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Live Terminal
Health · Full coverage

New Studies Explore Coconut Oil and Catnip as Natural Mosquito Repellents

How 2 Israeli newsrooms covered this story — translated into English and compared side by side.

100% center
Center 2

By קליה מור

First reported by N12 · Jul 15, 2026

What happened

New research shows that catnip oil and chemically processed coconut oil compounds can repel mosquitoes as effectively as DEET in some cases, offering potential natural alternatives. However, regular coconut oil is ineffective, and DEET remains the most reliable repellent currently available. These findings may lead to new plant-based mosquito repellents in the future.

  • 01Catnip essential oil cream matched 15% DEET in repelling mosquitoes in Ugandan field tests.
  • 02Chemically processed coconut oil compounds outperformed DEET against some pests but not consistently for mosquitoes.
  • 03Regular coconut oil does not effectively repel mosquitoes and is not a substitute for DEET.
  • 04DEET, Picaridin, and PMD remain the most scientifically proven daily mosquito repellents.
  • 05Other natural repellents like lemon eucalyptus, citronella, lavender, neem, and basil show limited but promising effects.
  • 06Research aims to develop accessible, natural repellents for regions heavily affected by mosquito-borne diseases.

Summary translated & synthesized from the sources below by baba. Read each original for the full report.

In this story
OrganizationsU.S. Department of Agriculture
PlacesUganda, sub-Saharan Africa

Full coverage · 2 outlets

The same event, reported separately by each newsroom. Open a few to compare what each emphasizes — and what they leave out.

N12Center · HebrewJul 15, 2026
New Studies Explore Coconut Oil and Catnip as Natural Mosquito Repellents
MakoCenter · HebrewJul 15, 2026
New Studies Highlight Plant-Based Alternatives to DEET for Mosquito Repellents

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