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Q: A friend recommended making a peppermint oil spray for bugs. While I’m trying to stay away from the dangers associated with chemical pesticides, I’m questioning whether an essential oil will really work. Does peppermint oil repel bugs? Is this a method worth trying?
A : You’re name a smart choice to create aDIY pest - free homeby staying away from chemical pesticide . Manyscents can deter pests in the gardenand home , so asking , “ does peppermint oil colour repel bugs ? ” is not a silly motion .
We hand out to two pest control expert : Nicole Carpenter , the president ofBlack Pest Preventionin Charlotte , North Carolina , and David Price , an entomologist and the technical director atMosquito Joein Virginia Beach , Virginia , to larn more about the efficaciousness of using peppermint oil as a glitch repellant . Read on to see what they say about whether it can help you with your state of affairs , along with some other considerations to keep in creative thinker .
Does Peppermint Oil Repel Bugs?
Yes , when it is used correctly , peppermint vegetable oil can be an effective , instinctive hemipteron repellant . Carpenter excuse , “ Peppermint has a strong menthol smell and it disrupt [ the bugs ’ ] olfactory Mary Jane and deter them from participate area regale with the oil . A substantial smell of peppermint vegetable oil can also make it hard for gadfly to sail when searching for nutrient source . ” Carpenter explains , since “ the availability of food source is one of the most significant criteria for all pest type when choosing a place to settle down , a impregnable smell can make them desire to exit your home . ”
you could also use the mordacious odor of peppermint gum vegetable oil tomake your own natural hemipteron nebuliser . “ When hard red gum oil is diluted with a carrier substance , it becomes a safe , soothing , and effective tool for keeping bug away , ” explains Price . A2011 studypublished in The Asian Pacific Journal of Tropical Biomedicine , found that peppermint crude oil offered up to 2.5 hour of protection against lily-livered fever mosquito bites .
Reapply peppermint oil to maintain its effectiveness.
When using Mentha piperita as a bug repellant , it is important to commemorate that the strong scent wo n’t last forever . As it take up to fade , so will its effectivity at repelling insects . “ For ongoing effectiveness , ” Carpenter advocate “ reapplying peppermint oil every 2 to 3 weeks or more frequently if the scent look to frivol away quicker , especially in outdoor areas or in environments with eminent air circulation . ”
If you ’re applying peppermint rock oil spraying to your skin to foreclose mosquito bite , you ’ll need to reapply it even more often . “ For best results , reapply the homemade repellent every 1 to 2 minute , ” says Price .
Peppermint oil is most effective when used in conjunction with other natural repellents.
While a Mentha piperita oil bug nebuliser can deter insects , it should n’t be the onlynatural cuss control methodyou apply . “ Remember that plague become accustomed to specific smells over time , and using peppermint candy oil for a recollective period might be ineffective , ” says Carpenter . Instead of relying solely on Eucalyptus amygdalina oil , she recommends “ rotating between unlike essential oil like eucalypt oil or cinnamon crude oil every 3 to 4 months . They also have a biting smell and are good at deterring pests . ” Carpenter also notes , “ while peppermint oil colour can dissuade pests , it does n’t kill them and can barely be effective as a single method . ”
How to Use Peppermint Oil to Repel Bugs in the Home and Garden
The best way to use peppermint petroleum spray for bugs will variegate free-base on whether you are seek to keep them out of your home , off from your garden , or from swarm around your dead body and bite you . To use peppermint oil as a bug repellant inside the house , add 1.5 cup of water to a spray bottleful . tot up about 12 to 15 drops of 100 - per centum stark peppermint indispensable oil . use the atomiser to likely entrance point , such as door frames , floorboards , and windowsills .
you could also apply the spray direct to any areas where you are receive an infestation , such asaround the pantry . To serve the Mentha piperita odor stick around a moment longer , consider saturating cotton wool ball with the mixture and put them around move areas and entry points .
Mentha piperita crude oil also can help repel bugs around the garden . Avoid spraying concentrated oil directly onto plant life , as it may damage them . rather , reduce it with weewee ( about 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil for each gallon of warm water ) , and add 2 tablespoon of liquid soap . To check that the diluted spray wo n’t damage a plant life , spray the underside of a leaf and attend for any house of damage a day or two later on . If everything looks okay , you may spray the solution directly over your plants to make them less appealing to garden pests .
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How to Make a DIY Peppermint Oil Mosquito Repellent
relieve oneself your own essential oilmosquito repellentis another way to utilise peppermint petroleum . According to Price , all you ’ll call for is ⅓ cup coconut oil colour and about 15 drops of peppermint crude oil . “ Mix the ingredients in a jar , and apply to skin for a refreshing way to keep insects at bay , ” says Price .
When using peppermint candy fossil oil as a bug repellent , keep refuge in mind . As Price explains , “ Some indispensable oils such as peppermint candy oil can be toxic to animals , so avoid go for any repellant that check those ingredient to your pets . ” Take extra caution and consider consulting a pediatrician before using all-important crude oil on a baby . Johns Hopkins Medicine send word against using peppermint oil color on any children less than 30 month one-time , since it might increase the risk of exposure of capture .
Does Peppermint Oil Repel Mice and Other Rodents?
In addition to using peppermint all-important crude bug repellant , the petroleum also could helpdeter mice and other rodents . According to Carpenter , “ Rodents , particularly mice , have a highly sensitive sense of smell . The strong , barbed fragrance of peppermint oil can be consuming to them , disguise the scent that usually pull mouse to home and food informant . ”
However , keep in psyche that you ’ll still need to reapply peppermint oil bug repellant and revolve with other natural methods to keep black eye aside effectively and prevent them from cause legal injury in the home . Alone , it will not be a sufficient answer to keep mice out of an intact home , but could keep them away from target areas . If you ’re facing a large plague , you might need to reach out to a pest control professional to prevent it from step up .
6 Other Peppermint Oil Uses Around the House
Beyond using peppermint oil for glitch , you could use it in other ways around the home plate and garden . Here are a few additionaluses for this essential crude oil :
Final Thoughts
Using peppermint candy fossil oil for ants , mosquitoes , mice , and other pests can be an in effect component part of a pest management program . However , this essential crude oil bug spray alone will in all probability not be sufficient to battle the trouble . “ Pests become accustomed to the smell and cease to be sensitive to it , ” says Carpenter . For that reason , she aver it is well to change methods after some time so the hemipteran wo n’t accommodate to specific olfactory property ; as a result , your exploit will be more effective .
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Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
Photo: istockphoto.com
