Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
2% geraniol spray did not repel Aedes aegypti mosquitoes on ponies
By Reeves, Will K & Miller, Myrna M·Published in Journal of the American Mosquito Control Association·2010·US Department of Agriculture, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Aqueous 2% geraniol as a mosquito repellent failed against Aedes aegypti on ponies.
- Species:
- horse
Plain-English summary
A group of ponies was tested with a 2% geraniol solution, a natural insect repellent, to see if it could effectively keep mosquitoes away. After applying the spray, the ponies were observed for skin irritation and exposed to mosquitoes for a short time. While the treated ponies had fewer mosquito bites compared to those that weren't treated, the difference wasn't significant enough to consider the geraniol effective as a repellent. Fortunately, there were no signs of skin irritation from the treatment.
People also search for: pony mosquito repellent · natural insect repellent for horses · geraniol safety for ponies
Abstract
Organic insect repellents are of interest to many agricultural producers and animal owners. Geraniol, a plant-derived alcohol, is naturally produced by a wide range of plants and is a US Environmental Protection Agency minimum risk pesticide. Previous studies have shown various concentrations of geraniol repel or kill mosquitoes; however, geraniol might cause allergic contact dermatitis in humans or animals. We tested a commercially available 2% aqueous solution of geraniol on ponies as a mosquito repellent. Five trials were conducted on ponies treated with a 60-ml aerosol mist (30 ml per side) of 2% geraniol or as untreated controls. Animals were observed 3 h postapplication to check for skin irritation. Aedes aegypti, in feeding tubes, were held on the ponies for 7 min. The average percent of biting on control animals was 56%, with a range of 16-90%, and the average for the treatments was 13%, with a range of 0-86%. Based on statistical models, there was no significant difference (P = 0.081) in the percent bites between treated and untreated animals after 3 h. Based on our data, 2% geraniol was not an adequate mosquito repellent for horses. We did not observe any skin irritation on the animals treated with 2% geraniol.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21033064/