Does Lemongrass Repel Bugs? (Which Ones)?
Bugs come to your home for all sorts of reasons. You may have accidentally spilled some sugar. Perhaps your blood is too enticing, and a mosquito can’t help but pay you a visit for a little drink. Either way, they’re unwelcome guests in your home.
While bug spray or insecticides may be an effective solution, it’s always better to go the natural route. Several natural repellents are available in the market, such as lemongrass.
Does Lemongrass Repel Bugs?
Lemongrass does repel bugs. The extract contains a strongly-odored compound named citronellol and geraniol that wards off pests. The compound citral is also present in lemongrass and causes damage to an insect’s nervous system.
Having said that, pests are naturally attracted to sweet-scented foods and flowers. The two main compounds in lemongrass, namely citronellol and geraniol, give off a contrasting acrid smell that is highly effective at discouraging bugs from coming near your living space.
To use lemongrass for bug repelling purposes, you can plant it next to any sweet-smelling flowers in your garden. Alternatively, for better protection, you can plant lemongrass all around your home’s edges.
If the insects are finding their way inside your house, then you can place a potted lemongrass plant where bugs are likely to enter.
Another method of using lemongrass is by purchasing its oil. This way is especially effective if the bugs are coming near you. All you have to do is rub some of the lemongrass oil on your skin.
You can also mix it in a spray bottle filled with water and spritz it around your furniture, so the scent sticks to an object.
What Insects does Lemongrass Repel?
Lemongrass repels several kinds of insects such as mosquitos, gnats, cockroaches, spiders, fruit flies, house flies, stable flies, ants, ticks, and chiggers. Fortunately, that covers most bugs that might be present in your home. In some cases, lemongrass can even help in getting rid of mice.
Having said that, it’s best to use lemongrass essential oil for a more pungent scent that’ll disorient these insects. The best part is that while bugs hate the smell, they’re refreshing and calming scents to us. You can even use the lemongrass herb in your meal for an Asian taste.
In a scientific experiment conducted to test the efficacy of lemongrass oil in repelling stable flies. In a mosquito-netted cage, two sanitary pads soaked in blood were placed on opposite ends. In one pad, lemongrass oil was added.
The test results indicated that the flies moved around the untreated zone significantly more than on the other side.
Does Lemongrass Keep Mosquitoes away?
Lemongrass is highly effective at keeping mosquitos away. The scent of lemongrass can prevent mosquitos from coming near you for up to a couple of hours or so.
Although this plant can be put to great use against mosquitos, its scent tends to be volatile. That’s why it may not be a long-lasting solution to your bug problem. To address that problem, you can use lemongrass products that contain fixatives and preservatives that’ll enhance its longevity.
All the same, you may use lemongrass oil on your skin to stop mosquitos from landing on you. Accordingly, it’s best to practice caution since an overly concentrated formula of more than 0.1% can possibly irritate your skin.
If you don’t want to use it on your skin, you can alternatively purchase lemongrass-scented candles to keep around the house.
What Animals are Attracted to Lemongrass?
Animals that are attracted to lemongrass are honeybees, cats, gophers, dogs, and rabbits.
Broadly speaking, honeybees may seem like the kind of insects that would rather get a taste of some sweet honey nectar. Why would they go for the bitterness of lemongrass? Well, this plant’s scent closely resembles that of pheromones that honeybees give off.
These pheromones are crucial when it comes to honeybee communication. Consequently, beekeepers use a smidge of lemongrass oil to steering bees in different areas.
If you have a gopher problem in your yard, then lemongrass plants may not make it any better. These herbivorous mammals can gorge themselves on your lemongrass plant’s stems, bulb, and leaves.
That being said, if your pet dog or cat has ingested lemongrass, they may experience a bit of vomiting or general stomach issues. Nevertheless, if they’ve had only a few nibbles, they should be fine.