Homegrown catnip oil lotion is just as effective as DEET at repelling mosquitoes, according to a new study in Uganda.
Researchers found that 6% catnip oil lotion was just as good at repelling mosquitoes as the main ingredient in widely used brands.
Commercial repellents featuring DEET can be very expensive, especially in rural areas where malaria is rife. Catnip, the euphoria-inducing herb beloved by felines, was known to have insect repellent properties, though it had never been commercialized for that purpose.
Researchers at Cardiff University and the Uganda Virus Research Institute had volunteers wear DEET, catnip lotion, and placebo creams and asked them to count how many mosquitoes landed on them over the course of an evening. They found that 6% catnip oil lotion was just as effective at repelling mosquitoes as the leading brand.
The discovery could be a game changer in the fight against malaria, with Africa accounting for 95% of the 600,000 global deaths in 2024.