A study presented at the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Florence has found that a homegrown catnip lotion is just as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes. The research, conducted by a team from Uganda and Wales, discovered that mosquitoes seeking a blood meal were less likely to land on people wearing lotions made from catnip.
Catnip, or Nepeta cataria, is a common herb from the mint family that contains the chemical nepetalactone, which causes feline euphoria and also has insect-repelling properties. The researchers found that a 6% catnip oil was just as effective as Deet, and the 2% catnip oil was only marginally less effective. This breakthrough could provide a cheaper and more accessible alternative to Deet for people in rural Uganda, where malaria is prevalent.
According to Dr Simon Scofield, a senior lecturer at Cardiff University, the team wanted to create a repellent that was not only highly effective but also allowed local people to be involved in the production cycle, keeping costs minimal. The lotion has been distributed for free using grant funding, but the next phase of the project will see production increased and the lotion sold to create a sustainable income for workers.
The research also established that the lotion could be made locally by a community enterprise. Swai Kyeba, a research entomologist from the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania, emphasized the need for new vector-control tools in the fight against malaria, especially those that are cheap and locally produced. However, he noted that topical repellents require regular application, making them a complementary tool in the fight against malaria.
The study’s findings are significant, as malaria infects around 282 million people a year and killed 610,000 in 2024, mostly young children in African countries. Rising resistance to insecticides and frontline drugs used to treat the disease has raised concerns, making the development of new tools vital.
The next phase of the project will involve scaling up production and selling the lotion to create a sustainable income for workers. Once the repellent can be sold and distributed at a low cost, it is expected to generate a self-sustaining system where money flows back to everyone involved in the development.
The use of catnip as a mosquito repellent has not been previously commercialized, despite its known insect-repelling properties. The study’s results offer a promising solution for people in malaria-endemic regions, where access to effective and affordable mosquito repellents is crucial.
