{"id":2153,"date":"2026-07-08T17:00:49","date_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:00:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cnnglobalnews.com\/2026\/07\/08\/catnip-lotion-as-effective-as-deet-at-repelling-mosquitoes-study-finds\/"},"modified":"2026-07-08T17:00:49","modified_gmt":"2026-07-08T17:00:49","slug":"catnip-lotion-as-effective-as-deet-at-repelling-mosquitoes-study-finds","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cnnglobalnews.com\/?p=2153","title":{"rendered":"Catnip lotion as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes, study finds"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-gu-name=\"media\" class=\"dcr-t7og0p\">\n<div class=\"dcr-17l77cs\">\n<figure id=\"16d1b72c-fe7b-4a48-a655-9b8e535846af\" class=\"dcr-191xnya\">\n<div id=\"img-1\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A small baby in uganda wearing a yellow dress, held by its mother while a health worker wearing white surgical gloves takes a small sample of blood from the baby's hand\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/20d778fb2769f5911f1d87e9581af1c62bd71648\/0_0_5000_4000\/master\/5000.jpg?width=465&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"465\" height=\"372\" loading=\"eager\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><span class=\"dcr-kogzpx\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-18mnkpm\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1294qmb\"><label for=\"the-checkbox\" class=\"dcr-4sl2vt\"><\/label> <\/p>\n<div id=\"the-caption\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1mfxiaj\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">A health worker in northern Uganda taking a blood sample from a baby as part of a malaria vaccination programme last year. <\/span> Photograph: Hajarah Nalwadda\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/span><a href=\"#img-1\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"16d1b72c-fe7b-4a48-a655-9b8e535846af\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div>\n<p><span class=\"dcr-qda0hp\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-1e9iiy9\"><span class=\"dcr-13i4yc9\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">A health worker in northern Uganda taking a blood sample from a baby as part of a malaria vaccination programme last year. <\/span> Photograph: Hajarah Nalwadda\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/span><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"headline\" class=\"dcr-ql9l8l\">\n<div class=\"dcr-6mja0y\">\n<h1 class=\"dcr-l0wuod\">Catnip lotion as effective as Deet at repelling mosquitoes, study finds<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"standfirst\" class=\"dcr-vyfjyx\">\n<div class=\"dcr-1gm5ptv\">\n<p>Researchers testing a cheap, homegrown oil in Uganda found what cats knew all along \u2013 it worked as well as the artificial chemical used globally <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"body\" class=\"dcr-x1al2c\">\n<div class=\"dcr-11gq2tx\">\n<div id=\"maincontent\" class=\"dcr-1w2vkyc\">\n<div class=\"article-body-commercial-selector article-body-viewer-selector dcr-ogvvui\">\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">A homegrown catnip lotion has proven \u201cjust as effective as Deet\u201d as a mosquito repellant in trials carried out in <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/world\/uganda\" data-link-name=\"in body link\" data-component=\"auto-linked-tag\">Uganda<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Catnip, or <em>Nepeta cataria<\/em>, is a common herb from the mint family. The chemical in the plant that causes feline euphoria \u2013 nepetalactone \u2013 also has insect-repelling properties but this has not previously been commercialised.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">New tools are vital in the fight against malaria, the disease spread by mosquitoes that <a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/04-12-2025-new-tools-saved-a-million-lives-from-malaria-last-year-but-progress-under-threat-as-drug-resistance-rises\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">infects about 282 million<\/a> people a year and killed 610,000 in 2024 \u2013 the majority of them young children in African countries. There are concerns about <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2024\/dec\/11\/global-health-deaths-malaria-rise-drug-insecticide-resistance-climate-crisis-funding-un\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">rising resistance to insecticides<\/a>, as well as the frontline <a href=\"https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2024\/nov\/14\/malaria-study-drug-resistance-children-disease-africa-research-artemisinin\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">drugs used to treat<\/a> the disease.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In <a href=\"https:\/\/www.dropbox.com\/scl\/fi\/vvvgg1ub4n3rtqlm0gidz\/SEB_Florence_AbstractBook_2026.pdf?rlkey=9o2kfkklh24qmx86rsu393hym&amp;st=9atflm7l&amp;e=1&amp;dl=0\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">a study presented<\/a> at the Society for Experimental Biology conference in Florence on Tuesday, a team working between Uganda and Wales found mosquitoes seeking a blood meal were less likely to land on people wearing lotions made from catnip.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Dr Simon Scofield, a senior lecturer at Cardiff University, said: \u201cWe found that a 6% catnip oil was just as effective as Deet, and the 2% catnip oil was only marginally less effective than that.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cDeet is out of the price bracket for most rural Ugandan subsistence farmers, so buying commercially available mosquito repellents is just not practicable.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cWe wanted to make a repellent, which is highly efficacious, but also allows local people to be involved in the production cycle so that it costs a minimal amount of money,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Whether or not local cats were more likely to follow lotion wearers was not part of the research, Scofield admitted. \u201cWe did not conduct any experiments to see if it is attractive to cats, but given that the active ingredient [nepetalactone] has well-known cat-attractive properties, I would expect they would quite like it,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"566fc4ec-c8fb-43d3-a8e5-18ce7cec11c2\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-2\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A cat lying amid flowers\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/b6ef528c40e568a4f8d5f0a93c485087b78bf8f6\/0_0_4372_2908\/master\/4372.