Catnip lotion as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes, study finds

20 years ago, my best friend (Wylie), a former low level Navy-NSA vet studying Eastern medicine would make all sorts of potions from his library of essential oils and extracts. At that time, I was living outdoors, in Florida. He had a product specifically for mosquitoes, which used a mixture of thiamine, cornmint, x, y, maybe z, and most distinctly, catnip.

I remember the night that I bedded down in a field, swarmed by mosquitoes. I applied the Wylie solution and immediately became impervious to the black clouds of pestilence. However, the duration of protection was short lived, and I cannot recall with certainty, but perhaps only an hour to two and no more than 3. I would have to sit up several times to reapply the solution, but it worked quickly and effectively.

That night, I had been dreaming of something strange. I could hear, feel pattering sounds around me. As I opened my eyes, the sound began to register. I was being circumnavigated by a mewing cat, over and over, it would encircle me, nearly screeching in a state of torment and intrigue. Despite my stupor, I soon realized what was happening and broke out in laughter. It really was one of the more amusing and funny things I've ever witnessed.

I can tell you, some cats care nothing for catnip. But the oil is a different instrument. Even the most indifferent of cats will respond in strange ways to the oil -- from a distance. However, for the love of animals and their well being, I advise caution and recommend being very conservative if experimenting. I think, in oil form, it could actually be harmful if overdone.

> A homegrown catnip lotion has proven “just as effective as Deet” as a mosquito repellant in trials carried out in Uganda.

While this is good news...a quick realty check, for those unfamiliar:

Malaria, which is transmitted by mosquito bites, kills ~16,000 Ugandans per year. That is a profoundly different social and economic situation from what mosquito repellents face in most of the world.

Also, the research is aimed straight at local, low-tech production in Uganda. Criteria like "shelf stable", "no unpleasant odor", and "doesn't stain clothing" could be very low priorities.

EDIT: Fixed mortality number, added source:

https://cdn.who.int/media/docs/default-source/country-profil...

Note the >10M annual cases. Malaria is really not a nice disease, and Uganda's population is only about 50M.

Trading in mosquitoes for cats isn't a bad thing, unless you hate cats more, hard to imagine though...

link to the study abstract

P3.15

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/vvvgg1ub4n3rtqlm0gidz/SEB_Flo...

Or try picaridin-based products if for some crazy reason you would prefer not to be appealing to cats.

It too is as effective as Deet, which you probably don't want to use.