Table 1. Table showing mosquito repellent methods & strategies.
Shown are mosquito repellent methods that were collected through the open ended survey question, along with the way of administration or preparation and the region(s) they were listed from. The methods/strategies are listed according to the numbers of references (from high to low).
| Responses | Administration/preparation | Region | Ref. No. |
|---|---|---|---|
| Telephone app (sound) | Application | Sweden | |
| Cut down on sugar | Avoidance, Ingestion | USA, Denmark | |
| No meat consumption | Avoidance | UK | |
| Bananas | Avoidance, Ingestion, Topical, Unspecified | USA, Canada, New Zealand, Pakistan | Effiom, Avoaja & Ohaeri (2012) |
| Scented perfume/lotions/detergents | Avoidance, Topical | USA, Canada, Australia, Brazil, Switzerland, Ireland, China, Sri Lanka | Douglas (2008) |
| Animal dung (cow, elephant) | Burning | N. America, Australia, India | Lale & Kulkarni (2010) |
| Artemesia vulgaris (L.) (Asian mugwort) | Burning, Planting | USA | Liu et al. (2013), Tripathi et al. (2000) |
| Ayurvedic leaves | Burning | Sri Lanka | McPartland (1997) |
| Laurus nobilis (L.) (bay leaves) | Burning | USA | |
| Coconut husks | Burning | USA, Australia | Kulkarni (2017) |
| Coconut shell with dhuna | Burning | India | Kulkarni (2017) |
| Coffea Arabica (L.) (coffee) | Burning | Europe, Brazil, USA, Africa | Satho et al. (2015) |
| Larrea tridentate (de Candolle) (Creosote) | Burning | USA | Green, Beroza & Hall (1960) |
| Dhup-an | Burning | Bangladesh | Sharma, Chauhan & Lal (2005) |
| Dried Chrysanthemum spp. plants | Burning | Kenya | Isman (2006) |
| Dry Vitex negundo (L.) (Nochi) leaves | Burning | India | Arutselvi et al. (2012) |
| Dry powdered rhizomes of certain plants | Burning | India | Choochote et al. (2005) |
| Eucalyptus globulus (Labillardiere) (Tasmanian bluegum) leaves | Burning | Brazil, USA | Maia & Moore (2011) |
| Formes fomentarius (L.) (tinder fungus) | Burning | Sweden | |
| Poaceae (L.) (grass) | Burning | Canada | Yoon et al. (2015) |
| Lemon scented candles | Burning | Netherlands | Jaenson, Garboui & Pålsson (2006) |
| Prosopis juliflora (DC.) (mesquite) | Burning | USA | Tibbets & Faeth (1999) |
| Mixture of diesel fuel & malathion | Burning | USA | Abdel-Sattar et al. (2010) |
| Citrus sinensis (L.) (orange) peel or dried rind | Burning | Europe, Africa, USA, Canada Brazil | Amusan, Idowu & Arowolo (2005) |
| Citrus sinensis (L.) (orange) peel with Syzygium aromaticum (L.) (clove) | Burning | USA | Zhu et al. (2001) |
| Peat | Burning | Sweden | Kettridge et al. (2014) |
| Schinus terebinthifolius (Raddi) (pepper tree) | Burning | Namibia | Karunamoorthi, Ramanujam & Rathinasamy (2008) |
| Salvia officinalis (L.) (sage) | Burning | USA | Ikeura, Kobayashi & Hayata (2012) |
| Tamarix (L.) (salt cedar) | Burning | USA | Hagler & Buchmann (1993) |
| Santalum album (L.) (sandalwood) | Burning | Australia | Amer & Mehlhorn (2006) |
| Spices such as Cinnamomum (Schaffer) (cinnamon), Mentha (L.) (mint), Salvia officinalis (L.) (sage), Petroselinum crispum (Miller) (parsley) | Burning | USA | Ishii, Matsuzawa & Vairappan (2010) |
| Nicotiana tabacum (L.) (tobacco) or Cannabis sativa (L.) (marijuana) | Burning | USA | Gozan et al. (2014) |
| Vanilla candles | Burning | USA | |
| Cigar smoke | Burning, Topical | USA, Ireland, Hungary | Jufri, Irmayant & Gozan (2016) |
| Kerosene | Burning, Unspecified | USA, Bangladesh, New Zealand | Pates et al. (2002) |
| Brewer’s yeast | Ingestion | Canada, New Zealand, USA | Bisseleua, Gbewonyo & Obeng-Ofori (2008) |
| Capsaicin | Ingestion | USA | Rogers (1984) |
| Pelargonium citrosum (Citronella) tea | Ingestion | Brazil, Mexico (herbal tea) | Maia & Moore (2011) |
