Mosquito repellents are making their way to the market. The products are most likely to be toxic hence; there is a need to use natural ones. What are the natural mosquito repellents that are available these days? Is there any medicinal research backing? Natural repellents and some essential oils are very effective these days.
The products are less toxic and in this world of toxic chemicals, let us know the different mosquito killers there.
Why should you use Natural Mosquito repellents instead of Synthetic ones?
Natural repellents and some essential oils are really helpful in keeping the mosquitoes species away. You can use them in the mosquito-killing lamp so that they can block the sense of smell, and it can be harder for the insects to come on the skin to feed.
Here are the 10 most used mosquito killer repellents
1. Citronella
This is a well-known mosquito repellent, and when you compare it with the other synthetic and powerful ones like DEET. The citronella oil, when applied topically, can provide 100 per cent protection against mosquitos.
But you need to be careful because the high concentrations can cause skin irritation and rashes if you use citronella. You can find the purchase online and essential oil or in some stores.
2. Lemon Eucalyptus
This essential oil has almost 85 per cent citronellal; this is a top-rated product in various industries, especially cosmetics and cleaning industries. It is because of the fresh scent they are used.
Studies have it that the desired result to produce this scent is behind DEET and the certain picaridin. The US Environmental protection Agency (EPA) has registered Lemon Eucalyptus as a natural repellent. They even recommend the centres for disease control and the prevention of the safety of people.
All those mosquito killer lamps that contain a combo of essential oils, such as the repel lemon eucalyptus, are very effective. They say that this mixture of essential oils may work better than DEET. The fresh smell may work or may not work in favour of non-natural repellents.
3. Geranium oil
This is not included in the EPA’s repellent ingredients, but it is a commonly used essential oil in the natural sector.
Bite Blocker is one of the well-known brands, and some studies go into this organic repellent. They have proved to be effective from one hour to seven hours. Though there is a difference, the mixture of geranium oil and coconut oil can be the best mosquito killers. But they are not as effective as DEET, and they can be used.
4. Thyme Oil
These Carvacrol and Alpha Terpinene are derived from the thyme oil only. They are known to be very effective against mosquitos. The effectiveness here is directly linked to the concentration of the oil. A particular study claims that Thyme oil works wonders against a particular mosquito species.
But topical applications are the most effective as they can protect for an hour. However, you need to use it in diluted form because there are chances that it may cause skin irritation.
5. Clove oil
Two studies back the use of clove oil undiluted to be effective against the mosquitos. They act as effective mosquito killers for more than 4 hours. No matter how effective they are effective; they should not be applied without diluted because they can cause skin irritation.
They mix cinnamon, too, along with cloves so that they can help to prevent any bothersome mosquito bites. You can mix clove oil, olive oil, and coconut oil and then apply topically on the skin. They protect for 96 minutes, to be exact.
6. Peppermint
The use of peppermint is varied across different industries. However, a study in 2011 stated that when peppermint was used in high concentrations, it was effective against the mosquitos.
However, they could not find any substantial evidence against the lower concentrations. They can provide 100 per cent protection against bites from adult yellow fever mosquitoes.
7. Neem oil
Neem oil is known to be the best natural mosquito killer, but often mixed results have been met about it. One recent study tells about how effective the neem oil can be in Ethiopia for three hours straight.
But the main reason why it is not approved is that it can cause skin irritation. Thus, it is best to use others when travelling to a country with a high risk of mosquito-borne diseases.
If you still want to use neem oil, dilute it with water, oil or any lotion and apply it. Do not go for any other except the extra virgin, cold-pressed neem oil.
8. Lemongrass
It is a very effective essential oil for us, and this is a classic herb with citrus flavour in it. It is a popular ingredient in several Asian dishes too. It is quite a nice option for acting as a natural mosquito repellent. When you mix lemongrass and olive oil, it is a major mosquito killer.
It provided 98 per cent efficiency against a particular mosquito species, which is the southern house mosquito species. This provides 2.5 hours of two types of mosquitoes in the study.
9. Basil
It is a prevalent ingredient in many cuisines, and it may be moderately effective in mosquito killing.
Many authors have looked into this, and they have found out that the researchers can provide 100 per cent protection for 6 hours straight against yellow fever mosquitoes.
Basil is easily available, and you can find it online, or you can pluck leaves of it from eh local garden centres. They can also provide 40 per cent against the malaria type of mosquitoes.
10. Catnip
Nepeta Cataria is a part of the mint family, and they can use catnip essential oil in the mosquito killer machine.
They can repel the yellow fever mosquitoes, and they can protect for at least 2 hours. You can purchase the plants from the local garden centre or buy the essential oil.
Takeaway
Thus, these are the best natural mosquito killers. You can use a mixture of these in the mosquito killer lamps to effectively prevent mosquito bites. These mosquito killers are not harmful to health as they are natural. At the same time, it prevents mosquito bites that prevent you from many diseases that can cause due to several mosquito bytes such as malaria.
