Weird but wonderful? Catnip lotion as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes, study finds

[usonian]

Kitty gonna love it.

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2026/jul/07/catnip-lotion-as-effective-as-deet-at-repelling-mosquitoes-study-finds

In a study presented at the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Florence on Tuesday, a team working between Uganda and Wales found mosquitoes seeking a blood meal were less likely to land on people wearing lotions made from catnip.

Dr Simon Scofield, a senior lecturer at Cardiff University, said: “We found that a 6% catnip oil was just as effective as Deet, and the 2% catnip oil was only marginally less effective than that.

“Deet is out of the price bracket for most rural Ugandan subsistence farmers, so buying commercially available mosquito repellents is just not practicable.

“We wanted to make a repellent, which is highly efficacious, but also allows local people to be involved in the production cycle so that it costs a minimal amount of money,” he said.

The study link gets the entire conference abstracts ... 238 pages

[rampartd]

1. that might explain why blossum rolls in the stuff

if it works on fleas.

i thought she just wanted to smell up for the other cats.

[usonian]

4. Smarty Cat

[applegrove]

2. All the neighbourhood cats will come over and lick you.

[DinahMoeHum]

12. Well, hell, I wouldn't mind.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

3. Like my cats aren't all over me enough as it is...

[usonian]

5. Have you been using tuna fish oil as skin lotion?

Asking for a friend.

[buzzycrumbhunger]

7. *heehee*

Sorry--vegan, so missed out on that one.

Lotion in general seems to be a cat magnet, though. Not sure if it’s because they like the scent or think I need help washing it away.

[2naSalit]

6. A friend...

Sent me the link in a text, my phone doesn't do browser, so I couldn't read the article, just the URL.

Thanks for posting.

Sounds great but catnip is a member of the mint family and I'm allergic to mint. Why can't it be some other cheap to grow in mass amounts plant?

[eppur_se_muova]

13. Check out my post #9 below -- lemon eucalyptus oil.

Unfortunately, menthane-3,8-diol has a *very* similar structure to menthol, so you might be allergic to it as well. There is the possibility that either the raw or refined diol has a different stereochemistry than menthol, which might make it safe. Only way to know is to test it.

[2naSalit]

14. True...

I use a mixture of oils that, fortunately, someone has made a combination that I can buy locally that works for what I need.

The nontoxic cream idea is best but it's impossible to have something for every person. I also like that it is a cheap weed so it can be produced with less environmental impact, one would hope. Killing them isn't necessary if you can just keep them off of your body.

[DBoon]

8. Does catnip work on these cats too?

If so, I will stick to DEET when hiking in the great outdoors

[eppur_se_muova]

9. Ummmmm ... are lions or leopards attracted to catnip ?

Could be trading mosquito bites for something worse. Could also render it unsafe for use in jaguar or tiger country.





(BTW, it's been known for years that catnip repels mosquitos. I was looking up info for home-brew repellents a few years back. Catnip oil was a strongly recommended ingredient.)


ETA: Lemon eucalyptus oil is also supposed to be very effective, and I suspect it could be grown locally (Uganda). Don't confuse with eucalyptus oil, lemon oil, etc. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P-Menthane-3,8-diol

[usonian]

10. Lions are quite rare in California.

Though you might find more of that kitty posted above than you'd like.

You could try at the zoo.

[eppur_se_muova]

11. I was thinking of Uganda, where some of the research was done. nt

[buzzycrumbhunger]

17. I was gonna say

… you could grow your own catnip (or whatever) and just make your own lotion. Always cheaper and more satisfying to me to be able to recreate something I like the looks of…

Of course, thanks to Pinterest, you can look up how to make ANYTHING on the cheap (or for near-instant gratification): https://simplysoraya.com/homemade-hand-cream/

And yes, I believe bigger cats are as susceptible to things like catnip as the home versions are. Luckily, my son outgrew Boy Scouts and camping long ago or I might have invited trouble with the Florida panthers we saw out at camp as well as clouds of mosquitos…

[LisaM]

15. It sounds great but where do you get catnip lotion?

I hardly ever use insect repellent where I am, but I do try to avoid chemicals.

[usonian]

16. I am zero expert but I have seen catnip seeds so you can grow your own.

That's the point. Can't grow DEET.

Nice plant!



No idea how to make lotion.