What Smell Do Mosquitoes Hate The Most

Citronella is one of the most well-known natural mosquito repellents. It comes from the leaves and stems of lemongrass. The potent citrusy scent of citronella confuses mosquitoes by masking the human odors they are attracted to, like sweat and carbon dioxide.

This makes it harder for mosquitoes to locate humans, reducing bites. Citronella can be found in candles, sprays, and oils. While it is effective, its potency can wear off quickly, so it may need to be reapplied or used in combination with other methods for longer-lasting protection.

Another one of the many scents mosquitoes hate is lavender. It contains compounds that overwhelm the insect’s sense of smell when they catch a whiff. Several researchers claim that lavender is effective for up to eight hours with an 80% repellent rate against mosquitoes.

You can use lavender in various forms, such as planting it in your garden, applying lavender oil on your skin, or using lavender-scented sprays to keep mosquitoes at a distance. For maximum effectiveness, place freshly grown lavenders around your home. 

If you are wondering what scents do mosquitoes hate, it is peppermint. Mosquitoes detest the minty smell of peppermint as it contains menthol. You can use peppermint oil as a natural mosquito repellent by diluting it with water and spraying it on your skin or around your home.

Planting peppermint in your garden can also help keep mosquitoes away. This plant grows extremely fast and spreads, meaning it is low maintenance and does not require much effort. They should be grown in small spaces.

Eucalyptus has a refreshing and calming fragrance that humans love and mosquitoes hate. It contains compounds that give it a powerful smell, which interferes with mosquitoes' delicate senses, making it difficult for them to locate their food sources.

It is also commonly used in bug spray. If you want to repel these blood-sucking insects, use an eucalyptus candle or mix a little bit of its essential oil in your body fragrance product and spray it all over your body. 

Like peppermint, lemon balm belongs to the mint family and has culinary applications and healing properties. It is a herb with a fresh, lemony aroma that mosquitoes find unpleasant and works as a natural mosquito repellent.

To use it, you can grow lemon balm plants in your garden or pots around your home. Crushing the leaves releases the essential oils, which can be rubbed onto your skin or used in homemade sprays. The scent masks other attractants and deters mosquitoes from coming close.

Basil is another effective mosquito repellent. It has a pungent scent that comes from its naturally occurring volatile compounds. Unlike citronella or lemon balm, which only contain one volatile compound, basil contains four, making it a more effective repellent than others.

To use basil, leave some on the windowsills or terrace, where mosquitoes are usually spotted. You can use any kind of basil. This method will not only keep mosquitoes away but will also scent the room with an excellent perfume.

Garlic is known to repel mosquitoes because of its sulfur compounds. When garlic is crushed or chopped, it releases a compound with a strong odor that mosquitoes detest. This scent can interfere with the mosquitoes' sense of smell, making it an effective natural repellent.

To use garlic as a mosquito repellent, you can make a garlic spray. For that, blend garlic cloves with water, strain the mixture, and use it as a spray around areas where mosquitoes are a problem. The strong smell will drive them away.

Thyme is a popular cooking herb which can be used to repel mosquitoes. It contains essential oil that gives it a pungent smell, which mosquitoes hate as they affect their ability to navigate and find food.

To use thyme as a mosquito repellent, you can plant thyme in your garden or pots around your home or use thyme essential oil in a diffuser. You can also make a homemade repellent spray by diluting thyme oil with water and a carrier oil like coconut or olive oil.

If you are wondering what smell do mosquitoes hate that is readily available in every home, it is cloves. Cloves are a pantry staple and are used in many dishes. It contains eugenol, a compound that repels pesky insects like mosquitoes.

To use cloves to repel mosquitoes, put a handful of clove buds in a sachet and carry them in your pocket. You can also make a homemade repellant by diluting a few drops of clove oil with witch hazel with a ratio of 1:10.

Cinnamon repels mosquitoes due to its strong, spicy scent. The compound responsible is cinnamaldehyde, found in cinnamon oil. This compound is potent enough to deter mosquitoes by masking the scents they are attracted to, like carbon dioxide and body odors.

Using cinnamon as a repellent involves sprinkling ground cinnamon in areas where mosquitoes are a problem or using cinnamon oil in a diffuser. However, it is worth noting that while cinnamon can be effective, its repellent properties might not last as long as those of some other substances.

Tea Tree Oil is derived from the leaves of the tea tree, native to Australia. The oil contains compounds that give it a potent, medicinal scent, making it an effective mosquito repellent. The compounds also have antimicrobial properties and disrupt the sensory systems of mosquitoes, making the environment less attractive to them.

To use tea tree oil for repelling mosquitoes, dilute it with a carrier oil and apply it to your skin, or mix it with water in a spray bottle for an outdoor spray.

Geranium oil is also known for its ability to repel mosquitoes. The oil contains compounds such as citronellol and geraniol, which have strong, pungent odors that mosquitoes find unpleasant. When used in sprays or diffusers, the oil creates a barrier that keeps mosquitoes away.

However, proper geranium oil repellents require a high percentage of essential oil, which can irritate the skin. Too much exposure to essential oil can cause a rash and itching or other skin problems like sunburn.

Pine has a distinctive, woodsy scent that mosquitoes find unpleasant. This smell is due to the presence of compounds, such as pine oil and alpha-pinene. These compounds can disrupt the mosquito's sensory organs, making the area less attractive to them.

