The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine recommends 8 household herbs to make mosquito repellent sachets and a method to make your own lemongrass spray for use at home during the dengue fever outbreak.

Dr. Thiti Saengtham, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine, said that during the past week, there have been thunderstorms throughout Thailand, resulting in flooding in many areas, which is a cause of breeding grounds for mosquito larvae, which are carriers of dengue fever. 

Symptoms of dengue fever

Dengue hemorrhagic fever (DHF) often has the following noticeable symptoms:

1. Acute high fever 
2. tired 
3. Loss of appetite 
4. stomach ache 
5. Blushing 
6. Nausea and vomiting
7. There is a rash on the skin. 

If you experience these symptoms after being bitten by a mosquito, you should see a doctor immediately. 

Dengue fever risk group

According to the Department of Disease Control, between January 1 and February 9, 2022, there were 305 patients with dengue fever and 2 deaths. The most common age group was 5-14 years old, followed by 15-24 years old. People who are infected with dengue fever and are at risk of death are the elderly, people with chronic diseases, and people who are overweight.

8 herbs to repel mosquitoes

The Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine recommends 8 household herbs that can repel mosquitoes and prevent dengue fever, including: 

1. Lemongrass 
2. Eucalyptus 
3. Kaffir lime peel 
4. Orange peel 
5. basil 
6. News 
7. clove 
8. peppermint 

The method of using it in the traditional way is to simply pound or crush one of the herbs mentioned above or cut the herbs into small pieces, put them in a mesh bag to make a fragrant sachet, and then place or hang it in a dark corner where mosquitoes are abundant. This will repel mosquitoes because the herbs contain important substances, which are essential oils that have a specific smell and are a smell that mosquitoes do not like.

How to make your own lemongrass spray, easy to use

Here is a simple way to make lemongrass spray for people to use in their homes:

1. Cut the lemongrass into small pieces, about 200 grams.
2. Cut the kaffir lime peel into small pieces, about 50 grams.
3. Wrap the chopped lemongrass and lime zest in a thin cloth and place in a glass jar.
4. Pour 1 liter of alcohol (ethyl alcohol) into a glass jar.
5. Add 10 grams of camphor, close the lid tightly and ferment for 7 days. During the fermentation process, shake the โปรโมชั่น ufabet glass jar every day. When the time is up, pour it into a spray bottle and label the bottle with the word “herbal mosquito repellent spray” and spray it to repel mosquitoes in dark corners of the house.

In addition to the above herbs that can help keep mosquitoes away, we can also prevent the occurrence of Aedes mosquitoes by keeping the house airy and free from dark corners. Water containers must be tightly covered. Wash unused containers upside down to prevent breeding grounds for Aedes mosquitoes. When sleeping, use a mosquito net or apply mosquito repellent lotion before going to bed. This will also prevent the spread of dengue fever.