| Dill pickles and Allium sativum (L.) (garlic) | Ingestion | Unknown | |
| Gin and tonic | Ingestion | Chile, New Zealand, South Africa | |
| Zingiber officinale (Roscoe) (ginger) tea | Ingestion | USA | Zhang, McAuslane & Schuster (2004) |
| Citrus paradise (Macfad.) (grapefruit) juice | Ingestion | USA | Yoon et al. (2015) |
| Iron pills | Ingestion | USA | |
| Local honey | Ingestion | USA | |
| Marmite | Ingestion | New Zealand | Bisseleua, Gbewonyo & Obeng-Ofori (2008) |
| Citrus sinensis (L.) (oranges) | Ingestion | Canada, USA | Amusan, Idowu & Arowolo (2005) |
| Origanum vulgare (L.) (oregano) oil | Ingestion | Canada | Licciardello et al. (2013) |
| Selenium supplements | Ingestion | USA | Angradi & Tzilkowski (1987) |
| Tonic water with quinine | Ingestion | USA, South Africa, Malaysia, France, New Zealand, Australia | |
| Alcohol | Ingestion, Avoidance | USA, Canada, Denmark, Hungary, Ireland | Lefèvre et al. (2010) |
| Apple cider vinegar | Ingestion, Spray, Topical | USA, Europe | |
| Aloe vera | Ingestion, Topical | South Africa, Italy, Germany, Norway, Australia | Subramaniam et al. (2012) |
| Cinnamomum (Schaeff.) (cinnamon) | Ingestion, Topical, Unspecified | USA, South Korea, Canada | Amer & Mehlhorn (2006) |
| Car Mobil | Larvicide | India | |
| Charcoal tabs in standing water | Larvicide | USA | Belant et al. (1997) |
| Clorox | Larvicide | USA | Aubernon et al. (2015) |
| Coffee disposal granules | Larvicide, Spray | USA, Brazil | Satho et al. (2015) |
| Diesel | Larvicide, Spray | Egypt, USA | Leverkus et al. (2017) |
| Cut a Solanum lycopersicum (L.) (tomato) in half and leave it next to the bed | Other | South Africa | Bleeker et al. (2009) |
| Cut Syzygium aromaticum (L.) (lemon) | Other | USA, Malaysia | Fradin & Day (2002) |
| Hanging dried Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) (eucalyptus) branches | Other | USA | Pavela & Benelli (2016) |
| Hanging Ziploc bag of water with penny or lavender inside | Other | USA | |
| Jar of sugar water away from people | Other | USA | |
| Keep cut Syzgium aromaticum (L.) (lemon) in all the rooms | Other | Malaysia | Fradin & Day (2002) |
| Tagetes minuta (L.) (Khakibos) under mattress. | Other | South Africa | Brown, Ainslie & Beinart (2013) |
| Moth balls | Other | USA | Harris, Palmer & George (1983) |
| Allium cepa (L.) (onion) by side of the bed | Other | USA | Ueno et al. (2003) |
| Pteridium aquilinum (L.) (Bracken fern) | Plant | Canada | Donnelly, Robertson & Robinson (2002) |
| Chrysathemum (L.) (chrysathemums) | Plant | USA | Kamaraj et al. (2011) |
| Eupatorium capillifolium (Lamarck) (dog fennel) | Plant | USA | Tabanca et al. (2010) |
| Equisetum (L.) (horse tail) | Plant | USA | Bunescu, Florian & BODIŞ (2012) |
| Monarda punctata (L.) (horsemint) | Plant | USA | Tabanca et al. (2013) |
| Lippia javanica (Musudzungwane) | Plant | South Africa | Kruger et al. (2015) |
| Achillea millefolium (L.) (yarrow) | Plant | Canada | Moore & Debboun (2007) |
| Tagetes (L.) (Marigolds) | Plant, Larvicide | USA, Canada | Pavela & Benelli (2016) |
| Solanum lycopersicum (L.) (tomato plant) | Plant, Other | Austria, Switzerland, South Africa | Bleeker et al. (2009) |
| Melissa officinalis (L.) (lemon balm) | Plant, Topical | USA | Amer & Mehlhorn (2006) |
| Rosmarinus officinalis (L.) (rosemary) | Plant, Topical, Burning | USA, Australia, Hungary, Canada | Isman (2006) |
| Nepeta cataria (L.) (catnip) | Plant, Topical, Other | USA | Alem & Douglas (2004) |
| Lavandula (L.) (lavender) | Plant, Topical, Spray, Unspecified | USA, Germany, Canada, Australia | Amer & Mehlhorn (2006) |
| Ocimum basilica (L.) (basil) | Plant, Topical, Unspecified | USA, Australia, Ireland | Del Fabbro & Nazzi (2008) |
