What Smell Do Bugs Hate The Most: Everything You Need To Know

Are you plagued by insect attacks and looking for answers to the question what smell do bugs hate the most? Then you need to know what is bug repellent and how to apply it to get rid of bugs. Bugs are small insects and various things can attract them to your house or yard.

However, there are many smells that bugs cannot tolerate or dislike. These smells work as repellents to drive them away. Vinegar, mint, cinnamon, citrus, and several essential oils including citronella oil can repel insects like mosquitoes, ants, flies, spiders, etc.

Below, we have shared the lists of scents that help to keep bugs away and more tips to get a bug-free environment. Moreover, we have also provided the procedures to make DIY bug repellents and the benefits of using these. So, check out the full article and follow the tips to get the best solution to bug issues.

What Is Bug Repellent Scents?

Bug-repellent scents refer to those smells by which you can repel bugs and other insects. Some scents contain repellent properties like lavender, citronella, peppermint, lemongrass, vinegar, etc.

Most of the bugs don’t like these smells.

So, you can get rid of bugs by incorporating the scents in your households and also in outdoor activities. These smells are natural ways to ward off bugs and this does not include any harmful object for you and your family. According to scientific research, using natural ways to remove bugs has various environmental benefits too.

You can get the readymade products available in the shop or there is an option to make pest control in your home. If you want to make bug repellants in your home, then vinegar is an available option for you.

You can just simply mix vinegar with water and pour it into a spray bottle. Now the mixture is ready to spray in the affected area. This will deter bugs like ants.

You need to know that any specific repellent may not work on all kinds of bugs. For example, you can remove ants by using vinegar but it may not work on bed bugs. So, it is important to know how to use the repellants and how they work to deter a particular insect from your home.

What Smells Do Bugs Hate the Most?

The smells containing repellent properties are the smells bugs hate the most. These scents include citronella, lavender, and others.

Various scents can help you deter pests and you can get rid of them. Some smells that bugs cannot tolerate are as follows:

Citronella oil

Citronella oil is such a strong essential oil that can help repel bugs. It derives from the leaves of lemongrass plants and most often people use this oil as a natural repellant. Bugs cannot tolerate this scent of citronella oil.

Using citronella oil can help ward off pests such as cockroaches, mosquitoes, etc. You can use homemade spray or you can also use sachets in the affected area, especially in the kitchen. However, you should be careful before you choose the way to use this essential oil.

Lavender oil

Most people like the floral fragrance of lavender oil but bugs hate its scent. Lavender oil helps to repel mosquitoes, moths, flies, and other bugs. Lavender oil has terpene alcohol linalool, which wards off various insects and bugs.

You can use this oil with a sprayer to create a bug-free environment. This natural pest control does not cause any harm if you use it around children and other animals in the house or yard. Lavender oil also contains chamomile which helps to relieve pain.

If you want to use essential oils as bug repellent, you need to know the proper ways to use them. Lavender oil not only removes bugs but also helps to improve mood and sleep as well.

Eucalyptus oil

Eucalyptus has a strong aromatic property such as cineole that makes it one of the most effective natural repellents. The leaves of the eucalyptus tree are used to make eucalyptus essential oil.

Bugs have an aversion to the strong smell of eucalyptus oil and this scent also repels various insects such as cockroaches, mosquitos, flies, etc. Apart from repelling bugs, this oil also has other benefits. It helps in relaxation, and congestion and provides anti-inflammatory effects.

Peppermint oil

Using peppermint oil is one of the best natural ways to get rid of bugs. The refreshing aroma of the oil has bug-repelling properties which work to repel spiders, mosquitos, ants, fleas, moths, and other bugs. Besides, bed bugs and other insects hate the scent of peppermint so you can spray the oil in your house to repel them.

Moreover, this oil provides a safe and fresh environment for you, your pet, and your family. You can use it on your clothes and skin by rubbing the oil. This oil can protect your skin from bug bites as well as help relieve headaches, improve mood and concentration, and so on.

Check out: How to Keep Squirrels Away from Strawberries

List of Effective Natural Substances Used as Repellents

When the question is what scent do bugs hate the most , people want to get the safest, most effective, and most reasonable ways to say goodbye to the bugs. In this case, natural repellents are the suitable ones as they also have various environmental benefits. Some of the most effective organic bug repellents are as follows:

Herbs

Herbs are essential elements that we add to dishes. These also provide benefits for our health, but some bugs cannot tolerate the smell of herbs.

Most of the bugs hate the scents of basil, mint, thyme, and rosemary. Besides, cockroaches and mosquitoes also dislike the smell of these herbs.

Plants and flowers

Some insects directly hate the fragrance of certain flowers. Various flowers including marigolds and petunias can repel several bugs.

Flowers help to decorate both your indoor and outdoor areas. Apart from these, they also help to remove bugs, and lemongrass and citronella are among them.

Spices

Several spices such as clove, cinnamon, and pepper work as pest control because insects like ants and aphids do not like the smells of these spices.

Citrus

Citrus like oranges and lemons help to keep bugs away because some insects do not like their scents. Bedsides and citrus oil can also repel bugs like mosquitos and flies.

How to Incorporate Natural Scents to Repel Bugs?

