Repelling insects and mites with acylated .alpha.,.omega.-aminoalcohol derivatives of the formula ##STR1## in which X represents hydrogen, COR.sup.11, COOR.sup.12 or R.sup.13,R.sup.1 represents optionally substituted alkyl or alkenyl radicals,R.sup.2, R.sup.11 and R.sup.13 are identical or different and represent optionally substituted alkyl or alkenyl radicals,R.sup.3 to R.sup.10 are identical or different and represent hydrogen, or represent optionally substituted alkyl radicals, and whereinR.sup.2 and R.sup.3, together with the atoms to which they are bonded, can also form an optionally substituted monocyclic ring, and n and m are identical or different and denote 0 or 1, with the proviso that X does not represent hydrogen or R.sup.13 if n and m represent 0.Those compounds wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 together are --(CH.sub.2).sub.4 -- and R.sup.1 is C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 -alkyl or C.sub.3 -C.sub.6 -alkenyl are new.