Consumer Lab: What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

Steps to help prevent tick or mosquito bites.

Consumer Lab: What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

Last updated:
March 20, 2025
|  5 min read
A shelf of insect repellent.

Consumer Lab: What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

Consumer Lab: What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

YouTube video highlight

Steps to help prevent tick or mosquito bites.

Watch video

Consumer Lab: What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

No items found.

What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

Answer:
Tickborne illnesses such as Lyme disease have more than doubled in the United States since 2004 (CDC, Tickborne Disease Surveillance Data Summary, Accessed 4/25/22). While mosquitoes in the U.S. often cause nothing more serious than itchy, red bumps (which nevertheless can be an annoyance), they also have the potential to transmit serious diseases such as Zika and West Nile virus (EPA 2021). For these reasons, it is important to know which preventative measures – including bug sprays and other strategies — are most effective at helping avoid insect bites.

Continue reading to learn more, written by Meredith A. Worthington, Ph.D.

Consumer Lab: What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

Answer:
Tickborne illnesses such as Lyme disease have more than doubled in the United States since 2004 (CDC, Tickborne Disease Surveillance Data Summary, Accessed 4/25/22). While mosquitoes in the U.S. often cause nothing more serious than itchy, red bumps (which nevertheless can be an annoyance), they also have the potential to transmit serious diseases such as Zika and West Nile virus (EPA 2021). For these reasons, it is important to know which preventative measures – including bug sprays and other strategies — are most effective at helping avoid insect bites.

Continue reading to learn more, written by Meredith A. Worthington, Ph.D.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
Executive Editor
Meredith A. Worthington, Ph.D.
Dr. Worthington joined ConsumerLab.com in 2020, from Therapeutic Research Center, where she was a director and associate clinical editor.
Media Mentions

Consumer Lab: What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

What Are The Best Bug Sprays To Prevent Tick And Mosquito Bites? Is The Insecticide Permethrin Safe To Use?

Answer:
Tickborne illnesses such as Lyme disease have more than doubled in the United States since 2004 (CDC, Tickborne Disease Surveillance Data Summary, Accessed 4/25/22). While mosquitoes in the U.S. often cause nothing more serious than itchy, red bumps (which nevertheless can be an annoyance), they also have the potential to transmit serious diseases such as Zika and West Nile virus (EPA 2021). For these reasons, it is important to know which preventative measures – including bug sprays and other strategies — are most effective at helping avoid insect bites.

Continue reading to learn more, written by Meredith A. Worthington, Ph.D.

Photo thumbnail Blog Author
Executive Editor
Meredith A. Worthington, Ph.D.
Dr. Worthington joined ConsumerLab.com in 2020, from Therapeutic Research Center, where she was a director and associate clinical editor.
Media Mentions
browse all articles
Here at Sawyer
September 27, 2021
6 Min
Down East: Ultra-Athlete Katie Spotz Bikes 360 Miles Across Maine
Read More

Media Mentions

We’ve used this filter for over 800 miles in the backcountry and it’s still the best option for clean drinking water.

Brett Kretzer
Brett Kretzer
Adventurer. Writer. Creator.

Media Mentions

Squeeze Water Filtration System by Sawyer

Garage Grown Gear
Media Mentions from Garage Grown Gear

Media Mentions

This popular repellent from Sawyer has 20% Picaridin, which protects against a wide range of insects, including mosquitoes, ticks, biting flies, gnats, chiggers and sand flies.

Amylia Ryan
Associate Editor
<<  Previous Post
No previous post!
Check out our Directory
Next Post  >>
No next post!
Check out our Directory