Now, you have found the natural solutions of what smells do insects hate the most . The next step is to know how to incorporate natural scents to repel irritating bugs. Below we have shared two of the main ways you need to follow with some safety tips:

How to make DIY bug-repellent sprays
Application of Essential Oils to Repel Insects

How to Make DIY Bug-Repellent Sprays

When you want to make homemade natural repellents, DIY spray is one of the best and most effective options for you. Apart from herbs, plants, and citrus, essential oils are also natural repellents. Most of the ingredients of essential oils are natural and safe.

However, you need to understand the proper way to use essential oils because all of them are not safe for contemporary use. You need to make a diffuser of essential oils by mixing it with water.

Moreover, mix a carrier oil with essential oils before using it on your skin. Some essential oils may not suit your skin and also it can be phototoxic. So, it is better not to apply essential oils directly on your skin to prevent skin complications.

Some easy and effective bug-repellent spray formulas are as follows:

Homemade Bug Spray for the Skin

If you want to make a bug spray to apply on your skin, you need to use essential oils safe and effective for contemporary application. Let me share an easy recipe to make a spray that can repel mosquitos.

Take one glass spray bottle and mix one drop of lavender or lemon eucalyptus oil and ten drops of witch hazel. Shake it gently to apply and then spray on your skin.

Homemade Bug Spray for the Home or Yard

There is another easy and effective DIY pest control spray recipe to repel bugs from houses or yards. You need to mix ten to twenty drops of lavender, lemon eucalyptus, and citronella essential oil, two ounces of vinegar, and two ounces of distilled water in a spray bottle. Then shake the bottle well and spray to repel insects from indoors or outdoors.

Besides, vinegar is one of the most common household items by which you can easily make an effective bug-repellent spray. Just take a spray bottle and mix 1 cup of white vinegar with 3 cups of water. Then, shake it gently to mix and spray to apply.

Homemade Bug Spray for Plants

Suppose your hobby is gardening or you own a business of plants. Now, it may be a common scenario that the ants are spreading aphids which causes harm to your plants. On the other hand, the ants are crawling up into the pots of plants and making their little tunnels in there.

So, you will be looking for such repellent that won’t harm your plants and will create an insect-free healthy environment for your plants, right? Borax can be one of the best choices for this situation to repel carpenter ants too. This is an easy, fast, and affordable repellent to get rid of ants.

Mix three teaspoons of sugar with two to one teaspoons of borax. Then add some warm water to help dissolve it. Use the mixture in the affected area to get rid of ants.

Moreover, you need to take precautions while using cinnamon essential oil. This oil can repel bugs but it can also be harmful to your plants.

Application of Essential Oils to Repel Insects

We have mentioned above the process of making bug-repellent sprays at home and how to apply these. Apart from using the homemade sprays, you can use the sachets of essential oils or you can directly use the essential oils in some specific places.

Some of the appropriate places to apply insect repellents include the front of the door, window sills, side of the bed, inside the wash basin, kitchen rack, etc. If you want to repel insects effectively, you need to ensure the proper application of these essential oils.

Benefits of Using Natural Insect Repellents

When someone is tired of being a victim of bugs inside or outside of the home, that person desperately wants to know what scents do all bugs hate. In this case, most of the people go to the store and buy bottles of bug repellents full of chemicals. Most often, they become doubtful to explore any alternatives to get a bug-free environment.

While choosing a repellent, you must pick up something safe for you, your family, and the environment as well. There are numerous benefits of using natural bug repellents. Some of the advantages are as follows:

Natural repellents are free of DEET which is an active substance in most of the bug repellents found in the store. Though this ingredient effectively repels insects, it can be harmful to your central nervous system.
Natural insect repellents are safe for your health and these are not harmful for kids.
Organic repellents provide effective aromatherapy where the scents help you to calm your mind and relax your muscles.
Natural repellents are not harmful to animals.
Natural or homemade repellents are safe to use on your skin.
Using natural repellents is an easy and affordable way to get rid of irritating bugs.
It also has environmental benefits and it is safe for the plants too.
These provide an effective aromatherapy where the scents help you to calm your mind and relax your muscles.

Apart from these, some scientific recommendations show reasons why natural repellent can be a better option for you. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, insect repellents containing chemicals are not safe for children younger than two months.

Besides, according to a report from the National Pesticide Information Center, oil of lemon eucalyptus sprays helped reduce mosquito attraction by sixty percent. Moreover, the Center for Disease Control also recommends oil of lemon eucalyptus spray as a mosquito repellent.

Additional Tips to Create Bug-Free Environment

Most often, people think about what smell do bugs hate the most in the house . Apart from trying to keep insects away from your house, you also need to maintain your outdoor activities. There are some additional tips for you to create a bug-free environment:

You need to repel outdoor pests, mosquitoes, and flies by incorporating the scents of natural repellent into your outdoor activities.
You also need to know that all bugs are not deterred by the same smells. So, follow the uses of particular repellents to repel specific insects.
Try to maintain a clean environment alongside using insect repellents.
Use citronella candles to get protection from bugs.
Do not leave your food without covering it.
Do not allow filthy water to accumulate indoors or outdoors.

Final Words : What Smell Do Bugs Hate The Most!!

You just went through the answer to the question- what smells do bugs hate the most? We also have shared some additional tips to keep bugs away from your house, yards, or plants in the garden. There are herbs, plants flowers, essential oils, etc. which can help to repel insects like mosquitoes, spiders, ants, flies, and so on.

You also have a great option to use natural repellents. You already know about the various benefits of using natural repellents. So, follow our tips and given procedures to get rid of bugs and enjoy an insect-free environment.