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The Daily Insight

Does lavender essential oil repel mosquitoes

Author

Marcus Reynolds

Updated on May 16, 2026

Crushed lavender flowers produce a fragrance and oil that can repel mosquitoes. An animal study on hairless mice found lavender oil to be effective at repelling adult mosquitoes. Lavender has analgesic, antifungal, and antiseptic qualities.

How do you use lavender oil for mosquito repellent?

  1. Add lavender essential oil drops to your empty spray bottle. Start with about 30 drops and continue to add depending on how strong you want the scent to be.
  2. Fill your bottle up with enough distilled water just before topping off.
  3. Twist the nozzle back on, shake, and spray!

What essential oil do mosquitoes hate?

Many natural scents that are appealing to humans actually repel mosquitoes, including lavender, peppermint, basil, and eucalyptus. Many of these scents can be worn as an essential oil on your skin to help keep these pesky pests from biting you.

How much lavender do I need to keep mosquitoes away?

Mix a lavender spray. Add 30-40 drops of your lavender essential oil to 1.5 ounces of distilled water in a clean spray bottle. The amount of essential oil you use will depend on how strong you want the scent. You can also make a spray using dried lavender.

What scent do mosquitoes hate?

You can repel mosquitoes by using scents they hate, like lavender, peppermint oil, geranium oil, cinnamon bark oil, lemon eucalyptus oil, citronella oil, catnip, rosemary, and pine oil.

What type of lavender keeps mosquitoes away?

Include beautiful lavender in your garden plans to help keep biting mosquitoes at bay. Varieties with higher camphor properties are the most effective insect repellents. This includes ‘Provence’ and ‘Grosso’ lavender. On a sunny day, lavender releases its aromatic oils naturally.

How do you make lavender mosquito spray?

Mix 1 part oil of lemon eucalyptus or lavender essential oil with 10 parts witch hazel in the bottle. (For each drop of oil, use 10 drops of witch hazel.) Shake gently to mix. Spray to apply.

Do bugs dislike lavender?

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.

Does fresh lavender repel mosquitoes?

Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia – Even though lavender oil is a smell often enjoyed by humans, lavender repels mosquitoes because mosquitoes dislike the scent lavender gives off. It can be planted in gardens or made into oil and applied to the skin or mixed with other oils to keep mosquitoes away.

Does lavender keep snakes away?

Lavender. Part of deterring snakes is keeping their food away from the area that needs protection. Strong aromatics, even the ones that smell pleasant to us, can do that. This will keep mice and other rodents from visiting… a benefit all its own.

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What can I use lavender oil for?

Lavender essential oil is one of the most popular and versatile essential oils used in aromatherapy. Distilled from the plant Lavandula angustifolia, the oil promotes relaxation and believed to treat anxiety, fungal infections, allergies, depression, insomnia, eczema, nausea, and menstrual cramps.

Is lavender safe for dogs?

Lavender contains a small amount of linalool, which is toxic to dogs and cats. Mild exposure to lavender is not generally harmful and may help with anxiety, depression, and stress. Lavender poisoning is possible and may cause vomiting, reduced appetite, and other symptoms.

How do you make mosquito spray with essential oils?

  1. 1 cup witch hazel.
  2. 10 drops Citronella essential oil.
  3. 15 drops eucalyptus essential oil.
  4. 10 drops tea tree essential oil.
  5. 5 drops lavender essential oil.
  6. 5-10 drops lemongrass essential oil.
  7. 1 cup distilled water.
  8. Spray bottle.

Which essential oil is good for insect repellent?

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention recommends lemon eucalyptus oil as an active ingredient in insect repellents. Lemon eucalyptus (Eucalyptus citriodora or Corymbia citriodora) is a type of eucalyptus tree. It has naturally high amounts of the compound citronellal, which repels bugs.

How can I make my home mosquito free?

  1. Stop mosquitoes from entering your home. …
  2. Stop mosquitoes from breeding inside the house. …
  3. Keep mosquito repellent plants. …
  4. Keep sliced lemon and cloves around the house. …
  5. Use a garlic spray to control mosquitoes. …
  6. Keep a dish of soapy water. …
  7. Keep a dish of beer or alcohol.

Is lavender a good repellent?

Lavender has a strong scent that repels moths, flies, fleas, and mosquitoes. Use it fresh or dry some of the flowers to hang around the house or put in with your clothing to keep bugs out. … It repels mosquitoes and cabbage moths, too.

Does lavender keep wasps away?

Lavender (Lavendula) is prized for its beautiful flowers, which have a pleasant scent. In fact, the essential oil from the flowers is used for a number of purposes, including aromatherapy. … Rather than repelling wasps, however, lavender’s showy, fragrant flowers attract them and other pollinators.

Does lavender keep mice away?

Lavender. Mice truly detest the lavender scent, so if you apply it properly, this might be a good way to scare them away and avoid infestations. … Carefully pour 8 to 10 drops of lavender oil on each cotton ball. Following that, place the cotton balls near possible entry points of mice.

What smell do snakes hate the most?

Ammonia: Snakes dislike the odor of ammonia so one option is to spray it around any affected areas. Another option is to soak a rug in ammonia and place it in an unsealed bag near any areas inhabited by snakes to deter them away.

What plants keep mosquitoes away?

  • Lavender. Have you ever noticed that insects or even rabbits and other animals have never decimated your lavender plant? …
  • Marigolds. …
  • Citronella Grass. …
  • Catnip. …
  • Rosemary. …
  • Basil. …
  • Scented Geraniums. …
  • Bee Balm.

Can I apply lavender oil directly to skin?

You can put it on your skin with or without a carrier oil to form a lotion. If you’re putting it on a damaged part of your skin, it’s often best to use a cotton ball, which is cleaner than your fingers. For wrinkles and dry skin, you can apply the oil directly with your hands.

Is smoking lavender bad for lungs?

Smoking lavender may present some of the same dangers as other forms of smoking. These dangers include an increased risk of lung cancer and respiratory issues.

Can you overdose on lavender?

Do not use more of this product than is recommended on the label. Do not use different formulations of lavender (such as tablets, liquids, and others) at the same time, unless specifically directed to do so by a health care professional. Using different formulations together increases the risk of an overdose.

Can lavender cause seizures in dogs?

If symptoms of pesticide poisoning occur after your pet has sampled any plant, you should contact your veterinarian without delay. Canines that have ingested pesticides will exhibit signs such as tremors, vomiting, seizures, and breathing difficulties.

Is diluted lavender oil safe for dogs?

Diluted lavender oil is generally considered safe for topical use on dogs. Lavender essential oil is extremely potent. Just like for humans, pure lavender essential oils should not be applied to the skin or ingested. Instead, they should be mixed with a carrier oil.

Is lavender toxic to animals?

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals states the common lavender plant (Lavandula angustifolia) contains linlool and linalyl acetate, two compounds toxic to cats (and found in other flowers like bergamot). Basically, in any form, lavender can make your kitty sick as heck.

What actually keeps mosquitoes away?

Study authors concluded that, “DEET and PMD [are] the most effective and longest lasting mosquito repellents currently available.” PMD is found in products containing C. Citriodora (oil of lemon eucalyptus) and the tradenames Citrosynthol, Citrepel and Citriodiol. It is also effective against ticks.

Do any essential oils attract mosquitoes?

Just as mosquitoes are attracted to some scents, they avoid others. Mosquitoes usually stay away from citronella, peppermint, eucalyptus, garlic, and lavender. You may also purchase products designed to repel mosquitoes, such as those that contain DEET, Picaridin, and oil of lemon eucalyptus.