The Federal EPA has consistently limited the use of known toxicants (insecticides) to preclude their admixture into paints and coatings by contractors or homeowners for the purpose of repelling or killing insects on the dried or cured
coating. The current invention is a method to repel, rather than kill, insects, arachnids, and other arthropods, utilizing materials taken from the EPA's GRAS (
Generally Recognized as Safe)
List, obviating onerous Federal Insecticide,
Fungicide, and
Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) regulations and greatly extending the useful life of the
insect-repellant materials by binding them into the dried film solids—greatly slowing their
evaporation and degradation and creating a timed release of
insect repellant material. Furthermore, the current invention utilizes the
insect repellant nature of these materials to repel insects from the surrounding area during
coating application, thereby eliminating the need for applying
insect repellants, such as
DEET, to the
skin.