Looking for the top mosquito repellent?
Perfect, you’re in the right place!
In this Pest Strategies guide you’ll learn:
- What are mosquito repellents?
- Do mosquito repellents actually work?
- Which types of repellents exist for mosquitoes?
- Our top 4 picks for repelling mosquitoes this season!
Short on time? Click here to jump right to our favorite and most effective repellent!
Or continue reading below if you want to learn more about our top 4 favorite mosquito repellents (including a natural solution)!
Ed has been working in the pest control industry for years helping 1,000's of homeowners navigate the world of insect and rodent management. He manages Pest Strategies now helping homeowners around the world!
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Wondercide Natural Deet-Free Mosquito and Insect Repellent Spray
Features
- DEET free formula
- Baby, toddler, and pet safe
- Made from USA food-grade ingredients
Premium Insect Repellent with 20% Picaridin by Sawyer Products
Features
- DEET free formula
- Picaridin defends against many pests
- Available in spray, lotions, and various sizes
Repel Sportsmen 30-Percent DEET Mosquito Repellent Wipes
Features
- DEET based formula
- Very effective and high quality reviews
- Easy to apply wipes
Avon SKIN-SO-SOFT Insect Repellent Lotion
Features
- SPF 30 and water resistant
- Lotion makes for best application and coverage
- Good value for price
Table Of Contents
Top 4 Best Mosquito Repellents
- Premium Insect Repellent with 20% Picaridin by Sawyer Products
- Repel Sportsmen 30-Percent DEET Mosquito Repellent Wipes
- Avon SKIN-SO-SOFT Insect Repellent Lotion
- Wondercide Natural Deet-Free Mosquito and Insect Repellent Spray
Mosquitoes are notorious for making their presence known at the most inopportune moments.
Who hasn’t found themselves comfortably settled into bed, peacefully drifting off to dreamland, only to be rudely yanked back to reality by the dreaded buzz of a mosquito?
Relentless in their quest for fresh blood – your blood! – mosquitoes won’t stop til they’ve had their fill… and reduced you to an itchy, bleary eyed mess.
Read Also: What are the best wearable mosquito bracelets?
Quite apart from the all-round irritation caused by these pests, many people also experience painful allergic reactions to the anticoagulant proteins delivered through their bites. In my experience, it’s usually children who suffer the most from these allergic reactions and when faced with a child covered in painful, hot and swollen mosquito bites, I’m ready to wage war!
In this article we’ll be covering the best mosquito repellents and how to use them effectively.
What Are Mosquito Repellents?
Mosquito repellents come in many forms, both natural and chemical. Some common forms of mosquito repellents include sprays, candles, creams and wipes.
Before we get into how mosquito repellents work, let’s first take a look at how mosquitoes find their targets.
Mosquitoes rely on a combination of three factors when searching for a potential target:
First they smell us.
Mosquitoes are attracted to the carbon dioxide we emit every time we exhale, as well as other bodily odors. This also explains why mosquitoes seem to be attracted to some people more than others – we all have different odors, and varying strengths of scent.
Once they’ve been alerted by their sense of smell that there might be a meal nearby, they search for visual confirmation. After locking onto their human target, they rely on thermal signals (body heat) to find the perfect landing spot.
Why are repellents important?
Mosquito repellents are one of your only defenses against mosquito bites and diseases such as west nile virus or yellow fever.
So how on earth do they still manage to find us in the dark?
While they usually use the above methods to find their food source, they don’t always rely on sight, and a hungry mosquito will find you through a combination of scent and thermal cues, even without visual confirmation.
How Do mosquito Repellents work?
Most repellents don’t actually kill mosquitoes, or even actively “repel” them – not in the true sense of the word, anyway -but rather, they deter them from finding and landing on treated surfaces.
Mosquito repellents essentially mask the odors known to attract these pests and many repellents (e.g. DEET) have been shown to confuse their odor receptors, making it harder for mosquitos to find (and feed!) on us in the first place.
What You Should Look For When Buying Mosquito Repellents?
With so many options out there, choosing the right mosquito repellent can be confusing. I always look for repellents containing one of the following:
DEET
Originally manufactured for the military, DEET has been proven to work by confusing the mosquito’s odor receptors, and is regarded by many as the most effective mosquito repellent. One of DEET’S most appealing factors is that a single application provides up to 11 hours of protection, making it one of the best mosquito repellents for Zika.
Unfortunately, as with most good things, there’s downside. Reports of DEET melting sunglasses and mobile phones have, understandably, caused a worldwide scare and for this reason many are choosing to use other mosquito repellent options. Despite these unsettling chemical reactions, DEET remains one of the best mosquito repellents and lab controlled studies show that possible health risks are greatly reduced with the right concentrations.
Need more reassurance? The EPA states that no toxic effects have been identified when applied dermally, and also notes that DEET is safe to use in children, with no age restrictions.
Choosing the best DEET mosquito repellents
When choosing a DEET Mosquito repellent, it’s important to always read the label.
I always choose DEET mosquito repellents with concentrations between 15-20%, although higher concentrations (up to 100%) have been deemed safe and provide longer-lasting protection. Can’t find DEET on the packaging? Check the ingredients for its chemical name: N,N-diethyl-meta-toluamide.
