Testing Methods for Insect Repellents

A critical review (6) of techniques for the evaluation of insect repellents describes many test methods, including the following. 

The following sections will discuss some of the more important test methods in use for fabrics with durable press, flame-retardant, soil release, repellent, UV protective, antimicrobial, anti-insect, anti-felting, hand building and weighting finishes. 

In the years following 1900, the study of insect repellents became a mature science, on which scientific journals published not only the materials tested but also the methods used and the data obtained. The state of the science for repellents intended for use on humans was summarized in 1912 by Howard et al. Several of the repellents mentioned by them, including citronella oil, cedar oil, and pyrethrum, are still in use. The state of the science for repellents intended for use on livestock was summarized in 1914 by Graybill. Again, several of the materials mentioned in this work, including citronella oil, pyrethrum, and tobacco powder (nicotine), are still in use. The 1919 study by Bacot and Talbot can be taken as a representative of the research done on repellents in this early period. The study was conducted in the laboratory using the yellow-fever mosquito Aedes aegypti (Linnaeus) as the test insect and the authors as test subjects. A measured dose of the test... 

Numerous methods for testing repellents and attractants against insects in vitro were described in the course of the last century. Table 8.2 provides an outline of the many materials and methods... 

Bar-Zeev and Ben-Tamar used cloth treated with insect repellent to test for anti-ovipositional activity against mosquitoes in a laboratory however, their objective was to assess anti-ovipositional activity of the chemicals against mosquitoes as a simple technique for repellent bioassay. Kuthiala et al. used electrophysiological assay methods to show that the repellent deet combined with ethyl propionate reduced oviposition response against Aedes aegypti. Bentley and Day reviewed mosquito oviposition ecology and discussed the repellency of certain insecticides and other natural products that deterred oviposition. Table 21.1 and Table 21.2 list other smdies and reports on oviposition repellents, anti-oviposition compounds, or oviposition deterrents. The materials included extracts and oils from natural plant-based and synthetic chemicals. 

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