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Tired of common repellents and full of toxic chemicals? Get to know Repel-Neem and avoid damage to the environment, plants and animals

Neem, citronella and andiroba repellent is a product made only with natural ingredients without harmful chemicals and very effective to scare away insects. In addition to repelling the animals, it relieves itchiness and swelling from bites. It is possible to purchase the natural repellent for human use or for gardening and animal use.

Protecting yourself from mosquitoes that bother you all day and can even transmit diseases is no easy task. It is even harder to rid plants and pets of this problem. Many species suffer from various types of pests, which can even bring problems to your organic garden and make dogs and cats suffer a lot.

Insecticides and pesticides have many problems (we'll talk about this throughout the article). However, there is an alternative that works very well for humans and can also work in these specific cases: neem oil, which is mixed with other natural substances in Repel Neem® Animal Use and Gardening.

Neem oil is not an insecticide like the others, as it acts in different ways than the traditional ones to kill insects. As it is non-toxic, it does not leave a trail of dead insects on the ground, which is a good sign that it is also not harmful to plants or pets, which have weaker defenses than humans.

Common insecticides, based on harmful petroleum-derived chemistry, act as a highly poisonous molecule. They intoxicate and manipulate the genetic material of living beings that come into contact with the product. In just three generations, thanks to the exchange of genetic material between insects, the youngest already create resistance to harmful substances - this is even the case of the dengue mosquito in relation to DEET. Another example is the lethal insecticide Baysiston, prohibited in the country of origin of its manufacturer (Germany), but still allowed in Brazil. On the manufacturer's website, it is informed that, with regard to the level of environmental hazard, the item is rated 2, that is, very dangerous for the environment.

The growing resistance of insects to harmful chemicals causes more and stronger products to be created: in 1988, 50,000 chemical products for agricultural use were already registered in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA, the US Environmental Protection Agency) and, with the greater power, the more harmful they are to the environment. Some producers use the fact that you need to apply less product per area to fake sustainability marketing, but in general, less product for the same purpose means more toxicity, not the other way around!

Contrary to this trend, neem oil is natural and has four main compounds and another 20 possible minor ingredients. The four most important are called limonoid triterpenes, they are azadirachtin, salanin, meliantriol, and nimbin. Azadirachtin is responsible for 90% of neem's power over insects and works by inhibiting their appetite and regulating their growth.

Other repellent effects of neem are: preventing egg deposition, interfering with biochemical and physiological functions, immobilizing them, and inhibiting chitin synthesis. All of this ultimately results in the insects' death.

One of the many advantages of using neem is that, as it acts in different ways to combat pests and infiltrate their biological functioning, the development of resistance is very complicated. The cruciferous moth (cabbage moth) insect underwent a continuous neem application test and, after 35 generations, had not yet developed resistance.

The neem tree can be used as a whole, but it is in the fruit that there is a greater concentration of ingredients, and when the oil is extracted from this fruit, the concentration is even greater.

Below, check out more details about this oil and the others that make up Repel Neem® Animal Use and Gardening.

neem oil

Neem is a tree native to India with medicinal and therapeutic properties. Many of its parts can be used for various productions, such as seeds, leaves and bark. It is used in the pharmaceutical industry and in hygiene and cleaning products. Inside its fruit is a seed that has an almond. This, when crushed and cold pressed, generates neem oil. The resulting mass from pressing can be used as a fungus-controlling fertilizer (or vermifuge in animal feed). In other words, everything from the tree is used.

The oil obtained is rich in fatty acids. It is an effective organic insecticide against more than 200 species of insects such as cockroaches and lice. It has antifungal properties (against 14 types of skin fungi, including mycoses), antibacterial (effective against those causing blackheads and pimples), antiviral, antiseptic (against dandruff and seborrhea) and anti-inflammatory. Relieves itching and redness caused by insect bites. It can be used on pets, it keeps fleas, ticks and scabs away, in addition to providing shine to the pet's fur - just add it to the pet's shampoo and soap.

