Mosquitoes are innumerable and have different species. They are also the culprits why we have diseases like dengue. I myself have suffered from dengue hence I’m aware of how ruthless mosquitoes can be. Since they are innumerable and continue to increase they are uncontrollable. Mosquitoes are also ubiquitous, so you can find them everywhere and you don’t know when they would bite you. When I had dengue I didn’t know that I already had it nor was aware that I was bitten by a it. Because of the illness, it caused me, I was unable to work.
Mosquitoes also do have their qualities. Some are bigger while some are smaller. Some are more visible, some are hidden. Some species are typically known while some are rare and others are probably still unidentified. Regardless of the mosquito specie or qualities it has, they bite and can cause illnesses. Hence staying in a mosquito-filled environment is not recommended for your safety. When mosquitoes contain a virus and suck your blood, it can make you sick. Depending on your body’s condition and illness severity it can be untreatable and hence can be fatal.
Because of the danger that mosquitoes can bring, different studies are conducted to discover effective mosquito repellents. Though we cannot eliminate these disease-causing culprits and we cannot fully understand the entirety of mosquito dominion due to its complexity, studies help us to understand them and what we can do to somehow control them.
There are different mosquito repellent that has been studied. Included among these is the use of essential oils. One of the investigated essential oil that serves as a mosquito repellent is ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata). Scroll down to see the different studies made about the potential of ylang-ylang as a mosquito repellent.
Ylang-ylang oil caused avoidance behavior of mosquitos
Ylang-ylang’s effect on the excito-repellency actions or avoidance behavior of mosquitos was investigated in a 2022 study. The study used four different concentrations of ylang ylang essential oil which are 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, and 5.0% v/v. The findings of the study revealed that high concentrations (2.5-5.0%) of ylang ylang oil has high contact irritancy against Culex quinquefasciatus Say and Anopheles minimus and also have high noncontact repellency actions. Meanwhile, at 2.5% concentration, Anopheles dirus Peyton & Harrison and Aedes aegypti have high non-contact repellency actions but is a moderate contact irritant against the two mosquito species. (1)
Larvicidal efficacy of ylang-ylang
A 2020 comparative study was conducted to test the larvicidal efficacy of ylang-ylang essential oils from India and Thailand against Aedes aegypti. The concentration ranges used in this study are 0.025, 0.050, 0.075, 0.100, 0.125, and 0.150 ppm. The findings of the study proves the efficacy of using ylang-ylang in controlling the Aedes mosquito as it is found highly toxic to this mosquito specie. (2)
Diluted ylang-ylang effect on mosquitoes
The researchers of a 2015 clinical trial suggested that ylang-ylang and lemongrass essential oil can be used for mosquito control. The study tested the repellency activity of Thai essential oils derived from ylang-ylang and lemongrass against two mosquito species Aedes aegypti and Culex quinquefasciatus. The diluents used for the essential oils are coconut oil, soybean oil, and olive oil. The ylang-ylang was diluted in coconut oil and showed high repellent activity, and protected from bites of A. aegypti. Meanwhile, lemongrass in olive oil also yielded strong repellent activity and protected from bites of C.quinquefasciatus. The essential oils exhibited that they have lower repellency activity against A. aegypti than C. quinquefasciatus. (3)
Ovicidal, larvicidal, adulticidal activity, and mosquito repellency potential of ylang-ylang
Another study by Sonnewera in 2015 reported the insecticidal potential of ylang-ylang against three mosquito species: Aedes aegypti, Anopheles dirus, and Culex quinquefasciatus. The results of their study demonstrated 10% concentration of ylang-ylang has a high percentage of effective repellency against oviposition to Ae. aegypti, An. dirus, and Cx. quinquefasciatus. The higher the percentage of concentration the higher the ovicidal activity rate it has. The ylang-ylang oil at 10% concentration also had larvicidal activity against Ae. Aegypti and Cx. Quinquefasciatus. A 10% concentration of ylang-ylang can also have adulticidal properties activity and can highly reduce, and knock down Ae. Aegypti, An. dirus and Cx. Quinquefasciatus. 10 % of ylang-ylang oil also showed it has the potential to repel Ae. aegypti, An. dirus, and Cx. Quinquefasciatus. (4)
Topical application of ylang-ylang essential oil
The repellency activity of 7 essential oil on female Aedes aegypti, Anopheles dirus, and Culex quinquefasciatus was tested in a 2011 study. The researchers used three dose concentrations which are 0.02, 0.10, and 0.21 mg/cm2, and topically applied the oils on the forearms of the participants. The result of the study showed that ylang-ylang was effective against Cx. quinquefasciatus. The result of this study is consistent with the findings of the 2015 Soonwera study which demonstrates that the higher the concentration of essential oil, the higher its mosquito repellency activity also. (5)
Ylang ylang essential oil on cotton fabric as mosquito repellent
The potential of the application of microencapsulated ylang-ylang oil on cotton fabric to repel mosquitoes was investigated in a 2020 study. The researchers prepared the solution using 20g of urea-formaldehyde, 200 mL of distilled water, 100 mL of hot water, and ylang-ylang essential oil. The study included three fabric samples. The first fabric had 10mL of ylang-ylang essential oil, the other fabric had 2.5 mL of ylang-ylang essential oil with a concentration of 1% and the third was an untreated cotton fabric. The result of the study exhibited that the urea-formaldehyde microcapsule with ylang-ylang essential oil-treated cotton fabrics have higher mosquito repellency against adult female Aedes aegypti mosquitoes than the untreated fabric. Moreover, the treated fabrics with a higher concentration of 10ml ylang-ylang essential oil demonstrated mosquito repellency than the treated fabric with a 2.5ml lower concentration of ylang-ylang essential oil. (6)
Effect of Ylang ylang essential oil’s higher concentration
Three of the studies presented (Soonwera in 2011 and 2015 and Reyes and his colleagues in 2020) have shown that the higher concentration of ylang-ylang essential oil also increases the repellent activity.
