Extract of the seeds of the plant Vitex agnus castus proven to be highly efficacious as a repellent against ticks, fleas, mosquitoes and biting flies.
About 70 plant extracts were tested for their ability to repel the attacks of blood-sucking arthropods. It was found that a CO2 extract of the seeds of the Mediterranean plant Vitex agnus castus (monk's pepper) can be used as a spray to keep away especially Ixodes ricinus and Rhipicephalus sanguineus ticks from animals and humans for at least 6 h. In addition mosquitoes, biting flies and fleas are also repelled for about 6 h.
Mehlhorn
Heinz
H
Department of Cytology, Zoomorphology and Parasitology, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany. mehlhorn@uni-duesseldorf.de
Schmahl
Günter
G
Schmidt
Jürgen
J
D000818:Animals; D001181:Arthropods / Q000187:drug effects*; D002415:Cats; D009033:Culicidae / Q000187:drug effects; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D026863:Ixodidae / Q000187:drug effects; D051379:Mice; D009117:Muscidae / Q000187:drug effects; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012639:Seeds / Q000737:chemistry*; D005423:Siphonaptera / Q000187:drug effects; D020950:Vitex / Q000737:chemistry*
D007302:Insect Repellents; D010936:Plant Extracts