Keep mosquitos away with Sara Davies’ ‘game-changing’ mix
Dragon’s Den star and businesswoman Sara Davies shared her ‘game-changing’ hack to keep unwanted mosquitos and midges away from you during the summer. Mosquitos can be a common occurrence during the warmer months, but you won’t need to fork out for a chemical insect repellent this time.
In a recent TikTok video, Sara demostrated how to concoct this easy solution, that also doubles up as a pretty and fragrant centrepiece for your garden, so it won’t irritate your senses – unlike mosquitos. All you need is a large vase to hold all of your ingredients. This is what you’ll need to keep mozzies and midges at bay this summer.
Alongside a vase to hold all of the ingredients, you’ll need some water, lemon slices, lavender stalks, fresh rosemary, and citronella oil. You can either find citronella in the form of an essential oil, or as a scented geranium plant.
Sara wrote in the caption: “Right, I’ve got a cracking little hack for you if, like me, you love sitting out on an evening but can’t stand being eaten alive by mozzies and midges. I made my own citronella bowl for outside and it’s honestly a game changer!
“I just grabbed one of those big fishbowl style glass bowls and filled it with water, slices of lemon, a few lavender stalks, some fresh rosemary and a few drops of citronella oil. Then I popped in a couple of floating candles and when you light it, it looks absolutely gorgeous and keeps the bugs away.
“It’s giving spa vibes meets summer garden party – smells amazing, looks the part and best of all, it actually works! So simple but makes such a difference when you’re trying to enjoy a peaceful evening without being someone’s dinner. Let me know if you give it a try and tag me if you make your own, I love seeing your versions!”
Citronella is considered an effective mosquito repellent, as it masks the scents they use to locate humans, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. scents they use to locate humans, such as carbon dioxide and lactic acid. Zahid Adnan, founder of The Plant Bible, told Homes & Gardens: “While citronella can be effective to some extent, its efficacy may vary.
“This depends on factors such as concentration, application method, and individual sensitivity to mosquito bites.”
Citronella’s scent will ultimately confuse the insects’ senses and lose the ability to find their target. Citronella also contains specific compounds like citronellal and geraniol that act as irritants to mosquitos, making it unpleasant for them to remain in the vicinity of the citronella scent.
The same goes for lemon. While lemon scents won’t be enough to repel mosquitos on its own, when used in conjunction with other fragrances, it can offer some degree of protection.
Mosquitos can also be repelled by rosemary due to its strong, aromatic scent, which contains compounds like cineole, camphor, and limonene. Lavender contains essential oils like linalool and linalyl acetate, which can overwhelm the insect’s sensory receptors.
A bonus of using these fragrances together is creating a wonderful-smelling perfume for when you’re relaxing outside.
