The use of vanillin from midges

It has long been known that vanillin is an effective remedy for midges, which is already several decades old... A compound that has a beneficial effect on humans, promotes the release of hormones and stabilizes the emotional state, is capable of scaring off blood-sucking insects. Traditional methods involve the use of powdered vanilla or pod pulp, which are safer than products from the arsenal of the chemical industry, which often pose a threat to humans due to toxicity.

Vanillin from midges is a folk remedy, the effect of which has long been known. Scientific studies of the mechanisms of action of vanilla, which repel insects, have not been carried out. The main assumption why the plant helps against blood-sucking parasites is the sharp, specific aroma of the fruits of the perennial vine. The smell, which causes pleasant sensations and associations in humans, has an alarming, frightening effect on insects. Scientists suggest that the reason for this effect lies in the biological characteristics of the perennial vine.

1. Before becoming a cultivated plant cultivated in several countries, the pearl of the rainforest grew in Mexico.
2. An orchid with popular fruits grows on trees, being held by adventitious roots and escaping the sun... In its native habitat, it is pollinated only by bees of one species.
3. Beneficial insects have only a day for pollination, while the flower is open. If they do not have time to do this, the flower falls off and does not bear fruit. Probably, the property of smell to scare away other insects, except for one bee species, is based on this.
4. Second guess - in the long ripening of the pod (3/4 years). The sweet aroma repels the pests of the fragile capsule.

This helped to calmly be on the street in the evening. Then it was discovered that vanilla has the property of repelling midges, fleas and ticks. They began to use it as a means for a quiet stay in nature, ridding pets of parasites.

The beneficial properties of vanilla have been adopted by cosmetologists, veterinarians, manufacturers of means for repelling blood-sucking insects, industrial chemistry and even medicine. Traditional healers have several effective recipes, methods for making a vanillin solution against midges.

The main secret of any recipe is to use natural vanilla as the main ingredient, and not a synthetic flavor that mimics the presence of a spice. Previously, powder and pods cost a lot of money. Since the domestication of the orchid vine, its cost has decreased, although it continues to remain high due to the need to do everything by hand (from planting to pollination). Therefore, in the manufacture of an effective insect repeller, you can use variable components: pod pulp (capsules), dried fruit powder, ready-made extract (in sealed capsules), vanilla oil from the arsenal of aromatherapists.

A suitable recipe from a number of existing ones is chosen according to several parameters: the finished form of the main component, the duration of stay in the zone of invasion of blood-sucking insects, and others.

In special publications, several variable forms are also mentioned, the appropriateness of which depends on a number of conditions:

• solutions (alcoholic and aqueous) with low concentration and a short period of use from vanilla powder;
• solution from concentrate in ampoules, the same remedy from the natural capsules of the plant (more precisely, from the seeds and pulp, which smell especially pungently);
• alcohol based concentrate with unlimited shelf life, suitable for travel and nature hikes;
• detergent mixture - An excellent way to work in the garden and wash after finishing;
• cream with vanilla powder - a well-preserved product, optimal for children's skin, but not suitable for hot climates due to the caused hyperhidrosis;
• permeable crystal bag or dried fruit (put in a wardrobe), adding the extract to a bottle of rinse aid for a washing machine.

With the same success, you can use ready-made cosmetic products: soaps, shampoos and gels.

Can be made from powdered vanillin (sold in sachets, not to be confused with vanilla sugar - this form is not suitable for making a proven folk remedy, it will only attract insects that are avid for sweets). The peculiarity of the manufacture is in the property inherent in crystals to precipitate in water at room temperature. But if you heat it up to 50 degrees, then the powder will dissolve completely and will not get stuck in the spray bottle. The lack of an aqueous solution from crystals is fragility. It is used for its intended purpose no more than 2 days.

It is much easier to mix the liquid substance from the capsules (at the rate of 1 capsule to half a glass of water) and treat the exposed skin with it. The most effective solution is considered to be a solution on vanilla pods.

To prepare it correctly, you need to proceed in stages.

1. Remove the seeds and pulp from the capsules. They have the strongest and most pungent odor.
2. Take a few pods and grind them in a 3-liter saucepan in a water bath for an hour.
3. Pour the infusion into bottles, turn upside down, wrap with a blanket and leave for a while, until they cool completely.
4. Soak them for 3 weeks in a dark, rather cool place... If necessary, in such conditions, they can be stored for a long time.

You get a saturated concentrate, but before use it must be diluted as follows: for one hundred milliliters of water, half a teaspoon of the resulting infusion. And if this is for children, then 2/5 of the infused solution will be enough for the same amount of liquid poured into the spray bottle. The scope of application of the infusion is wide, and the result is invariably effective.

How to prepare and dilute the solution with ethyl alcohol also depends on the vanilla source.

1. An alcoholic solution of crystalline vanillin is prepared ahead of time. To prepare a remedy for bloodsuckers, it is enough to dilute 1 g of powder in a tablespoon of alcohol. It is convenient to take such a composition with you in a bottle and bring it to the desired concentration on the spot, if necessary.
2. Another popular recipe involves the use of the contents of vanilla boxes... In 200 ml of pharmacy alcohol add the pulp of 5-6 gutted pods. The container is tightly corked and left for 3 weeks in a dark, cool place. After the prescribed time, a dark brown liquid with a strong vanilla aroma is obtained. It is stored for quite a long time, does not take up space in the luggage and is divorced to the required condition already on the spot.
3. An alcoholic solution from liquid vanillin in ampoules is quite simple to prepare. By mixing the concentrate capsule with half a glass of pure alcohol, you can get a ready-made product for protecting the skin. Before use, it is enough to dilute it with water in the right proportion - and it can be used as an effective means of protection against annoying insects at any age.

The simplest method is to use a ready-made concentrate. Homemade formulations are even easier due to a simple and accurate dosage, 1 ampoule is taken per unit of measure, the rest of the ingredients are calculated in accordance with it. The advantage of the ampoule concentrate is its compactness and ease of movement, long-term preservation (until the expiration date indicated on the box expires). Several forms of protective equipment can be made from it:

• water and alcohol solutions;
• detergents (1 capsule is added to liquid soap and shampoo, everything mixes well);
• vanilla butter - by mixing the concentrated composition from the ampoule with any vegetable oil;
• rinse aid - adding to the usual rinse aid for the washing machine.

Unlike real vanilla oil, which is sold in a special package and is used in an amount of a few drops, prepared independently (mixed with linseed, olive or even sunflower oil) not only does not damage the skin, but, on the contrary, normalizes its condition.

You can use protective equipment prepared according to folk recipes in any case when a person needs protection from the blood-sucking parasites surrounding him. They help not only against midges, but also against mosquitoes, fleas, lice, and repel ticks.

Short-lived aqueous solutions must be consumed within one and a half days. Alcoholic drinks last much longer, so it is better to store them in a tightly sealed container, and dilute them in small portions as soon as the need arises and consume them immediately.

For another cooking method, see below.