What are the best bug sprays to prevent tick and mosquito bites? Is the insecticide permethrin safe to use?

Answer:

Tickborne illnesses such as Lyme disease have more than doubled in the United States since 2004 (CDC, Tickborne Disease Surveillance Data Summary, Accessed 4/25/22). While mosquitoes in the U.S. often cause nothing more serious than itchy, red bumps (which nevertheless can be an annoyance), they also have the potential to transmit serious diseases such as Zika and West Nile virus (EPA 2021). For these reasons, it is important to know which preventative measures – including bug sprays and other strategies — are most effective at helping avoid insect bites.

Steps to help prevent tick or mosquito bites

According to recommendations by the CDC, the following steps should be taken when outdoors to help prevent bug bites:

• Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered insect repellent
• Wear permethrin-treated clothing
• Wear long sleeves
• Wear light clothing
• Perform tick checks
• Know how to remove a tick
• Wash and dry clothes at hot temperature

Sign in as a member for more details about tick and mosquito protection, including which insect repellent ingredients (i.e., DEET, picaridin, oil of lemon eucalyptus, etc.) and insecticide products for use on clothing and gear (i.e., those containing permethrin) work best and our Top Pick and Runner Up among mosquito and tick repellents , as well as our Top Pick among insecticide products for use on clothing and gear. Also learn whether these repellents work on biting flies, can be used on pets (dogs or cats), are safe on clothing (including sun-protection clothing), expire over time, should be applied before or after sunscreen, and about a reported link to Parkinson's disease.

Products discussed and compared in this article include Avon Skin-So-Soft Bug Guard Plus Picaridin Insect Repellent Spray, Control Solutions Permethrin SFR 36.8% Concentrate Insecticide, Cutter Insect Repellent SS, Cutter Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent, Durvet Permethrin 10% Rapid Kill Insecticide, OFF! FamilyCare Insect Repellent II, Repel 100 Insect Repellent, Repel Permethrin Clothing & Gear Insect Repellent, Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus Insect Repellent Pump, Sawyer Products 20% Picaridin Insect Repellent, Sawyer Products Premium Permethrin Insect Repellent for Clothing, Gear & Tents, and Sawyer Premium Permethrin Insect Repellent Aerosol Spray, as well as fabrics impregnated with Insect Shield (such as ExOfficio, Craghoppers, and Cresta).