The surprising 69p kitchen staple that you can use as a mosquito spray

Mosquitoes can totally ruin a perfectly lovely summer day.

If you’re targeted by the flying nuisances, then you could be in an itchy state few days that can drive you crazy.

But help is at hand in the shape of TikToker Babs who shares her homemaking tips with her army of fans.

Babs – who posts clips to her account @brunchwithbabs to 4.1m followers – revealed that cinnamon is the answer to your bug-based nightmares. 

The clip has now been viewed an astonishing 3.3m times and has many thousands of comments.

She said: “Did your mother ever tell you the secret to be bug-free all summer long? It’s cinnamon!

“Use ground cinnamon to keep those maggots, flies, and critters out of your trash can. Just sprinkle a light layer at the bottom.”

Babs also gives other tips on how to use the spice to keep mosquitoes at bay – including making a spray for your body.

She said: “Use my cinnamon spray to keep those mosquitoes at bay.

“To make your spray, just whisk in two teaspoons of cinnamon into four cups of warm water. Let it sit out and let it steep like you would tea. Drain your cinnamon mixture right into your spray bottle.”

Babs then instructs her followers to add half a teaspoon of rubbing alcohol, and half a teaspoon of dish detergent.

She added: “Shake and spray! It’ll keep mosquitos away and it’s safe for you too. Just spray away and it smells great!”

The homemaking queen also recommends using cinnamon sticks to keep fruit flies away from your fruit bowl.

Her followers were delighted with the tip. Ground Cinnamon can be bought from the Aldi ‘Ready, Set…Cook!’ range for 69p for 40g.

One said: “Babs this better work cause I’m desperate to keep those mosquitoes away. They love me.”

Another said: “Someone get this lady on a commercial.”

According to a 2004 study, cinnamon oil is a great-smelling, and environmentally friendly pesticide, with the ability to kill mosquito eggs and repel adult mosquitoes.

You can also use cinnamon oil as a spray by diluting 10 drops of oil into a spray bottle with 30-40ml of water. It can also be added to standing water, which is where mosquitoes lay eggs and multiply.