Mosquitoes are never fun to have around. Not only do they buzz near our ears all the time but they are also known to carry many life-threatening diseases with them such as malaria, dengue and many more.
And in order to keep them away oils such as coconut oil are often used.
Coconut oil to repel mosquitoes:
Coconut oil can repel many insects and mosquitoes are one of the main ones it is able to deter. This isn’t just an old wives’ tale either, it has been researched by scientists at USDA’s Agricultural Research Service and they have discovered that coconut oil helps in keeping mosquitoes away.
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A lot of people are allergic or simply do not like using the artificially made mosquito repellents that are manufactured with a choke full of harmful chemicals and instead opt for a more gentle and natural alternative. And this is where coconut oil comes in.
Virgin coconut oil or even regular coconut oil can very effectively deter mosquitoes. As we have briefly mentioned above, mosquitoes transmit harmful diseases to humans and even some animals. This disease often causes life loss if left unchecked.
This is why it is so crucial to find products that can successfully keep them away and if something as simple and easily accessible as coconut oil does the job then where is the harm?!
Many people are curious as to how coconut oil is so effectively able to keep mosquitoes away. Well, coconut comes with a whole bunch of fatty acids which can be derived directly from it.
In the list of the fatty acids mixture are lauric acid, capric acid, caprylic acid alongside their corresponding methyl esters. And this is exactly what creates a shield to repel blood-sucking mosquitoes. This repellency also lasts quite a while.
Almost two weeks to be precise. Coconut oil effectively keeps the mosquitoes at bay for two whole weeks.
There is science-backed evidence that the mixture of different fatty acids derived from coconut oil has the ability to deter and act as a repellent against mosquitoes.
But the best way to find out if it truly works against mosquitoes is to use coconut oil if you live in a place where mosquitoes frequent or take a trip somewhere where there are a lot of mosquitoes. This experiment will be inexpensive and also won’t cause harm.
This will help clear the doubts regarding coconut oil’s effectiveness in deterring mosquitoes from buzzing nearby and biting you to suck your blood.
How to use coconut oil to repel mosquitoes?
If you have been reading this article then you are aware by this point that coconut oil in fact helps in keeping those vile blood-sucking mosquitoes away.
But to someone who has never seen exactly how coconut oil is used as a bug repellent then how it works may seem a little confusing and to ease up those confusion, we have added ways in which coconut oil can safely be used to repel mosquitoes.
Coconut oil sprat:
You can make a mosquito repellent concoction using coconut oil and spray it on the exposed parts of the body and places mosquitoes are likely to bite.
You can make this mixture by adding coconut oil and tea tree or neem oil in a spray bottle and shake it well.
The combination of coconut oil with either tea tree or neem oil will increase the strength of the mixture because similar to coconut oil, tea tree and neem oil are also great repellents and it is best to mix oil as opposed to spraying them alone on bare skin.
This mixture will create a potent smell which will cause mosquitoes to stir clear from your surroundings and you can enjoy your time without worrying about the diseases they might infect you with.
Repellent balm:
If you do not like the feel of coconut oil on your skin, you can make a mosquito repellent balm instead and use it to deter those pesky wannabe vampires.
You can make a mixture using extra virgin coconut oil, shea butter, beeswax and a few drops of essential oil such as citronella and rosemary.
After you have mixed together all the ingredients with your desired essential oils, bring it to a boil in a double boiler and then pour it into an airtight container and let them cool.
If you live in a place with a colder climate, they will set and harden on their own but if you live somewhere tropical then store the mixture in the refrigerator and use it as a balm to ward off mosquitoes.
It will moisturize your skin while protecting you from mosquitoes.
Pros and cons of using coconut oil mosquito repellent:
Everything comes with their own sets of pros and cons but weighing them is crucial because if the cons happen to override the pros then is it worth it?
For reference if coconut oil fails to repel mosquitoes then the fact that it is inexpensive will have no relevance to the problem.
Thus, we have decided to list out the pros and cons of using coconut oil to repel mosquitoes for you to decide whether it is something you want to try or not.
Pros:
Good repellent:
The fatty acids present in coconut oil work as a very good mosquito repellent.
It can be used easily to keep mosquitoes away and it is also used in many bug repellent sprays due to its repellency against insects such as mosquitoes and other bugs.
Pain soother:
It not only helps keep mosquitoes away but in case you get bit by a mosquito because you didn’t use any bug or mosquito repellent, you can use coconut oil to ease the pain and discomfort from the bite which will without a doubt become inflamed and itchy.
Better mixing:
Coconut oil happens to work well with other bug repellent oils such as tea tree oil, citronella oil, neem oil, peppermint oil. This helps because mixing the oils can result in a better mosquito repellent.
Inexpensive:
Coconut oil is inexpensive and also very accessible.
Cons:
Thick:
Coconut oil is quite thick in consistency and it can be good for places with colder climates but the thick, oily feel will be very uncomfortable in tropical places with high humidity especially in the summer months.
Clogs pores:
Due to the thickness of the coconut oil, it can end up clogging up the pores on our skin which can lead to acne.
Isn’t waterproof:
Coconut oil will mostly begin to wear off with sweat. It isn’t water-proof or sweat-proof like other commercial mosquito repellent may be.
Cause rashes:
People who have sensitive skin will probably not be able to use coconut oil as a mosquito repellent because it can cause rashes and skin and mucous membrane irritation.
3 other ways to repel mosquitoes away from your home and garden:
Coconut oil is a great way to repel mosquitoes but in case you are not comfortable using coconut oil, here are some more ways that you can repel mosquitoes. They will act as a protective blanket for your house and also garden against mosquitoes.
No stagnant water:
Mosquitoes tend to start their breeding ground where there is stagnant water such as puddles or dirty gutters.
If you have a mosquito breeding ground close to your house then no amount of coconut oil or tea tree oil will be able to get rid of them completely.
Therefore, start by making sure there are no puddles of stagnant water in or around the house or any dirty drain or gutter where the mosquitoes could breed. Diminishing their breeding ground will force them to disperse.
Mosquito repellent plant:
Smell is a great way to deter mosquitoes. You can plant some mosquito repellent plants in your garden.
The smell will work well to keep mosquitoes from coming to your garden and this will also help protect the house from them.
The best plants to keep mosquitoes away are marigolds, tulsi, lemongrass, citronella, mint, and catnip. You can plant any one of them or a combination of these plants to stop mosquitoes from sauntering into your house.
Lemon:
If you happen to find mosquitoes roaming inside your house, you can cut lemons in half and push cloves inside them.
And leave the lemon and cloves near window sills and other rooms the mosquitoes frequent. Mosquitoes dislike the citrusy scent such as lemons and also strongly dislike the smell of cloves.
Final Thoughts
Coconut oil, especially the fatty acids that are present in coconut oil, help in keeping mosquitoes away. Mosquitoes are not likely to bite someone who has coconut oil rubbed onto their skin as the smell deters them. This is a great way to keep mosquitoes away.