title: Repellency of oils of lemon eucalyptus, geranium, and lavender and the mosquito repellent MyggA natural to Ixodes ricinus (Acari: Ixodidae) in the laboratory and field.
abstract: MyggA Natural (Bioglan, Lund, Sweden) is a commercially available repellent against blood-feeding arthropods. It contains 30% of lemon-scented eucalyptus, Corymbia citriodora (Hook.) K. D. Hill & L. A. S. Johnson (Myrtaceae), oil with a minimum of 50% p-menthane-3,8-diol. MyggA Natural also contains small amounts of the essential oils of lavender, Lavandula angustifolia Mill. (Lamiaceae), and geranium, Pelargonium graveolens L'Her. (Geraniaceae). In laboratory bioassays, MyggA Natural and C. citriodora oil exhibited 100% repellency against host-seeking nymphs of Ixodes ricinus (L.) (Acari: Ixodidae). Lavender oil and geranium oil, when diluted to 1% in 1,2-propanediol, had weak repellent activities on I. ricinus nymphs, but when diluted to 30% in 1,2-propanediol had 100% repellencies. 1,2-Propanediol (100%) had no significant repellent activity in comparison with that of the control. In field tests in tick-infested areas in central Sweden, tick repellency of MyggA Natural and C. citriodora oil was tested by the blanket-dragging technique for 4 d during a 6-d period. The repellencies (74 and 85%, respectively) on day 1 are similar (89%) to that of blankets treated in a similar manner with 19% diethyl-methyl-benzamide, based on previous work. Repellencies declined significantly from day 1 to day 6 (74 to 45% for MyggA Natural; 85 to 42% for C. citriodora oil).
authors.affiliation: Medical Entomology Unit, Department of Systematic Zoology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Norbyvägen 18d, SE-752 36 Uppsala, Sweden.
authors.forename: Thomas G T
authors.initials: TG
authors.lastname: Jaenson
authors.forename: Samira
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Garboui
authors.forename: Katinka
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Palsson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001096:Arachnid Vectors; D001512:Bedding and Linens; D003020:Clothing; D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D005052:Eucalyptus / Q000737:chemistry; D007302:Insect Repellents / Q000737:chemistry; D018884:Ixodes; D027523:Lavandula / Q000737:chemistry; D008610:Menthol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D009758:Nymph / Q000187:drug effects; D031316:Pelargonium / Q000737:chemistry; D010938:Plant Oils / Q000737:chemistry; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D000081005:Cyclohexane Monoterpenes; D007302:Insect Repellents; D010938:Plant Oils; D008610:Menthol; C005804:terpin