| Pelargonium (L.) (geraniums) | Plants | USA, Switzerland, Canada, Eritrea | Tabanca et al. (2013) |
| Callicarpa americana (L.) (Beauty berry) | Plants, Topical, Unspecified | USA, UK | Cantrell et al. (2005) |
| Beer, mouthwash, Epsom salt solution | Spray | USA | Lefèvre et al. (2010) |
| Boric acid (1%) and 10% sucrose solution | Spray | USA | Gore & Schal (2004) |
| Coconut oil and Dettol disinfectant | Spray | New Zealand | Sritabutra & Soonwera (2013) |
| Pinol (Mexican version of pinsol) | Spray | USA | Aubernon et al. (2015) |
| Thymus vulgaris (L.) (thyme) leaf tea mixed with Pelargonium citrosum (L.) (citronella) oil | Spray | USA | Isman (2006) |
| Water soaked Fragaria ananassa (Duchene) (strawberry) | Spray | Brazil | Ceuppens et al. (2015) |
| Listerine/mouth wash | Spray, Topical, Unspecified | USA, South Africa, Canada | Alexander et al. (1962) |
| Avon Skin So Soft | Topical | USA, Europe, Australia, South Africa | Rodriguez et al. (2015a) |
| Baby oil | Topical | USA | Akbar et al. (2005) |
| Baby wipes | Topical | USA | Akbar et al. (2005) |
| Bounce dryer sheet | Topical | USA, Saudi Arabia | |
| Cigarette butts soaked in alcohol | Topical | USA | Mondal et al. (2015) |
| Syzygium aromaticum (L.) (clove) in alcohol solution | Topical | Brazil | Plarre et al. (1997) |
| Cocos nucifera (L.) (coconut) oil | Topical | USA, Australia, Denmark, UK | Das et al. (2003) |
| Cream with Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden & Betche) (tea tree) oil, Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) (eucalyptus) oil, and bees wax | Topical | USA | Yang & Ma (2005) |
| Crushed dried Carica papaya (L.) (papaya) leaves | Topical | USA | Rawani et al. (2012) |
| Crushed Hyptis suaveolens (L.) (pignut) | Topical | Australia | Yang & Ma (2005) |
| Crushed Mentha (L.) (mint) | Topical | USA, Australia | Karamaouna et al. (2013) |
| Crushed seeds of Lepidium sativum (L.) (chandrashura), Brassica nigra (L.) (black mustard), and Ricinus communis (L.) (castorbean) | Topical | USA | Barone & Frank (1999) |
| Deer tallow | Topical | Alaska | Fargione & Richmond (1991) |
| Deodorant | Topical | New Zealand, USA | Verhulst et al. (2016) |
| Diatomaceous earth | Topical | USA | Islam et al. (2010) |
| Diluted fabric softener | Topical | USA | |
| Fresh aromatic leaves of Myrtaceae (Juss.) plants | Topical | Australia | Yaghoobi-Ershadi et al. (2006) |
| Germix | Topical | USA | |
| Lemon/lime juice | Topical | USA, Pakistan, Denmark | Amer & Mehlhorn (2006) |
| Local bear bread (a tree fungus, pollypore) | Topical | Alaska | |
| Mixture of baby oil and Citronella oil | Topical | Australia | Maia & Moore (2011) |
| Mixture of fresh or dried Petroselinum crispum (Mill.) (parsley) and apple cider vinegar | Topical | Unknown | |
| Mixture of garlic juice and crushed peels of limes and lemons | Topical | USA | |
| Mixture of vodka and citronella, geranium, and other essential oils | Topical | USA | Sakulku et al. (2009) |
| Mud | Topical | USA, Canada, Australia | |
| Ananas comosus (L.)(pineapple plant) | Topical | Canada | |
| Shampoo (as repellent) | Topical | Mexico, Malaysia, Britain, USA | |
| South African camphor oil ointment, called Zambuk | Topical | South Africa | Schearer (1984) |
| SPF 30 sunscreen | Topical | USA | Schueller & Romanowski (2016) |
| Talcum powder | Topical | USA | Mehr, Rutledgei & Morales (1985) |
| Tanacetum vulgare (L.) (tansey) leaves | Topical | Canada | Schearer (1984) |
| Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden & Betche) (tea tree) oil | Topical | Ireland, USA, Norway, France, Australia | Ahmad, Aslam & Mamat (2016) |
| Thiamine patch | Topical | USA | Dua, Pandey & Dash (2010) |
