This disclosure relates to a method for the control or repellency of biting arthropods. The method comprises bringing the biting arthropods into contact with a biting arthropod repellent formulation. The biting arthropod repellent formulation comprises nootkatone in combination, or in synergistic combination, with skin or plant derived compounds and compounds structurally similar to them (e.g., ketones, cyclic ketones, esters, gamma or delta lactones, and branched and/or unsaturated carboxylic acids), and/or one or more repellents selected from the group consisting of DEET®, para-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD), Picaridin, ethyl 3-[acetyl(butyl)amino]propanoate (IR3535), and other nitrogen-containing repellents including amines, amides, and nitrogen-containing heterocyclic compounds. This disclosure also relates to a biting arthropod repellent formulation comprising nootkatone in combination, or in synergistic combination, with the skin or plant derived compounds and compounds structurally similar to them, and/or the one or more repellents.