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Natural oil-based pet insect repellants
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Title:
Natural oil-based pet insect repellants
Summary:
Anyone have experience with natural oil-based pet insect repellants?
Content:
Anyone have experience with natural oil-based pet insect repellants? (ex: Neem oil) Is it hard to formulate with? Any experience making the fragrance acceptable?
Comment
From the Camden Grey Website, mainly talking about properties, adding into existing personal care products as well as using on plants but it gives ranges that they recommend. Just a general overview. Lavender and Eucalyptus can be used as insect repellants as well. Unless worked in with other oils, I am unsure how to mask that odor.
This is a thick, dark colored oil. Neem Seed Oil, Azadirachta indica. The neem seed kernel is very rich in fatty acids, often up to 50 % of the kernel's weight. Neem seed oil is very bitter with a garlic/sulfur smell; it contains vitamin E and other essential amino acids. Neem oil is an excellent moisturizing oil that contains compounds with historical and scientific validity as medicinals.
Neem is also known as Nimba, Margosa or Indian Tulip Tree Oil, which is a traditional treatment for severely damaged skin. Neem seed oil is not an essential oil. Our Neem oil is cold pressed, no solvents are used in its processing and its origin is from India.
The concentrated essential fatty acids help to restore moisture and elasticity to the skin while it disinfects and heals. Apply sparingly several times a day to affected areas. You may also add 20 to 25 drops of Neem Oil to 8 ounces of your favorite shampoo, massage oil or lotion.
As a natural pesticide: Using neem derivatives for managing pests is a non-violent approach to controlling pests. Neem products work by intervening at several stages of the insect's life. They may not kill the pest instantaneously but incapacitate it in several ways. Neem very subtly employs effects such as repellence, feeding and ovipositional deterrence, growth inhibition, mating disruption, chemo-sterilization, etc..
Extracts from neem have shown incredible success with not only battling fungus problems but also many forms of root rot. Neem biodegrades in a matter of weeks when exposed to the sunlight. Pure Neem oil will retain its potency much longer if stored in a cool place away from strong light. Here are some tips on using Neem oil: (1) Don’t mix any more than you need. (2) Add water and a little soap to the plant before spraying. (3) Spray the complete plant including the potting media. (4) Mix 1 oz. in 1 gallon of water. A weaker solution may be used for maintenance. INCI: Azadirachta indica.
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Growing up a farm boy in Tasmania, surrounding farms would grow pyrethrum as an insecticide. It has both repellent and insecticidal properties and decomposes under prolonged UV, making it attractive from a sustainability perspective. I don't know the odor of pure pyrethrum, but the raw flowers smelled fine.
Natural repellents we favored were tea-tree oil or the classic citronella oils. These would be sold in pump-spray units with the oil dissolved in a volatile organic solvent (e.g. alcohols). The odor wasn't masked with other fragrances.
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One hurdle you may encounter is EPA, since repellent products with repellent claims might need to be registered with the agency, a process that usually requires submission of efficacy data. So one question right away is: what pest do you wish to repel? Ticks? Mosquitos? Fleas? Small children with sharp sticks? And then: what are the acceptable tests that can confirm efficacy? There are lots of claims made for various natural materials, but as you might imagine, some work, and some flat out don't.
A good source of inspiration, at least for repellents that work on humans, is the USDA Lab in Gainesville, FL. They have been working on repellents for years (we have them to thank for DEET), and would have a good grasp of what natural materials might work.
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Hi Andy -
We can encapsulate both neem and fragrance as well as other ingredients in our delivery system. We are familiar with encapsulating ingredients for bug guards such as: neem oil, andiroba, lavender extract, orange oil, etc. This will have many benefits: long lasting and easy formulation.
Let me know if you are interested.
Regards,
Jeff
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