Mosquito species
The effect of ylang-ylang as a repellent for Aedes aegypti has been consistent in the five studies presented, while, four case studies have shown that it can repel Culex quinquefasciatus Say mosquito. Three case studies showed that it can be used as a mosquito control for Anopheles dirus Peyton and one study proved that it can be used against Anopheles minimus Theobald mosquito.
The research presented above showed different mosquito species and has proven that Ylang ylang essential oil can be used as a repellent for species such as Aedes aegypti, Culex quinquefasciatus, anopheles virus Peyton, and Anopheles minimus Theobald. Hence this enables us to realize that bringing and applying ylang-ylang essential oil can help protect us from the mentioned mosquitoes species. Also, applying them at the right time is important.
Bringing mosquito repellent is advisable no matter where you go, especially if you are going to a place that might be considered a mosquito-prone area. Commercially sold mosquito repellents do not indicate specifically what mosquito species they repel, but we still use them. Meanwhile, the studies about ylang-ylang essential oil as a mosquito repellent identify the species of mosquitoes they are effective in repelling. However, there are still mosquito species that are not yet studied or probably still unidentified, and we don’t know when the repellent for these mosquitoes will be identified. In this case, would you still bring ylang-ylang essential oil and apply it at a specific time, when you go or reach a place with existing mosquitos when the repellent for them is probably still being studied? Personally, if you’d ask me if I would bring my ylang-ylang essential oil. I’d say Yes. Lavender and ylang-ylang are my favorite scents hence the perfume I have now has ylang-ylang oil and its aroma so it’s just natural for me to bring my ylang-ylang essential oil regardless of the environment I am in.
Stay eager 💋❤
References:
- (1) Sukkanon, C., Nararak, J., Bangs, M. J., & Chareonviriyaphap, T. (2022). Cananga odorata (Magnoliales: Annonaceae) Essential Oil Produces Significant Avoidance Behavior in Mosquitoes. Journal of medical entomology, 59(1), 291–300. https://doi.org/10.1093/jme/tjab143
- (2) Chaiphongpachara, T., & Laojun, S. (2020). Comparative efficacy of commercial ylang-ylang (Cananga odorata) essential oils from India and Thailand against larval Aedes aegypti (L.) (Diptera: Culicidae). Journal of advanced veterinary and animal research, 7(3), 391–396. https://doi.org/10.5455/javar.2020.g433
- (3) Sooner, M., & Phasomkusolsil, S. (2015). Efficacy of Thai herbal essential oils as a green repellent against mosquito vectors. Acta Tropica, 142, 127–130. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actatropica.2014.11.010
- (4) Sooner M. (2015). Efficacy of essential oil from Cananga odorata (Lamk.) Hook. f. & Thomson (Annonaceae) against three mosquito species Aedes aegypti (L.), Anopheles dirus (Peyton and Harrison), and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say). Parasitology Research, 114(12), 4531–4543. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00436-015-4699-1
- (5) Phasomkusolsil S, Soonwera M. 2011. Comparative mosquito repellency of essential oils against Aedes aegypti (Linn.), Anopheles dirus (Peyton and Harrison), and Culex quinquefasciatus (Say). Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine 1(1): S113–S118. https://doi.org/10.1016/S2221-1691(11)60136-6
- (6) Reyes E.L.B., Menor M.D., Munsayac M.G., Notario J.B.P., Ogaco G.H.A, Perez J.P.A, Ramos E.K.S., Tengco S.G. C., Rio P.C., Hilario A.L. Mosquito Repellent Property of “Ylang-Ylang” (Cananga odorata) Essential Oil in Urea-Formaldehyde Microencapsulated Cotton Fabric. Philippine Journal of Science. 149 (4): 1029-1037. 2020
Oil Therapy 