Repellant
Repellant is a substance that is used to chase away insects and other bothering animals. Repellant can usually be applied to the skin or clothing, in order to keep of aggressive insects. Certain insects need to be kept away from humans because they can cause disease outbreaks and/or annoyance. Mosquitoes tend to be very annoying, especially at night while you are trying to sleep. Their annoyance is mainly caused by the high, zooming noise they make when flying and the itching caused by their stings.

Mosquito repellent is one of the most popular repellants. The yearly sales of mosquito repellent are enormous. Especially now that people from Western countries increasingly travel to tropical destinations, mosquito repellant is much sought-after product. Mosquitos in sub-tropical and tropical environments can be very dangerous and can infect you with the deadly malaria plasmodium (parasite).

Insect repellant saves us from annoyance as well as it helps prevent the outbreak of insect-borne diseases. Common diseases carried by insects are malaria, lyme disease, dengue fever, bubonic plague and west-Nile fever. The insects that usually serve as the vectors for disease include the flea, fly and mosquito. The tick, an arachnid, is another vector of disease, notably lyme disease.

Insect repellants usually come in the form of a lotion or spray. The most common (brands of) insect repellants are: deet (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide), essential oil of the lemon eucalyptus and its active ingredient p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD), Icaridin (also known as picaridin, bayrepel or KBR 3023), Citronella oil, Permethrin and Soybean oil.

Before travelling to a tropical or subtropical destination, always consult with your national Centre for Disease Control. They will advice you on which diseases are present at your destination and which repellants you should take with you.

Repellant however, is not limited to keeping off insects. Other popular repellants include cat repellant, skunk repellant, rabbit repellant, deer repellant and squirrel repellant. Repellants are especially popular in places where there is a pest of a particular animal or insect. In Canada, for example, squirrels are a real pest. In the whole of North America the skunk goes around upsetting people. Repellants meant to scare bigger animals are usually not applied on the skin, but rather around the house. They do not consist of lotions but of real fluid and sometimes a repellant works through the production of ultrasound (inaudibly high frequency sounds).

Read all about repellants at Repellant.net!