odor pollution, and generally, it will not harm the environment for a long time or destroy the ecological balance.
To ward off mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and other biting insects, people use insect repellents. In order to stop bites and the spread of disease, repellents work by keeping insects away rather than by killing them.
Mosquitoes and ticks are drawn to our exhaled carbon dioxide and skin smells. In addition, they search for a potential host using heat, movement, and visual clues. In order to keep insects from finding a human or animal host, repellents interfere with their perceptions of taste and smell.
Repellants' effectiveness and duration of protection can differ. Before claiming to be able to control mosquitoes or ticks, they must go through tests to demonstrate their efficacy.
Higher concentration repellents may offer longer-lasting protection. They do not, however, do a better job of warding off insects. Less than 10% of an active component in repellents may only provide temporary protection (1-2 hours). The length of time a repellent may be effective can be impacted by sweat, water contact, and clothing friction.