This study evaluated the repellency effect of 3 topical repellents (permethrin, DEET and neem tree extract) against 3-5 day old females of laboratory and field strains of Anopheles stephensi. Probing/biting rates on the shaved belly of white rabbits were counted. Effective dose (ED) 50 and ED95 values were calculated by probit statistic software. The results revealed ED50 values of 0.007, 0.005 and 0.191 mg/cm2 for permethrin, DEET and neem, respectively, against the field strain. The figures for the laboratory strain were 0.006, 0.007, 0.156 mg/cm2. Major heterogeneity of response was observed using DEET. Although neem was the least effective agent, extracts of locally produced neem oil offer a promising repellent against mosquito biting.