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Does lemongrass repel mosquitoes and other related to insect like flies ?
grant to several pieces of inquiry , it does ! Lemongrass solution is found to be superior to somecommercial mosquito repellantsin that , it sustain high repellency for a longer length .
Want to determine out more ?
Keep reading :
Lemongrass , also bed as citronella grass or scientifically refer to asCymbopogon citratus , is not only an effective mosquito repellent but utile in other way too .
Besides , citronella grass is often confused with citronella scented geranium .
For this reason , most garden center or plant nurseries sell citronella scented geranium as a mosquito repelling industrial plant but it is not as effective as citronella grass ( Lemongrass ) .
To get the difference between the two plants , check their leaf . TheScented geraniumis a tender perennial with deeply cut , serrated , and crease soft green leaves . The leaves ooze a strong citrous fruit scent when bruised .
Lemongrass on the other side is a repeated plant with thin , long leaves that are indigenous to many Asian countries and also exudate a beautiful lemony scent when bruised .
Before we get to the skill of how lemon grass repels mosquito , let ’s appear at the facts sheet .
Shall we ?
What is Lemongrass? The Fact Sheet
Lemongrass ( Cymbopogon citratus ) , is an herbaceous , ornamental grass that grow in India and adapts to US zones 10 through 11 quite well .
Foliage emerges from a clump typical of the pasture . leave stay on green most of the twelvemonth turning morose red to scarlet in fall and winter . Unlike many of the grasses , the flower display is insignificant .
This and many other form of grass search courteous grouped in a mass planting . Space them several feet apart to form a solid mass within one yr after planting .
The skunk can spread fairly speedily and can become moderately invading in subtropic mood .
plant life are often located in a scented garden or perennial border . The nice texture and sweet-scented leaves make it a good plant for courtyards , patios , and other places where people can enjoy it .
Scented oil colour are extracted from the leave-taking and are commonly used in insect repellents , perfumes , and soaps .
Lemongrass Effectiveness in Repelling Mosquitoes [According to Research]
In one of the many research study entitle - Formulation of an effective mosquito - repellent topical mathematical product from Lemongrass oil and published in aPhytomedicine journal(Vol 9 , Issue 3 ):
Ointment and pick preparation of lemongrass oil color in different classes of base and the oil in liquid paraffin series solution were evaluated for mosquito repellency in a topical coating .
Mosquito repellency was tested by determining the bite - intimidation of product samples enforce on an data-based bird ’s skin ( no bird harmed during the experimentation ) against a 2 - day starved culture ofAedes aegypti L.mosquitoes .
The 1%v / v solution and 15%v / w cream and ointment prep of the crude exhibit ≥50 % repellency lasting 2–3 h , which may be attributed to citral , a major lemongrass oil constituent .
This body process was corresponding to that of a commercial-grade mosquito repellant . basis properties of the lemongrass rock oil formulations influenced their effectiveness .
The oil demonstrated efficaciousness from the dissimilar cornerstone in the order of hydrophilic base , emulsion pedestal , and oleaginous Qaeda .
In the same study , 15 % lemongrass oil solution was superior to Wipe ( a commercial pest repellent ) in that it sustained higher repellency for a longer continuance .
It was concluded that the mosquito bite - deterrent effect of 15%v / w hydrophilic ointment formulation of the lemongrass rock oil is very promising for topical usance , and the provision can be reapplied should a farsighted effect be required .
This study proves that lemongrass is in effect when it comes to repelling mosquito .
Caution : If you want to apply lemongrass oil to your peel , pop with a smaller country to determine whether you might be hypersensitive to citral .
Lemongrass Basic Growing and Care Tips
Climate- Lemongrass is a tropic plant and will grow best in warm , sunny , and humid conditions ( zone 10 - 11 ) .
Temperature – turn the plants at temperatures ranging from 10 to 33 ° C ( 50 - 91.4 ° fluorine ) but will grow optimally at temperatures between 25 and 30 ° C ( 77–86 ° F ) .
Soils – Lemongrass develop in a all-embracing mountain chain of soils but fly high best inwell - draining , fertile loam with a pH between 5.0 and 8.4 . you may also grow the eatage successfully in containers .
Sunlight – This plant prefers full sun to fond shade .
Propagation- As a clumping grass , you’re able to well propagate lemongrass oil by dissever stubble from the rootstock of a well - establish plant .
Planting – If you require to grow lemon grass commercially , plant at a high tightness than in the home garden with a row spacing of 20 cm ( 8 in ) and 40 cm ( 16 in ) . In the home garden , flora with a spatial arrangement between 90 and 150 centimeter ( 36 - 60 in ) asunder .
Water requirement – Lemongrass requires veritable rain and if there ’s a shortage , you need towater the plantsand mist them regularly .
Fertilizer software – These plants have a heavy requirement for atomic number 7 during the grow season and you should feed them with a balanced soluble fertilizer once a month . For container - grown industrial plant , feed them more oft .
Common pests and disease – Apart from Rust ( Puccinia nakanishikii ) , no other major disease problems . If you notice brown stretch streaks on the folio , it ’s a symptom of rust . To control the trouble , raise vigorous maturation of plants by using mulches and fertiliser to stimulate increase ; prune out diseased parts of plants to allow goodish regrowth ; avoid overhead irrigation where possible .
Harvesting – Now , you ’ve done the hard part the grass is mature . Harvest at any clip once the stem have hit 1.3 cm ( 0.5 in ) in diam . Harvest stalk by edit out them at soil level with a sharp knife , or by bending the stalk and twisting .
Pro Tip : check that to disinfect all the putz with one - part whitener and one - part water before using them during harvesting .
Conclusion
So , does lemongrass repel mosquitoes among other insects ?
utterly !
Is it as effective as most people think ?
As it turn out , yes . However , there is a but … for the mosquito - repelling oils to be useful , they need to be extracted by simply crushing the leave . you could then apply the oil where you want the mosquitoes to be deter .
Suffice to say , the lemongrass plant does not release the oils when grow in a smudge . But the unassailable citrous fruit scent does scare most insects such as whitefly and other bugs forth .
To learn more , here ’s a leaning of45 proven dirt ball repelling works .
There you have it :
Resources
Phytomedicine Journal . Research Gate . Available at : https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mosudi_Sosan/publication/11326291_Formulation_of_an_effective_mosquito-repellent_topical_product_from_Lemongrass_oil/links/5cd9978e458515712ea78487/Formulation-of-an-effective-mosquito-repellent-topical-product-from-Lemongrass-oil.pdf . yield License Required to ELSEVIER LICENSE .
Cymbopogon citratus . University of Florida IFAS Extension . Available at : http://hort.ufl.edu/database/documents/pdf/shrub_fact_sheets/cymcita.pdf .
Lemon Grass . Pennsylvania State University - Plant Village . Available at : https://plantvillage.psu.edu / topics / lemon - grass / infos