Picaridin (Icaridin)
Still wary of DEET? Try Picaridin. Considered slightly safer than DEET, Picaridin is another effective chemical mosquito repellent. The fact that Picaridin has fewer reported side effects (and doesn’t melt plastic!), earns it the thumbs up from me. I also love the fact that Picaridin provides protection for up to 8 hours and is free from unpleasant odors.
Essential oils: citronella, geranium, lemon eucalyptus, etc.
Essential oils do provide some protection from mosquitoes, but their repellent properties generally last for a maximum of 2-4 hours. Requiring frequent re-application and, taking into consideration the fact that even natural products like these can cause skin irritation, essential oils (for topical application) are my least favorite form of mosquito repellent.
Read Also: Is citronella safe?
They do smell great, though, and I love them for outdoor use in the form of a candle, or in conjunction with DEET or Picaridin. As a pet owner, I also consider essential oils to be the best mosquito repellent for dogs and haven’t experienced any adverse side effects. Cat’s on the other hand tend to not like essential oils as much do to their self-cleaning tendencies.
Do Mosquito Repellents Actually Work?
- Candles: Candles containing essential oils are proven to repel mosquitoes – citronella, lemon eucalyptus, geranium, etc—do work to some degree. In my opinion, they are the best mosquito repellents for patios and outdoors, but shouldn’t be relied on as your sole mosquito repellent.
- Sprays: Sprays can be an effective method of mosquito protection, but only when used topically. Bug sprays will work to kill mosquitoes immediately, but won’t prevent more from showing up. In my experience, the best mosquito repellent sprays contain DEET, Picaridin, essential oils, or a combination of these.
- Plants: Plant oils used in candles, diffusers, and topical applications work. Even burning or crushing the leaves may have some effect, but just the plant itself? Unlikely. While it certainly is a novel thought that a regular pot plant could provide mosquito protection while doubling as an aesthetically pleasing addition to your home; without first extracting its mosquito repellent properties, it’s not going to do you much good. If you’re considering a natural option, Citronella, Lemon Eucalyptus, and Geranium oil are among the best mosquito repellent essential oils.
Mosquito Repellents Reviewed
Mosquito repellents are a must, especially throughout the summer months and in areas with high instances of mosquito-borne diseases (malaria, dengue, zika). Below are our top mosquito repellent picks.
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Premium Insect Repellent with 20% Picaridin by Sawyer Products
This product gets our vote because it’s DEET-free and still provides up to 14 hours of mosquito protection.
We also love that it provides protection from other bugs, including ticks, biting flies, stable flies, gnats, chiggers and sand flies.
This is one mosquito repellent that would definitely make it into my camping backpack, as it comes in various size bottles, pump sprays, and in bulk gallons.
Definitely get one of these lotion bottles and avoid the itchy, nagging mosquito bites this summer!
The Good And The Bad
- Picaridin is safe an effective.
- Long lasting protection.
- Works to repel other bugs, too.
- Container is prone to rust spots.
- Chemical mosquito repellents may exacerbate existing skin conditions.
Repel Sportsmen 30-Percent DEET Mosquito Repellent Wipes
I love keeping mosquito repellent wipes on hand and find them especially useful for applying to exposed skin in unforeseen mosquito bite-risk situations like staying outdoors later than expected.
With a DEET concentration level of 30%, I can use this product with peace of mind that my family and I are highly unlikely to experience any harmful DEET-related side effects.
The Good And The Bad
- Contains DEET, the most effective mosquito repellent across the board.
- DEET levels are relatively low, making it a safer option.
- Non-sticky formulation makes it comfortable to apply.
- Wipes are packaged in one unit and all of them will dry out if not sealed correctly.
- Slightly unpleasant smell, common to most products containing DEET.
- May cause damage to plastics.
Avon SKIN-SO-SOFT Insect Repellent Lotion
A mosquito repellent that doubles as a beauty product and an SPF 30 sunscreen? I say, bring it on! Free from harmful chemicals, hypo-allergenic, and sun protection to boot, this makes a product I’d feel good about using on my family.
It’s so good to finally find a non-greasy mosquito repellent – and it’s effective against other bugs too!
The Good And The Bad
- Free of harmful chemicals
- Doubles as a moisturizer and sunscreen
- Hypo-allergenic
- More of a beauty brand, as opposed to a pest control brand
- No known mosquito repellent chemicals may reduce efficacy
Wondercide Natural Deet-Free Mosquito and Insect Repellent Spray
This brand was made famous after being shown on the TV show Shark Tank, but for good reason!
These DEET free repellents and insecticides made by Wondercide offer a great natural solution to those looking for a safer, more gentle approach to pest repellents.
You’ll find a lot of super fans of this brand, and this product is very versatile because it safe and can be applied directly on skin.
We think it’s a great product for everyone in the family, including the pets!
The Good And The Bad
- DEET FREE - Family safe option to use on the skin with kids, toddlers, babies, and pets!
- Versatile spray makes it easy to apply and transport
- No other harsh chemicals, made from food-grade ingredients
- Also available in wipes and different scents
- Not as effective as a DEET based spray