Does Lemongrass Repel Mosquitoes
Who doesn’t hate mosquitoes?
These pesky bugs can ruin your outdoor activities and even cause illness. They’re also carriers of many diseases, including malaria, yellow fever, West Nile virus, dengue fever, and Zika virus.
Lemongrass might as well be the solution! It is an easy-to-grow plant that repels mosquitoes naturally with its lemony scent. You can use lemongrass in many ways for mosquito protection – from planting it in pots on your porch or patio to rubbing crushed lemongrass leaves directly onto the skin as a natural repellent. This article will show you how lemongrass works as a natural repellent against mosquitoes!
But first the story…
Discovering The Best Mosquito Repellent Plant
Last summer I went camping with my dad and two brothers. We were having an amazing time until my little brother started scratching himself uncontrollably. It didn’t take long to realize that he was being attacked by mosquitoes and they were just starting out, we were next…
Not only did they seem to be everywhere, but they were also relentless in their pursuit of our blood. We must have swatted at them a hundred times and still, they managed to bite us for good.
We were so itchy and uncomfortable that we had to figure out a way to repel them to avoid going back home after the first night. That’s when dad remembered his parents used to grow lemongrass when he was a kid.
Unfortunately, we didn’t have any lemongrass near our campsite so we had to come back home, but I was curious to see whether this plant actually works as a repellent.
After a quick google search, I found my answer, turns out my dad’s story was true, lemongrass has been used for years as a natural mosquito repellent
How Lemongrass Repels Mosquitoes (And Other Bugs Too!)
Mosquitoes are attracted to certain scents, including carbon dioxide and lactic acid, substances your body produces when you are out in the wild. They also tend to avoid citronella and other essential oils that have a strong lemon scent.
Lemongrass acts as a natural repellent against mosquitoes by masking the smells your body produces with a strong lemony fragrance. This makes lemongrass a great solution for outdoor mosquito protection!
How To Use Lemongrass As A Natural Bug Spray
Lemongrass can be used in many different ways to repel mosquitoes. Here are some lemongrass mosquito repellent ideas:
- Plant lemongrass in your yard, garden, or flower pots on the porch and patio
- Make a lemongrass mosquito repellent spray by mixing lemongrass oil with water
- Crush lemongrass leaves and rub them directly onto your skin to repel mosquitoes naturally
Making Lemongrass Repellent At Home
Here’s an easy recipe for a lemongrass mosquito repellent that you can make at home:
- Collect a bunch of lemongrass leaves and crush them until you have around 15 drops of lemongrass extract
- In a small spray bottle, combine one cup of water with the freshly collected extract
- Shake well and use as needed to repel mosquitoes naturally
Voila! Mosquitoes be gone…
An Indoor Mosquito Repellent Plant
Lemongrass is also a great repellent to use indoors. You can place lemongrass plants near doorways and windows to keep mosquitoes out, or put a few drops of lemongrass oil on a cloth and place it near where you spend the most time.
Lemongrass can be used to make lemongrass mosquito repellent oil, lemongrass bug spray, or even lemongrass candles! You can also rub crushed leaves directly onto your skin as a natural repellent.
An Outdoor Mosquito Repellent Plant
The quickest way to use this plant as a repellent is by crushing the leaves and then rubbing them directly on the skin.
If you are growing your own lemongrass plant, the best way to keep your patio or vegetable garden free of these annoying bugs is by planting it in pots on your porch or patio.
Lemongrass grows quickly and can be planted at any time of the year, making this plant a great choice for outdoor mosquito protection!
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Other Lemongrass Benefits
In addition to repelling mosquitoes, having a lemongrass plant in your garden might be an excellent idea for the long list of other benefits it offers.
- Lemongrass is an effective antibacterial agent.
- Its extract has been proven to effectively decrease the extent of damage in the DNA.
- Lemongrass oil can decrease the pain produced by rheumatoid arthritis after just 30 days.
- Lemongrass essential oil has been proven to relieve anxiety immediately after its administration
Adding Extra Protection Against Mosquitoes
If you live in an area where mosquitoes are more than just a problem, a plague, you should consider adding some extra layers of protection, especially when you are the most vulnerable, which is when you sleep.
Our best recommendation would be adding a mosquito net that covers your bed, you can get one on Amazon for a few bucks that will give you peace of mind while you sleep and let you enjoy your well-deserved rest.
Another very effective hack to keep mosquitoes at bay is leggings, not the ones your grandpa wore but high-tech leggings with built-in mosquito repellent which will provide protection during sleep or daytime activities when mosquitoes love to attack! You can find them online too ;)
After Thoughts:
Lemongrass is a great natural solution to deal with mosquitoes!
If you are growing lemongrass in your yard or garden, make sure to crush the leaves and rub them directly onto your skin when mosquito season rolls around.
If you are looking for a lemongrass mosquito repellent spray a quick amazon search will give you plenty of options to choose from, my personal recommendation is this Lemongrass Oil Mosquito Repellent by the brand Cutter a natural mosquito repellent made with simple ingredients which won’t affect your skin: Purified Water, Castor Oil, Glycerin, and Vitamin E all of them blended using Soy Lecithin.
You can also find lemongrass plants at home improvement stores like Lowes & Home Depot as well as local nurseries!
Resources:
- Evaluation of the lemongrass plant (Cymbopogon citratus) extracted in different solvents for antioxidant and antibacterial activity against human pathogens – https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S222218081460428X
- Effect of Lemongrass Oil on Rheumatoid Arthritis – https://www.proquest.com/openview/9bde2d82f114b7ba4c94def3f7c2a081/1?pq-origsite=gscholar&cbl=54977
Effect of Lemongrass Aroma on Experimental Anxiety in Humans – https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/abs/10.1089/acm.2015.0099