The parent comment was clearly not intended to replace DEET, only to add an oil that provides the missing repellent odor if this were to become a real issue. For all I care, the oil could intentionally be altogether useless for killing bugs. After all, even if DEET doesn't repel bugs, it still is intended to kill the bugs that intake it.

Also, the oils in question work reasonably for bug control, just for a lesser duration, requiring more routine reapplication. When you say they do not work, that's true only for the gap between how long the oils work versus how long ≥35% DEET works. And the concentration matters acutely for both.