Does Peppermint Oil Repel Mosquitoes?

Does peppermint oil repel mosquitoes? The direct answer here is yes, however research has found it not to be 100% effective in dealing with mosquitoes. Peppermint as a plant has been found to keep mosquitoes away in gardens where it is grown. Still, it is a natural mosquito repellant that can be applied directly to your skin. It has been found to keep mosquitoes away for up to 45 minutes.  

Does Peppermint Oil Repel Mosquitoes – How Effective Is It? 

Mint oil is one of the most effective ways to keep mosquitoes away. Its concentrated smell has been found to irritate mosquitoes to the point of making them unresponsive to smell. Mint oil can be obtained directly from the leaves of the peppermint plant, you simply take the leaves and rub them on your skin. This is a very natural non-toxic form of keeping mosquitoes away from your kids. 

Another option is buying peppermint oil online which is also a good idea. You get the pure extracted peppermint oil which works great and is natural. 

How to Apply Peppermint Oil 

As we have seen above, peppermint is very effective at keeping mosquitoes away. To benefit from its qualities, we have to use it in the right manner. People with sensitive skin especially might get irritation from peppermint oil, so how do we apply it. 

The first option is diluting it and spraying it around your home. If you want to spray peppermint oil on your skin, it is advisable that you do a test first. Have a little oil and smear it on a small area of your skin. Allow some time to feel the reaction, if you feel any irritation, then the spraying method won’t work for you. 

Another method is soaking cotton balls with peppermint oil and strategically placing them on mosquito’s hitpoints. You can place the balls near your front door, your kitchen, and other areas where mosquitoes hide or get into your house. 

Choose your ideal method and make it a habit and apply after every few hours every day, mosquitoes shall find your home the most irritating area to find hosts. 

Related: Does Peppermint Oil Repel Roaches?

Other Forms of Peppermint 

Other than the oil form, peppermint can be found in many other forms.  

Plants 

For gardeners, it’s always a win when we talk of anything natural. The good news is that you can grow peppermint in your garden, even without application, the scent produced shall keep away mosquitoes from your garden and home in general. You and your family can also pick the leaves and scrub them on the skin to benefit from peppermint oil. 

One thing to note however is that peppermint is an invasive species. When introducing it in your garden, you should choose a location and confine them to that point alone. Otherwise, they shall take over and suppress other plants in the garden. You can easily obtain peppermint seedlings online or at your local nursery. 

Sprays 

Peppermint can be found in the form of sprays. The spray is natural and can be easily made at home to effectively keep away mosquitoes. We included a recipe for you to make a peppermint spray below. 

Steps to Do It 

Crush leaves of peppermint in a container. You can use a pestle and mortar to effectively crush them. 

Get rubbing alcohol and mix with the crushed peppermint leaves at a 5:1 ratio. 

If you have a spare bottle, pour the resultant moisture into it, shake well and get the mosquitoes irritated and flying away. If you don’t have a spray bottle, it’s important to get one online. 

Other Mosquitoes Repellent  

Garlic 

Garlic has been used as a repellent for a long time. Mosquitoes cannot stand the smell of garlic and never come closer to places where it is. The advantage of garlic is that it acts as a repellant when eaten. 

It tampers with the body’s natural smell to have a bit of garlic smell which mosquitoes cannot stand. You can spread garlic around places that host mosquitoes or even mix it with oils to smear yourself or make a mosquito’s repellant spray. 

Marigold 

Marigold for most people, has a strong smell. Mosquitoes find the pungent smell from marigold very irritating. For gardeners, it is a good practice to plant marigold in your garden, however, ensure you restrict it since it is an invasive species. To prevent mosquitoes from coming into your house, you can use marigold flowers on your faces. 

Citronella 

Citronella oil is obtained from the lemongrass plant. Citronella oil has a good pleasant smell to humans but irritates mosquitoes thereby keeping them away. Gardeners can plant lemongrass in their gardens. If you don’t have a garden, you can plant it among flowers around your house to help repel mosquitoes. 

Lemon balm 

Lemon balm produces a lemon-like scent which is desired by some insects and is pleasant to humans. However, mosquitoes get irritated with this scent and keep away. Plant lemon balm in your garden and use the leaves as a personal mosquito repellant. The good thing with lemon balm is that you can use it as a stress reliever in herbal teas. 

Lavender 

Lavender provides a good way of spicing up your landscape while at the same time repelling mosquitoes. While humans find lavender smell interesting, to mosquitoes it’s very irritating. You can extract lavender oil and apply it to your skin to act as a mosquito’s repellent. Additionally, lavender shall add that good scent to your homestead. 

Conclusion: Does Peppermint Oil Repel Mosquitoes? 

Mosquitoes are very sensitive to smell. It is their primary guide to us as their source of nourishment. Mosquitoes are attracted to us through the carbon dioxide we breathe out. In the same measure, mosquitoes find some scents irritating and cannot stay in areas where they are. Mosquitoes have been found to be totally intolerant to peppermint smell. 

Applying peppermint on your skin, or just having the plant in your garden keeps mosquitoes away. The other good news is that peppermint is a good itch reliever in case of a bite from pests. 

Hopefully, if you ever get the question, “Does peppermint oil repel mosquitoes?” You already know the answer to that.

Last update on 2024-04-25 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API