What plant is a good insect repellent?
There are a number of herbs which are known to repel insects — lemongrass, citronella, lavender, basil, marigolds, pelargonium, lemon balm, peppermint and lemon myrtle. Rub the leaves directly on your skin or have a spray bottle with essential oil infused. Mosquitoes are drawn to human scent, but certain natural odors can keep them away. For those enjoying time outdoors, using repellents like citronella, eucalyptus, or lavender offers a chemical-free way to repel these pests. These essential oils are effective and provide a pleasant scent.Combine essential oils like citronella, peppermint, tea tree, and lavender to create your own bug-repellent spray. Mix with water and a little alcohol to help disperse the oil. Place oil-diffused cotton balls in areas where pests are a problem, such as near windows, doors, and cabinets.Minty fragrances are unpleasant to a mosquito’s keen senses. The mere presence of peppermint plants can ward off these pesky flying insects to some degree. You can also turn peppermint into a personal repellent by crushing the leaves and rubbing them on your skin. Mosquitoes won’t be able to tolerate your presence!The only natural mosquito repellent registered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is oil of lemon eucalyptus. But many other essential oils, such as lemongrass, clove, and patchouli, have been shown to have repelling properties as well.
Is cinnamon a bug repellent?
What is the one thing in your spice cabinet that can keep you bug and rodent free this summer? Yes! Cinnamon. Cinnamon naturally contains eugenol, an aromatic compound commonly found in traditional insect repellants. Cinnamon is a gentle and affordable natural alternative to other expensive garden fungicides and rooting hormones. Give it a try in the garden this year and make sure to throw a little in your morning coffee to give you the energy boost you need to get growing!
Does mint keep bugs away?
While best known for being a versatile culinary herb, peppermint is also helpful for keeping bugs out of your garden. Many insects find the strong scent of peppermint unpleasant. What’s more, the potent fragrance of this herb masks the smell of other plants. The source recommended either lemon basil or Peruvian basil as they are the most fragrant. Not exactly seasonal, but always fresh – insects hate peppermint! Do It Yourself blog explained that you can spritz some peppermint oil, or rub crushed leaves directly on your body to stave off any bugs that want a bite.In addition to the other applications of clove and its oil, its active component, Eugenol, with its strong scent, is found to support its use as an effective insecticide. Medical authors at MedicineNet claim that Eugenol is capable of repelling insects and pests like ants, mites, ticks and spiders.Essential oils such as rose geranium, tea tree, eucalyptus, patchouli, citronella, lavender, catnip, lemongrass, palmarosa, and peppermint are all excellent at warding off insects.
What smell kills insects instantly?
Peppermint Peppermint is a natural insecticide that kills and repels mosquitoes. Pyrethroids are synthetic chemical insecticides that act like pyrethrins. Both compounds are lethal to bed bugs and can flush bed bugs out of their hiding places and kill them.Spray pyrethrin on mosquitoes, moths, flies, fleas or any hard bodies insect to kill them quickly.
Does lavender keep bugs away?
Lavender may also repel some insects like mosquitoes. The type of lavender can influence the amount of compounds it contains. There are many different species of lavenders and their hybrids and they might not all contain the same types of plant chemicals in the same concentrations, says Dr. Lavender Flowers Lavender is a herbal plant with a pleasantly sweet aroma. The aroma can spread throughout the house. But keep in mind that the lavender scent can repel moths, fleas, flies, and mosquitoes. Bugs hate the smell of lavender.Lavender scares away moths, fleas, flies and mosquitoes. For centuries, this lilac-colored plant has been used to add a sweet and pleasant fragrance to homes and clothing drawers. And while the vast majority of humans love the smell of lavender, mosquitoes, flies, and other unwanted insects hate it.The journey toward maintaining a bug-free home doesn’t have to involve harsh chemicals. By understanding and utilizing smells insects don’t like, such as those found in citronella oil, peppermint oil, tea tree oil, lavender oil, and neem oil, we can protect our spaces naturally.
What home remedy keeps bugs away?
Cinnamon along with cinnamon’s strong scent, the eugenol – a naturally-occurring compound found in cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, and basil that’s used in many commercial insect repellents – will also keep the bugs away. Rosemary is an herb that many of us are very familiar with and their woody scent is exactly what keeps mosquitoes as well as cabbage moths and carrot flies away. They do best in hot and dry climates and thrive in containers, which may be ideal for areas with winters.
What smell do bugs hate the most?
Peppermint and marigold are good repellents and can work safely inside. Also orange, lemon, lime and other strong citrus fragrances will drive a way pests while freshening a room. Known for its distinct smell, citronella grass (or lemon grass) is the most commonly used natural ingredient in mosquito repellants. In fact, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden recommends lemon-scented plants such as citronella grass to keep mosquitoes at bay.There isn’t a single best plant, but some of the most effective options include basil, lavender, and marigolds. These plants give off strong scents that insects dislike, making them excellent natural repellents for gardens and outdoor spaces.Almost anything that contains citronella can repel flies and many other pests. Some people burn citronella candles in their homes, while others soak towels in citronella oil. There are also citronella sprays that quickly and easily fill the entire house with the scent—something most people like but most bugs hate.Scents of herbs and aromatics — including lavender, rosemary, thyme, basil and garlic — also can repel mosquitoes, especially when used in diffusers. But the effectiveness of these plants varies widely, in part depending on where you plant them.