Coconut Oil Compound Beats DEET in Repelling Bugs!

It’s hard to believe it’s been more than two years since spectators at the women’s international summer soccer games in Brazil were chanting “Zika, Zika!” And while the threat of Zika virus is still something of a concern, it isn’t dominating our news cycle anymore. Back in 2016, it seemed that every other week, they were proposing a new way to try and stop mosquitoes – from spreading the virus through bites to even existing at all. And of course, warning everyone to be careful and use lots of DEET.

On the Edge of DEET-struction

But while the news media went on to other stories and crisis, scientists stayed hard at work, looking for new alternatives to the mosquito problem. Which led to this newest discovery, one that reinforces something we’ve believed at Good News Pest Solutions for decades. Entomologist Junwei Zhu, with the USDA Agroecosystem Management Research Unit in Lincoln, Nebraska, along with countless other researchers across the globe, has been studying different, natural, less risky solutions to the keep biting insects at bay, as DEET falls more and more out of favor with the public because of its hazards and potential side effects. After a series of tests, Zhu and his team published their latest findings in Scientific Reports – a new, coconut oil-based solution to ward off mosquitoes, bedbugs, ticks, and biting flies – and does so almost 4 times as long as DEET does.

Can’t Find it on the Shelves

While the compounds they isolated are highly effective, Zhu warns that it’s not the oil itself that repels the mosquitoes...so don’t go rushing to Publix or Winn Dixie to buy their coconut oil. Unless, of course, you’re using it for green beauty treatments! The formula the researchers devised mixes coconut oil-derived free fatty acids—lauric acid, capric acid and caprylic acid—with a starch-based compound. And while they are still prepping it for market, testing continues. In addition to repelling mosquitoes and bedbugs for up to 2 weeks, with 90% effectiveness, they also discovered it works well for keeping cattle from being harassed by stable flies. That’s longer lasting than most plant-based mosquito and tick repellents and significantly better than DEET’s typical 3-days of protection. All of it marks a huge step forward, away from harmful chemicals and embracing reduced-risk insect solutions. One of the solutions we’ve had the best results from, whether we employed it in North Port or Lakewood Ranch, is our exclusive No Bite Zones Mosquito Protection Program. This remarkable product turns biting momma mosquitoes into vegans. They don’t bite you, your pets, or your cattle. And not only does it not kill or sterilize the mosquitoes, like many other solutions, the vegan-ness is passed down to the pregnant female mosquito’s brood. That leaves you with a whole generation of mosquitoes that can do their all-important pollinating work without requiring you or your family’s blood to survive. We call that a win-win. If you’d like to know more, just drop us a line!