In the villages of eastern Uganda, where malaria still claims far too many lives, volunteers sat exposed to the evening air as scientists counted mosquito landings. What they discovered challenges the assumption that only expensive synthetic chemicals can provide reliable protection.
A peer-reviewed study published in Scientific Reports on 14 March 2026 tested lotions containing 2 percent and 6 percent catnip essential oil. Both formulations, rich in more than 92 percent nepetalactone, proved highly effective during field trials conducted in May and June 2025. The 6 percent version performed as well as a 15 percent DEET product. The 2 percent lotion trailed only slightly behind.
A placebo lotion without catnip showed no repellence at all. The results arrived not from a laboratory bench but from real-world conditions using the human landing catch method between 18:00 and 22:00.
Practical science over regulatory dependence
DEET remains the most widely used synthetic insect repellent, yet its price puts it beyond reach for many rural communities in malaria-endemic regions. The research team, drawn from Cardiff University in Wales and Ugandan institutions led by Charles Batume, set out to change that equation.
Deet is out of the price bracket for most rural Ugandan subsistence farmers, so buying commercially available mosquito repellents is just not practicable. We wanted to make a repellent, which is highly efficacious, but also allows local people to be involved in the production cycle so that it costs a minimal amount of money.
Those are the words of Dr Simon Scofield, senior lecturer at Cardiff University and one of the researchers involved. His team focused on evidence rather than mandates. The catnip lotion offers communities a chance to produce their own protection instead of depending on imported solutions or top-down government programmes.
Catnip, a herb from the mint family, has long been known for its active compound nepetalactone that repels insects while attracting cats. The new work builds on earlier laboratory findings and delivers the crucial field validation.