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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #308891
Title: DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) toxicity to channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus sac fry

Author
item MISCHKE, CHARLES - Mississippi State University
item Tucker, Craig
item WISE, DAVID - Mississippi State University
item Brown, Travis

Submitted to: Journal of the World Aquaculture Society
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 10/20/2014
Publication Date: 6/1/2015
Citation: Mischke, C.C., Tucker, C.S., Wise, D.J., Brown, T.W. 2015. DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) toxicity to channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus sac fry. Journal of the World Aquaculture Society. 46:(3)344-347.

Interpretive Summary: The combination of open facilities, moisture, and warm weather during channel catfish spawning season causes mosquito-infestation problems. A common solution to mosquito problems in hatcheries is to use mosquito repellents applied to exposed skin and clothing. DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is the active ingredient in most personal insect repellents. The amount of DEET needed to kill channel catfish fry was much greater than the amount expected to reach water during normal use of the repellent. In hatcheries where air movement by fans is not sufficient to control mosquitoes, using insect repellent products containing DEET should be safe.

Technical Abstract: The combination of open facilities, moisture, and warm weather during channel catfish Ictalurus punctatus spawning season causes mosquito-infestation problems. A common solution to mosquito problems in hatcheries is to use mosquito repellents applied to exposed skin and clothing. DEET (N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide) is the active ingredient in most personal insect repellents. We determined the 24-h acute toxicity of DEET to channel catfish fry. The toxicity test consisted of 10 sac fry in 3 replications of six concentrations (range 157-478 µL/L) and a control. In addition to toxicity testing, a trial was conducted to determine the amount of active ingredient dispensed from two different applicators: a pump sprayer and an aerosol can. The 24-h LC10 was 274 ppm, and the 24-h LC50 was 345 ppm. The concentration required to kill 50% of the organisms was above the 100 ppm threshold to be considered practically non-toxic. The pump sprayer (98.11% active ingredient) dispensed 113.3 +/- 0.57 mg (mean +/- SEM) active ingredient per pump. The aerosol can (30% active ingredient) dispensed 526.8 +/- 6.71 mg (mean +/1 SEM) active ingredient per second. In hatcheries where air movement by fans is not sufficient to control mosquitoes, using insect repellent products containing DEET should be safe.