What smells do mosquitoes hate? Learning natural and innovative ways to repel mosquitoes can be frustrating or satisfying, depending on how well the methods work. Because essential oils cannot be tested as a pesticide, it is unclear of their true efficacy, however some EO enthusiasts still claim they work to repel mosquitoes and ticks.
Here are a list of natural, plant-based oils that have been said are effective as natural insect repellent sprays.
The most effective way to keep mosquitoes away from your home and yard is by using professional mosquito repellent sprays treatment programs designed for your enviroment.
Natural essential oils that claim to repel mosquitoes
- Citronella
- Cinnamon oil
- Clove
- Thyme
- Cedarwood
- Lavender
- Eucalyptus
- Peppermint
- Rosemary
- Lemongrass
- Geranium
- Tea tree oil
Keep in mind that essential oil bug repellants are not tested by the EPA, so the efficacy is unknown.
Essential oils can be more or less effective depending on how they’re prepared, how pure or not pure they are.
A study published in BioMed Research International, states that “insect repellents with citronella oil as the major component need to be reapplied every 20–60 minutes.”
With such diseases such as Zika and Lyme, the consequences of an ineffective repellent can be dire, so you’ll need one you can trust.
“A mosquito interprets the world through multiple, sometimes hundreds, of chemical receptors. These receptors are like a giant cluster of microphones facing a politician at a podium. The majority of these receptors are tuned to odors, but others sense taste, heat, and humidity. Depending on the species, there can be a lot of them, hundreds, in some cases. Anopheles gambiae, the mosquito that carries malaria, has 79 odor receptors, 34 ionotropic receptors, a host of gustatory receptors, heat receptors, humidity receptors.” – Lawrence Zwiebel, PhD
A mosquito repellent’s trustworthiness starts with EPA approval—a requirement that proves the repellent has been thoroughly tested to confirm that it’s safe and that it performs according to the specifics from the manufacturer. Essential oils have no such standardized oversight, so unfortunately, you could be taking a risk when using it.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend picaridin, DEET, or another EPA-regulated repellent. No essential-oil repellents make the CDC’s list. Oil of lemon eucalyptus is a plant-based EPA-approved repellent but is not an essential oil.
After thorough tests, Consumer Reports found the most effective plant-derived competitor to DEET is oil of lemon eucalyptus—which has a different chemical footprint than lemon eucalyptus essential oil.
We know how overwhelming the mosquito repellent marketplace can be. The Centers for Disease Control have put together a handy repellent buying guide to help you make a safe choice for you and your family.
