Clove, peppermint, thyme, rosemary, and citronella oil are just a few essential oils that can help keep bugs away.
Try natural repellants
Citronella, lemongrass, sweet orange, lemon eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, and cinnamon are just a few of the oils known to repel summer bugs. There are several recipes available online for DIY bug repellants, yard sprays, candles, and diffuser blends.
Lavender.
They love the flowers, but other bugs stay away. Lavender has a pleasant scent that comes from the essential oils in the leaves of the plant, but the bugs hate it. Hang some dried lavender in your closet and you won't have to worry about moths eating your clothes.
Clove, peppermint, thyme, rosemary, and citronella oil are just a few essential oils that can help keep bugs away.
EUCALYPTUS. Everyone knows Eucalyptus Oil is great for relieving cold and flu symptoms, but it is also a very effective insect repellent. Research shows that this pungent oil is more effective against sand flies than any other natural product.
Heavily scented soaps, perfumes, hair care products and lotions attract bugs as well as woods and standing water.
Use repellent.
According to Dr. Ibrahim, the best repellents contain 30% DEET, but less toxic repellents may also be effective, including oils of lemon and eucalyptus, picaridin and IR35-35 formulations. Mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide from our skin.
Spiders really don't like strong scents such as citrus, peppermint, tea-tree, lavender, rose or cinnamon. Add 15 to 20 drops of your chosen essential oil or a couple of capfuls of Zoflora fragrance to a spray bottle filled with water, and spritz around the house.
Smells that roaches hate: a quickfire summary
Oregano, rosemary, mint, eucalyptus, lemongrass and catnip are great herby options. Citrus oils work brilliantly too.
Mosquitoes are turned off by several natural scents: cinnamon, peppermint, cedar, citronella, lemongrass, patchouli, catnip, lavender, and more. Find a favorite, and use it when you want to spend time outside.
Insects generally see 3 colors of light, Ultraviolet (UV), blue and green. Bright white or bluish lights (mercury vapor, white incandescent and white florescent) are the most attractive to insects. Yellowish, pinkish, or orange (sodium vapor, halogen, dichroic yellow) are the least attractive to most insects.
Mint. Mint is yet another fragrant herb that has pest-fighting properties. According to the Cornell Cooperative Extension, menthol, the active insect-fighting ingredient in mint and peppermint oil, has biocidal properties that help repel and control mites, mosquitoes and various other pests.
Perfumes, cologne, deodorant, skin lotion, hair products, and laundry detergent are common culprits, especially floral and musky fragrances. By switching to unscented products or trying different products instead, you just might solve your problem.
Lemon-eucalyptus is actually recommended by the CDC as an effective natural alternative to DEET (but beware, some products that include it are made from a synthetic version of the oil). Soybean oil has also been shown to fight off bugs.
The Perfume Expert advises scents that lean into the citrus end of the spectrum, with notes of lemon, lemon verbena, and grapefruit for repelling mosquitoes, bees, and wasps. These aromatic scents interfere with their respiratory systems, making it hard for them to breathe.
Mosquitoes hate the smell of lavender, citronella, clove, peppermint, basil, cedarwood, eucalyptus, peppermint, lemongrass and rosemary.
Citronella candles are a brilliant non-toxic method of repelling insects, especially during the summer months. Made using citronella oil, these clever candles have a distinctive odour (usually lemon or lavender) that drives away bugs when burned in the immediate area.
Eucalyptus. Another natural spider repellent is Eucalyptus. Burn some Eucalyptus oil or put some Eucalyptus leaves in your cupboards and nooks to keep spiders away.
Common essential oils such as lavender, citronella, lemon, or eucalyptus all naturally repel bugs. They don't like the smell!
Oil of lemon eucalyptus may be the only essential oil proven to work on ticks and mosquitos, but there are plenty of other plant-derived solutions for pest control: Peppermint oil. We may love it for fresh breath and its minty flavor, but bugs absolutely hate it.