Insect repellents Video: how we test insect repellents
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This article, Insect repellents, was last updated on 07 May 2009 and is now out of date and held in our online archive for reference. Explore our latest Home & garden articles.
We test repellents with a real person and real mosquitoes
We test insect repellents using real people and real mosquitoes
The only way to test insect repellents is to get some hungry mosquitoes and give them a food source – our tester’s arm.
Our tester started with no insect repellent on his arm, then put it into a box full of hungry mosquitoes to see how many landed on him.
We then applied the insect repellent, gradually upping the dose until no mosquitoes landed on the exposed limb.
Checking how long the insect repellent lasts
We put the same arm back in the box every hour to check the insect repellents' effectiveness over time.
Though the mosquitoes bit, we ensured they didn't take up any blood, so that they were still hungry for food.
Between tests, the tester used his other arm to check the mosquitoes were still hungry.
Watch our tester get bitten by mosquitoes
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