Bye-Bye Bugs: Natural Repellents for Indoors & Out

A few pantry staples, plants, and clever tricks will prevent ants, roaches, flies, spiders, and the dreaded bane of summer—mosquitoes—from taking over.

Diatomaceous earth powder is a nontoxic organic insect repellent. FotoHelin/Shuterstock

One of the biggest benefits of homemade bug repellents is that, unlike the commercial alternatives with their potentially harmful chemicals, a DIYer can control exactly what’s in them. In addition to being safer for one’s health, these eco-friendly alternatives are very effective against a wide range of insects, offer a variety of application methods, and are budget-friendly. Many are already at hand, and some, such as cinnamon, smell so good that they even add an aromatherapy aspect.

Place cinnamon sticks in closets, cupboards, pantries, basements, and food storage containers to ward off ants, silverfish, spiders, roaches, bedbugs, moths, mosquitoes, fleas, beetles, and weevils. Sprinkle powdered cinnamon at doorways and windowsills to help prevent pests from entering the house in the first place.

Cloves

Got some cloves left over from the Christmas ham? Place them, or some clove-filled sachets, in closets, cabinets, drawers, laundry rooms, and anywhere silverfish and ladybugs tend to infest. Cloves will also repel ants, weevils, moths, flies, and fleas. Their active ingredient, eugenol, is found in some flea and tick shampoos, but you should still keep cloves away from family pets that might find them toxic.

Citrus Solution

Orange peels contain a potent combination of limonene and linalool as well as some natural tannins that flies and ants distinctly dislike. Rub used peels on windowsills and doorways. Soak several peels in a jar of white vinegar for 48 hours, then strain and put in a spray bottle for an effective bug-repelling cleaner.

Some say citrus can be rubbed directly on your skin to repel mosquitoes, but please don’t—phytophotodermatitis, an extreme sunburn that happens when your skin is exposed to sunlight after touching citrus, can occur.

Planting citronella repels mosquitoes by masking the scents they find attractive. Lemongrass, lemon balm, lemon thyme, lemon eucalyptus, and bee balm work, too, with the added benefit of keeping critters away. Brush by or crush the leaves periodically to release more scent.

Many insects are turned off by the strong scent of orange peels. New Africa/Shutterstock

Onion Tears

Chop up or slice onions and place them on a small plate or leftover piece of aluminum foil near doorways, in basements and garages, and anywhere you want to be free of rats or lizards. Place them on a windowsill or in a cabinet to keep spiders away. To make a handy spray that repels flies and other pests, particularly around windows, doors, and garbage bins, chop up one medium onion, add it to a cup of water, blend, strain, and then pour into a spray bottle. Add a tablespoon of vinegar for added potency.

Java as a Deterrent

The caffeine in coffee grounds, along with its hormone-disrupting diterpenes (which help to prevent insects from eating coffee plants), will repel ants, flies, and mosquitoes, indoors and out. Sprinkle around or place in a ramekin in strategic locations, saving some to sprinkle in potted plants to keep ants away while also giving them an organic nitrogen boost. Burning used coffee grounds in an aluminum foil “bowl” will keep mosquitoes away outdoors while giving off an incense-like ambience.

Before use: Always lay used grounds out on a baking sheet and sun-dry them for a few days, or bake the coffee grounds at 175 degrees Fahrenheit for one to two hours until they are completely dry.

Coffee grounds can be used to repel insects while also fertilizing houseplants. Caterina Trimarchi/Shutterstock

The Roach Myth

Coffee grounds are often recommended as a roach treatment, but this is more effective: Lightly moisten and form equal parts of boric acid, flour, and sugar into tablets, or simply sprinkle them under appliances, behind cabinets, or into cracks in the walls.

Meet Bay Leaves

Roaches positively loathe the scent of bay leaves with their natural insecticide, eucalyptol. Simply crush up some fresh or dried leaves and place them wherever insects are likely to enter the home and behind furniture to control roaches, spiders, ants, and silverfish.

Bay leaves are a natural insecticide that can double as a decor piece. ImpressionMall/Shutterstock

The Vinegars

Wiping down ant trails with full-strength white vinegar to break up their pheromone path up a wall or across a floor is a tried and true technique to disrupt their activity both inside and outside the home. Another option is to place white vinegar in a bowl on a windowsill or counter or create a 50/50 mix of vinegar and water in a spray bottle. With either method, the strong scent will repel ants and spiders and can even kill soft-bodied insects such as gnats and fruit flies on contact.

Got a bigger fly problem? Cover a small bowl of tasty apple cider vinegar with plastic wrap, then punch a few holes to create an inexpensive and efficient trap.

Some homemade repellents can be sprayed directly on plants to protect them from insects. FotoHelin/Shutterstock

Basil and Friends

The scent of basil is as distasteful to mosquitoes and flies as it is delicious to humans. Plant it around a porch or patio and keep some in a kitchen window. Other botanical mosquito repellents include lavender, marigolds, catmint, catnip, rosemary, mint, sage, fennel, ornamental onions, garlic, beautyberry, lantana, eucalyptus, scented geranium, ageratum, pennyroyal, mums, wormwood, and the previously mentioned citrus-smelling varietals. Plant in multiples for the best effect.

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Skeeter Solutions

No space to grow insect-controlling plants? Consider essential oils, which can be used in an aromatherapy diffuser as well as in a home/body spray, and these other smart ideas.

Basic ‘Essential’ Recipe

Mix 1 ounce of alcohol-based witch hazel (a preservative), 20 drops of essential oil, and 1 ounce of distilled water in a 2-ounce glass spray bottle. Basil, lavender, pine, peppermint, tea tree, and eucalyptus are also effective, with the added benefit that peppermint and tea tree calm irritations caused by bites and stings.

Garlic and Lemon

Combine 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice, and 1/2 tablespoon light olive oil (mineral oil can be substituted) in a cup of water. Blend thoroughly, strain, and pour into a spray bottle to spray the yard, including vegetation and other mosquito-friendly spots. Note: Do not apply directly to skin to avoid potential phytophotodermatitis sunburn.

In a Pinch

Fill a spray bottle with minty fresh mouthwash and spray down outdoor surfaces. Give the air a spritz as well. To use as a body protectant, apply and then allow it to dry before going outdoors. Reapply as needed, typically every 30 to 40 minutes.