'Waste of money': One in three mosquito repellents don't work

'Waste of money': One in three mosquito repellents don't work
Mosquito season has started in Belgium.

Mosquito season in Belgium has started, leaving people with itchy bites and red blotches all over their bodies. One way to prevent this from happening is buying anti-mosquito products, however, they can sometimes be a pig in a poke.

In the run-up to the summer, consumer rights organisation Test Aankoop tested 22 anti-mosquito products and discovered that eight of those products do not work, calling them a waste of money.

The eight products that received a poor score for their ability to repel mosquitoes were Zen'sect Zero repellent 8h, Mercurochrome Anti-mosquitoes 7h, Argital Mosquitos defence water, Para'kito Anti-mosquitoes bracelet, Mosquitno Insect repellent woven bracelet, Pranarom Aromapic bio 7h anti-mosquitoes, Mouskito Repel roller IR3535 20% and Byebugz Anti-insect roll-on.

The organisation stressed that the anti-mosquito bracelets, which are often given to children, are the least reliable, and advised people against spending their money on these.

Winning products

The products that do work well usually contain DEET as the active ingredient, such as the Mouskito Tropical Spray DEET 50% and Kruidvat anti-insect roll-on DEET 30%.

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Insect repellents that contain DEET usually offer the best protection against mosquito bite, however, there were some concerns about the health impact of it.

Recent studies have now shown that DEET is completely safe, but Test Aankoop added that young children and pregnant women should not use DEET in concentrations above 30%. For those who still want to avoid DEET, eucalyptus citriodora essential oil and icaridin can work too.


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