Finally, a curiosity: improves the appearance of rusty objects.

Neem oil is biodegradable and is not bioaccumulative.

Andiroba oil

Andiroba is a plant native to the Amazon and its fruit is a capsule that opens when it falls to the ground, releasing four to six seeds - it is from these seeds that andiroba oil is extracted. The extraction method is fully sustainable when those responsible wait for the fruits to fall naturally.

• Andiroba oil serves as a natural repellent

This oil is also rich in fatty acids such as oleic and linoleic, better known as omega 9 and omega 6, respectively. It has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, healing, insecticide and other various benefits. Even in the Amazon, its greatest and most traditional use is as an insect repellent and in the treatment of itching and stings caused by these, due to its healing properties. It can also be applied to furniture and wood, preserving and protecting them from termites, in addition to increasing their durability. Mixed with shampoos and creams, it combats hair loss and baldness and, like neem oil, treats head lice.

It is not suitable for human consumption by mouth. A study carried out by the Federal Universities of Pernambuco and Pará published that the oral consumption of this oil can negatively affect the functioning of the liver.

citronella

The most famous and popular insecticide. Its use is topical, applied directly to the skin, relieving burning and itching caused by insects. There are no restrictions for use on children, people with sensitive skin or animals. Sprinkling some citronella hydrolate on a pet's collar keeps fleas, ticks and mosquitoes away.

It also brings relief from rheumatic pain. Aromatizing the environment with citronella hydrolate has positive effects on nervousness, anxiety and agitation, due to its calming properties.

What is DEET

The problem with traditionally marketed repellent lotions can be summed up in just four letters: DEET, or diethyl-toluamide. This chemical component is present in most repellents on the market, being one of the main substances. DEET acts on mosquito and mosquito antenna sensors, preventing them from recognizing the carbon dioxide released by humans during breathing, keeping them at a distance. However, DEET has a degree of toxicity that can trigger allergic processes, both in the skin and in the respiratory system, in the nostrils and mucous membranes and, in severe cases, it can even cause liver damage. So far, there is no consensus among experts about the real effects that this substance can have on human health. However, a study carried out by scientists in Great Britain proved that the dengue mosquito has already developed a biological resistance to it, thanks to its large-scale use in repellents.

Neem and the environment

According to the EPA Biopesticides Registry, cold-pressed neem oil does not affect birds, bees, plants or terrestrial beings such as earthworms; it is, however, slightly toxic to aquatic organisms. The categories for measuring the toxic potential of an element, according to the EPA, range from 1 to 4, with 4 being the level that presents the least danger - and it is in this category that neem oil is found, going to 3 in some cases of possible dermatological allergy.

According to data from laboratory studies, the lethal concentration of the product with water is 70.6 to 84.3 ppm (parts per million) after a period of 96 hours for fish.

If we convert these values ​​to more understandable measurements, we get: 0.0706 grams per liter (g/L) to 0.0843 g/L.

For aquatic invertebrates, after 48 hours the lethal concentration is 57.5 to 63.9 ppm (0.0575 g/L to 0.0639 g/L). Specifically for the rainbow trout species the lethal concentration is 0.48 ppm.

However, neem oil is quick to biodegrade, that is, it does not accumulate in organisms: within 50 to 100 hours, the compound is already broken when it comes into contact with water or light.

discard

It is noteworthy that, in general, the improper disposal of oils causes environmental impacts, especially in terms of water contamination. Thus, the disposal of vegetable oils in drains and sinks is inadequate, as it can cause several environmental risks and also clog the pipes. Therefore, in case of disposal, look for the correct location for these products; dispose of waste oil in plastic containers and take it to a disposal point so the oil can be recycled.

You can find the nearest point to discard them.

Discover a series of alternatives that nature offers to protect our health and practice sustainable consumption.

Interested? You can purchase this product at eCycle store and learn more about applications and dosage.