I’m sitting at a rooftop restaurant with a friend overlooking a beautiful mountain in India. The food is delicious. The sunset is perfect. The restaurant has a beautiful ambiance. However, one thing is disturbing my peace… mosquitos. If you’re heading to India, bring repellent.

Here’s how to choose mosquito repellent for your India trip: Bring a spray with 25-30% DEET from home for the most effective protection. Sprays with 20% Picardin or 30% oil of Lemon Eucalyptus are also effective.

I didn’t bring mosquito spray from home, and I ended up regretting it. I can’t find any DEET spray in the stores here in India. Amazon has some options, but far less than what you might get in the USA.

I’ve tried a number of other methods – lotions, patches, drops, plugins, incense, coils, wipes, bracelets, dietary supplements, citronella candles, and sonic high-frequency repellers – but the best way to prevent bites is to buy a strong mosquito spray and use it.

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DEET Sprays are the Most Effective Protection Against Mosquitos

As I was researching the best way to keep myself from getting mosquito bites, I saw this study from Consumer Reports. They found some poor souls to stick their bare arms into a cage full of mosquitos with different repellents on.

This brand provided the best protection:

OFF! Deep Woods Insect Repellent VIII Dry with 25% DEET. You can check the price on Amazon here.

Important Traveler Note: According to the TSA, you can bring aerosol cans on the plane if they are smaller than 3.4 ounces.

So if you want to quickly solve your mosquito problem in India, then go buy some and move on to the next item on your to-do list.

Wait, But Doesn’t DEET Cause Cancer?

If you were asking yourself this question, then you aren’t alone. 25% of people avoid using sprays with DEET because they don’t think they’re safe.

But… there is NO RELIABLE evidence that DEET causes cancer.

It is NOT classified as a carcinogen by the EPA’s Office of Pesticide Programs or the Department of Health and Human Services. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention went so far as to give DEET tablets to research subjects and applied liquid DEET to their skin… yet it did not lead to more tumors.

However, there was one study that found that men who used insect repellent with DEET for 115 days had a higher chance of getting testicular cancer 😬

The CDC disputes their claim though, saying the study was flawed.

Most of the health problems caused by DEET have been due to improper use, like people drinking it.

When used properly there is a low risk for children, pregnant women and everyone else.

Tips for Using DEET Sprays Safely:

Use a DEET concentration that’s no higher than 30%. More DEET is not better. If you buy the brand above, it’s been tested to provide better protection than brands that have a 40% or more DEET concentration.
Spray it on your hands and rub it on your face.

Do NOT spray it near your eyes or mouth.
Do NOT spray it on cuts or rashes.
Do NOT spray it on your skin under your clothing.

Spray it on exposed skin and clothing. You can spray it on your clothing before you wear it and let it dry to reduce your exposure.
Do NOT let your kids spray it on themselves.
Wash the repellent off your skin when you go to bed.

Do NOT spray on babies younger than 2 months old.

Mosquito Repellent Options that Do NOT Contain DEET

If I haven’t convinced you that DEET is safe, have no fear Consumer Reports found other options that effectively prevent mosquito bites.

Picaridin and the oil of lemon eucalyptus also prevent mosquito bites.

Picaridin is a synthetic chemical derived from a compound in black pepper plants. It prevents mosquitos from landing on your skin or clothing.
Oil of lemon eucalyptus comes from the leaves of the lemon eucalyptus tree which naturally produces a mosquito repellent.

These two brands tested well in the Consumer Reports study:

Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus
Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent with 20% picaridin. You can check the price on Amazon here.

Important Traveler Note: According to the TSA, you can bring aerosol cans on the plane if they are smaller than 3.4 ounces.

Other Ways To Prevent Mosquito Bites for Travelers:

Since I live in India, I have an electric mosquito bat and other prevention methods, but if you’re traveling out of a backpack you won’t have that option.

There are some things you can do if you want to take further protection:

Mosquito nets: Ask your hotel if they have them. Having mosquitos buzzing in your ear while you’re trying to sleep can make the nicest 5-star hotel seem like torture. If you’re booking your hotel with Booking.com or Oyo, send them a message asking if they have mosquito nets before committing to a place.

Mosquito nets: Or you could bring a traveler’s mosquito net that fits in your backpack (check the price on Amazon here). I haven’t stayed in any hotels that have nets, unfortunately so this could be a big help.
Mosquito-repellent socks: Permethrin treated clothing can prevent mosquito bites. For travelers, socks would be the most functional piece of clothing… since they’re light, necessary and mosquitos tend to go for your feet. You can check the price on mosquito repelling socks on Amazon here.
Mosquito-repellent clothing: If you want more gear that repels mosquitos, you can also find pants and shirts. You can check the price on Amazon for shirts here and pants here.

When are Mosquitos Most Active in India?

During and after the monsoon season in November through February. During the winter months, there are clouds of mosquitos. However, once it starts to get hot in March and especially in May, June and July I never saw mosquitos.

Odomos Insect Repellent Review:

Odomos is a popular mosquito repellent brand in India, but is NOT as good as OFF! Deep Woods Insect Repellent VIII Dry (check the price on Amazon here), Repel Plant-Based Lemon Eucalyptus, or Sawyer Premium Insect Repellent with 20% picaridin. (check the price on Amazon here).

Odomos uses DEB, not DEET, which is similar but not as effective. I have some and it does work some but NOT as well as I’d like and not for very long. This is the main reason I wrote this post. I went searching to find some better repellent.

Are Mosquitos in India in February?

There are a lot of mosquitos in India during February. November, December and January tend to have more because they are closer to the monsoon season. But anytime I’m sitting outside at restaurants in February though, I use a lot of mosquito spray because they will come for you 🙂

Does the Mosquito Plug in India Work?

Mosquito repellent with DEET is the most effective way to avoid mosquito bites. The mosquito plug is a good back-up solution, but you do NOT want to travel with it and if there are mosquitos in your room at night, they will find you even with the plug. However, some friends use it and think it works well for them.

Choosing Mosquito Repellent For Your India Trip in 3 Minutes