Lemongrass contains mosquito-repelling oils.
Female mosquitoes need blood to allow their eggs to develop. When they bite humans, mosquitoes can transmit diseases and cause allergic reactions such as itchy red bumps, bruises, inflammations and swollen hives. There are many products available to repel mosquitoes, including some natural products. Does this Spark an idea?
Efficacy
In the 2004 California State Science Fair, a project analyzed the efficacy of lemongrass as a mosquito repellent. It found that lemongrass has a 51 percent efficiency, while a commercial mosquito repellent has an 81 percent efficiency.
Benefits
Some people are allergic to commercial mosquito repellents or find them to be too harsh. These people can use lemongrass as a partial replacement for commercial mosquito repellents.
Application
According to Iowa State University, plants can only repel mosquitoes when you crush the leaves to release the oils. Rub the crushed lemongrass leaves on exposed skin if you have access to a fresh lemongrass plant. Otherwise, find a commercially available natural mosquito repellent that contains lemongrass oil.
Tags: commercial mosquito, commercial mosquito repellents, mosquito repellent, mosquito repellents, percent efficiency, repel mosquitoes