| Tiger balm | Topical | USA, Cambodia, Australia, Malaysia | Sarwar et al. (2017) |
| Vanilla extract | Topical | USA | |
| Vaseline | Topical | South Africa, USA | Lindqvist, Lindqvist & Tiilikkala (2008) |
| Azadirachta indica (Juss.) (neem) | Topical, Burning, Plant | India, USA, Bangladesh, Eritrea, Brazil, West Indies, Germany, Nigeria | Isman (2006) |
| Vicks Vaporub/menthol | Topical, Other | USA, Canada, Australia, South Africa, Namibia | Alankar (2009) |
| Mentha piperita (L.) (peppermint) lotion/oil | Topical, Other (camping tent) | USA, Unknown | Geetha & Roy (2014) |
| Mixture of baby oil, menthol, and Dettol | Topical, Spray, Unspecified | Australia, New Zealand | Bunker & Hirschfelder (1925) |
| Crushed Backhousia citriodora (F.Muell.) (lemon myrtle) or Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) (eucalyptus) leaves | Topical, Spray, Unspecified | Australia | Maia & Moore (2011) |
| Vinegar/vinegar based solutions | Topical, Spray, Unspecified | USA | Rahmat et al. (2014) |
| Crushed up leaves of the Myrica cerifera (L.) (Wax Myrtle tree) | Topical, Unspecified | USA, Australia | Cilek, Hallmon & Johnson (2010) |
| Aleurites moluccanus (L.) (Kukui nut) oil | Topical, Unspecified | USA (Hawaii) | Nakayama & Osbrink (2010) |
| Rubbing alcohol | Topical, Unspecified | USA, South Korea | Govere et al. (2000) |
| Witch hazel | Topical, unspecified | USA, Canada | |
| Baking soda | Unspecified | USA | Beresford et al. (1996) |
| Citrus bergamia (Risso.) (bergamot) oil | Unspecified | USA | Peterson & Coats (2001) |
| Actaea racemose (L.) (black cohosh) | Unspecified | USA | |
| Plantago major (L.) (broadleaf plaintain) | Unspecified | Germany | |
| Broken liquid aspirin | Unspecified | USA | Alem & Douglas (2004) |
| Melaleuca cajuputi (Thomas Powell) (cajuput) oil | Unspecified | Indonesia | Amer & Mehlhorn (2006) |
| Calendula officinalis (L.) (English marigold) oil | Unspecified | Canada | Tavassoli et al. (2011) |
| Capsicum annuum (L.) (cayenne) | Unspecified | USA | Wimalaratne et al. (1996) |
| Chlorine | Unspecified | USA | Mathis & Quarterman (1953) |
| Copper pins | Unspecified | Germany | Becker, Oo & Schork (2015) |
| Diluted Raw Armor’s starch | Unspecified | USA | |
| Hairspray | Unspecified | USA | |
| Jasminum (L.) (jasmine) | Unspecified | Ireland, Spain | Amer & Mehlhorn (2006) |
| Key lime | Unspecified | USA | |
| Mixture of Cymbopogon (Kurt Sprengel) (lemongrass) oil, mouthwash, and Prunus dulcis (Mill.) (almond) oil | Unspecified | USA | Ansari et al. (2000) |
| Mixture of Listerine and witch hazel | Unspecified | USA | Ansari et al. (2000) |
| Mixture of Melaleuca alternifolia (Maiden & Betche) (tea tree) oil, apple cider vinegar, and water | Unspecified | USA | Di Campli et al. (2012) |
| Mixture of WD-40, camphor/phenol, and mineral oil | Unspecified | New Zealand, USA | |
| Nail polish | Unspecified | USA | Govere et al. (2000) |
| Oil paint | Unspecified | Pakistan | Kareru et al. (2010) |
| Pogostemon cablin (Blanco) (patchouli) oil | Unspecified | USA, Canada | Maia & Moore (2011) |
| Pinus sylvestris (L.) (pine) oil | Unspecified | USA | Maia & Moore (2011) |
| Pine tar | Unspecified | USA | Thorsell et al. (1998) |
| Sesamum indicum (L.) (sesame) oil | Unspecified | USA | Trongtokit et al. (2005) |
| Mentha spicata (L.) (spearmint) oil | Unspecified | USA | Ansari et al. (2000) |
| Sulphur | Unspecified | USA, Canada | Ferraro (1995) |
| Thieves oil | Unspecified | USA | Dua, Pandey & Dash (2010) |
| Toothpaste | Unspecified | USA | Geetha & Roy (2014) |
| Trader Joe’s Tea Tree Tingle | Unspecified | USA | Ahmad, Aslam & Mamat (2016) |
| Windex | Unspecified | USA | Miller (1983) |