Vidya DN

Mosquitoes are a major vector for diseases such as malaria, dengue, and yellow fever. Mosquito repellents today contain many synthetic chemicals, such as DEET, picardin, and permethrin. To safely repel mosquitoes, less effective alternatives made from essential oils have been used. To try to increase the effectiveness of the essential oil repellents, tests were conducted to find out if the essential oils have increased effectiveness when used in conjunction to each other. It was hypothesized that the essential oil mixture containing lemon eucalyptus and rosemary would make the most effective mosquito repellent. To test the hypothesis, a custom-made mosquito testing chamber with an aquarium warmer was used. A sugar based attractor and the prospective repellent solution were placed on a piece of cloth, which was tied to the aquarium warmer. The aquarium warmer was then placed into the testing chamber, where the mosquitoes resided. The effectiveness of the mosquito repellent was determined by the number of landings on the aquarium warmer over time. The results showed that the mosquito repellent made from Bael and eucalyptus was the most effective mosquito repellent.