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.