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"295.98810612991764\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-2\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"566fc4ec-c8fb-43d3-a8e5-18ce7cec11c2\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">A cat beside catnip flowers in bloom. <\/span> Photograph: w-ings\/Getty Images<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">In the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-024-52715-y\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">first part of the evaluation<\/a>, laboratory tests confirmed that catnip oil could be an effective insect repellent. Researchers then <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nature.com\/articles\/s41598-026-42618-5\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">successfully tested the catnip repellent<\/a> in the field in eastern Uganda by checking how many mosquitoes landed on volunteers\u2019 legs over an evening.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Some volunteers used Deet (the world\u2019s most widely used and effective insect repellent), some used a lotion with 2% concentration of catnip, others a 6% catnip lotion, while others used placebo creams.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The research also established that the lotion could be made locally by a community enterprise. So far it has been distributed for free, using grant funding, but the next phase of the project will see production increased and the lotion sold to create a sustainable income for workers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cOnce we know that we can sell and distribute the repellent at a low cost, that should generate a self-sustaining system where the money is flowing back to everybody at each stage in the development,\u201d said Scofield.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">The Deet (N,N-Diethyl-meta-toluamide) lotion used for comparison in the trial contains 15% Deet and is the most widely available in Uganda. Travellers from the UK visiting malaria-endemic regions are advised to use stronger repellents of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhs.uk\/conditions\/malaria\/\" data-link-name=\"in body link\">at least 50% Deet<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">Swai Kyeba, a research entomologist from the Ifakara Health Institute in Tanzania who was not involved in the study, said: \u201cNew vector-control tools are necessary in the fight against malaria, especially those that are cheap and locally produced, to help improve accessibility.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">\u201cHowever, a challenge with topical repellents is low compliance because they require regular application. This is why they remain a complementary tool in the fight against malaria.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-1s160rg\">He urged further research on Ugandan households using currently available repellents before the catnip lotion production was scaled up.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"d05cbb4a-4a99-44ef-9bea-73bcafceab70\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-d9bay7\">\n<div id=\"img-3\" class=\"dcr-1t7hdmw\"><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"A mint-like plant in flower.\" src=\"https:\/\/i.guim.co.uk\/img\/media\/1eba78a32780a5415bb40f0c3c42344f8d3e2929\/0_0_5840_4672\/master\/5840.jpg?width=445&amp;dpr=1&amp;s=none&amp;crop=none\" width=\"445\" height=\"356\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"dcr-up96pv\"><a href=\"#img-3\" data-ignore=\"global-link-styling\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-zwabc0\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><button data-element-id=\"d05cbb4a-4a99-44ef-9bea-73bcafceab70\" type=\"button\" class=\"open-lightbox dcr-1bitgpn\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\"><span class=\"dcr-1shbixy\">View image in fullscreen<\/span><\/button><\/a><\/div><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-174mzkf\"><span class=\"dcr-vyhg7z\"><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1cipnsy\">Catnip in bloom. <\/span> Photograph: Alamy<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-print-layout=\"hide\" class=\"dcr-swayiu\"><span class=\"dcr-1xhbmzr\">Explore more on these topics<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-2c03t5\">\n<ul class=\"dcr-p7nd18\">\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/global-development\/global-health\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Global health<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/environment\/pesticides\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Pesticides<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/uganda\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Uganda<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/environment\/plants\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Plants<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/environment\/insects\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Insects<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/world\/animals\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Animals<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/environment\/wildlife\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">Wildlife<\/a><\/li>\n<li class=\"dcr-r721ee\"><a href=\"\/tone\/news\" class=\"dcr-856iwi\">news<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"dcr-313bdz\"><a href=\"mailto:?subject=Catnip%20lotion%20as%20effective%20as%20Deet%20at%20repelling%20mosquitoes,%20study%20finds&amp;body=https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/global-development\/2026\/jul\/07\/catnip-lotion-as-effective-as-deet-at-repelling-mosquitoes-study-finds?CMP=share_btn_url\" class=\"dcr-ncybeu\">Share<\/a><\/p>\n<div class=\"dcr-19bkree\"><a data-link-name=\"meta-syndication-article\" href=\"https:\/\/syndication.theguardian.com\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theguardian.com%2Fglobal-development%2F2026%2Fjul%2F07%2Fcatnip-lotion-as-effective-as-deet-at-repelling-mosquitoes-study-finds&amp;type=article&amp;internalpagecode=global-development\/2026\/jul\/07\/catnip-lotion-as-effective-as-deet-at-repelling-mosquitoes-study-finds\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer\" title=\"Reuse this content\" class=\"dcr-1c41onw\">Reuse this content<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div data-gu-name=\"right-column\" class=\"dcr-3xn18b\"><span class=\"dcr-1ryr20k\"><\/span><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A health worker in northern Uganda taking a blood sample from a baby as part of a malaria vaccination programme last year. 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