Tucking into your blood: a female aedes aegypti in action Credit Flickr
Mosquitoes. Don’t you just hate them? But aside from the nasty bites and hives they cause, they are also responsible for an uptick in the number of cases of locally transmitted dengue fever. Experts even warn that yellow fever might become normal in Spain in the coming years.
There are certain tricks you can use to keep the blood suckers at bay, however. Some are sceptical but others swear by one home-created mosquito repellent.
A TikTok user based in South Florida called itscontrarymary has uploaded a video over the moon with the new-to-her hack.
She commented, “Let me tell you, I have bought every single commercial product you could for mosquito repellency because I get eaten alive, because I have delicious blood apparently.”
“Nothing works, and I m in south Florida, and it s really, really bad, especially around this time of year,” Mary added.
Mary came across a TikTok video in a comment under an article in House Beautiful addressing mosquito repellents. And she is delighted with the results.
The key item is vanilla extract. She mixes it with water “and a pinch of cinnamon” to make the perfect anti-bloodsucker scent.
She thanked the original provider of the hack gushingly, saying, “Not only do I smell like a delicious snack, a delicious baked good out here in the summer heat – girl, it works! It works! I love you!”
The original article in House Beautiful last summer alerted the world to the use of vanilla extract as a mosquito repellent.
Here comes the science bit…
It works by blocking the human biological scent markers to which mosquitos are generally attracted. Mosquitos can pick up a human’s scent from 164 ft away, scarily. The vanilla extract spray masks the underlying human scent.
Pest-control specialist Shannon Harlow-Ellis of repellent company Mosquito Joe told House Beautiful “Sweat, body odour, CO2, and sometimes even your blood type can emit smells that attract these bloodsuckers.
“Vanilla extract, like some other plant derivatives, will mask the odour mosquitoes are searching for when looking for a blood meal,” says Harlow-Ellis.
Other plant derivatives work, too
Other plant derivatives include lemongrass, tea tree, eucalyptus and rosemary.
Crucially, she says, it must be pure vanilla extract – imitation vanilla includes sugary extracts that actually attract blood-suckers.
Harlow-Ellis points out that vanilla extract, when used by itself, only provides protection for about 30 to 45 minutes. But you can use it in conjunction with other DIY repellents to improve this, she says.
Mix in a small jar and shake. Apply the solution by hand before venturing outdoors.
And do try lemongrass…
And Dr Revée Barbour, a naturopathic doctor based in Sacramento, California, recommends using lemongrass essential oil as a natural mosquito and insect repellent.
Make your own repellent spray by adding 15 to 20 drops of therapeutic-grade lemongrass essential oil to 3 ounces of water and 1 tablespoon of vodka (or denatured alcohol) as a preservative, she says. One study showed that a lemongrass solution repelled mosquitos for up to two to three hours, Barbour added.
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Eugene Costello has been a journalist and editor for almost 30 years and has worked at the London Evening Standard, the Mail on Sunday and Daily Mail. He has written for a wide number of publications such as The Guardian, The Times and Sunday Times in addition to the above, and numerous magazines. He moved to Spain in 2020 and has no intention of going back.
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