Pine can be used in various forms to repel mosquitoes, such as pine oil in sprays or essential oils, pine-scented candles, or even pine needles in your garden. The strong aroma masks the scents that attract mosquitoes, making it an effective natural deterrent.

Rosemary has a potent smell that not only perfumes some of your favorite dishes but also repels mosquitoes. These bush-like herbs can be grown easily in containers. Once they mature, you can snip off a few sprigs, crush them, and sprinkle them around areas where mosquitoes frequent.

Crushing them releases compounds like cineole, camphor, and limonene, known for their mosquito-repelling effects. You can also burn a few sprigs to repel mosquitoes during outdoor activities like camping or gardening. 

A marigold’s uses extend beyond ornamental purposes.  They release a scent that mosquitoes find unpleasant. Therefore, planting marigolds around your garden or patio can help create a barrier against mosquitoes.

They are also easy to grow and maintain, making them a practical choice for natural pest control. Additionally, marigolds can be used in homemade repellents, where their crushed petals or oils are applied to skin or surfaces to repel mosquitoes. If you do not have a marigold plant, just buy a marigold oil.

Sage is a herb with a distinctive scent that mosquitoes find unpleasant. Burning sage, also known as smudging, releases aromatic smoke that helps repel mosquitoes and other insects.

This practice is often used in various cultures for its cleansing but also serves a practical purpose in pest control. You can use dried sage leaves or sage bundles to create the smoke. Simply light the sage, let it smolder, and allow the smoke to fill the area where you want to deter mosquitoes.

Lemongrass is known for its strong, lemony fragrance. This scent is due to citronella, a natural compound that mosquitoes find detest. Citronella masks the odors that attract mosquitoes and confuses their sense of smell, making it harder for them to locate humans.

Lemongrass can be used in various forms. You can grow it in your garden, use essential oils in diffusers, or apply lemongrass oil topically to your skin. It is a natural and effective way to deter mosquitoes and add a pleasant scent to your surroundings.

Catnip is a member of the mint family and contains a compound called nepetalactone that is highly effective at repelling mosquitoes. Thai compound affects insects, including mosquitoes, making them avoid areas where it is present.

According to studies, this compound is ten times more effective than DEET, a common ingredient in many commercial insect repellents. To use catnip as a repellent, plant it in your garden, use it in essential oil form, or even rub the leaves directly on your skin.

The sweet scent of vanilla is irresistible to most people, but that same sweet fragrance has the opposite effect on mosquitoes. Pure vanilla extract contains vanillin that disrupts the mosquitoes’ sensory receptors, making them less likely to come near.

Although it is not as effective as other repellents like citronella, it still possesses repellant properties. To use vanilla as a repellent, mix a small amount of vanilla extract with a carrier oil and apply it to your skin.

If you are wondering what smell repels mosquitoes that are earthy and woody, it is cedarwood. Cedarwood oil, extracted from cedar trees, contains compounds like cedrol and thujone that mosquitoes cannot stand.

If you are using a cedarwood essential oil, mix a few drops with a carrier oil and rub it directly on your skin. You can combine cedarwood oil with water in a spray bottle and mist your surroundings or add it to a diffuser. 

Apart from these potent smells, there are many other things that mosquitoes dislike. Here are a few of them. 

Wind

When you try to kill a mosquito with your hands, it is difficult as they can fly away pretty quickly. This might make you think they are good at flying, but that is untrue. Mosquitoes are weak fliers.

Even a light breeze disrupts their flight patterns. This is why mosquitoes are less likely to bother you in windy conditions. The constant airflow makes it hard for them to reach you and disperses the carbon dioxide and body odors that attract them.

Fans 

Mosquitoes also hate fans for the same reason they hate wind. Fans blow air around and make it difficult for mosquitoes to fly through the breeze. The air also disperses carbon dioxide and other chemical cues, making it harder for these pesky bugs to locate hosts for feeding.

This means that they are unable to find their target, reducing the risk of them coming closer and biting us. Therefore, using large box fans and oscillating fans can effectively deter mosquitoes.

Light-colored Clothing 

Mosquitoes hate light-colored clothing such as white, beige, or pastels because they reflect light and heat, making it harder for mosquitoes to detect them. Meanwhile, they love dark-colored clothing because darker shades absorb and retain more heat, which makes it more noticeable for mosquitoes.

They use their vision to target potential hosts, and darker colors, like black, navy, or dark green, stand out more, especially in low-light conditions. Therefore, wearing light-colored clothing makes you less appealing to mosquitoes, reducing their likelihood of targeting you. 

Loose Clothing

Apart from light-colored clothing, mosquitoes also hate it if it is loose. Loose clothing creates a physical barrier that is harder for mosquitoes to bite through. The fabric of loose clothing does not cling tightly to your body, making it more difficult for them to reach your skin.

Additionally, loose clothing is less likely to trap heat and moisture as they allow for air circulation. This air circulation can mask your body’s heat and scent, making you less appealing to mosquitoes. 

Cool Temperatures 

Mosquitoes thrive in warm temperatures because heat accelerates their growth and metabolism. When the temperature drops below 60°F (15°C), mosquitoes become sluggish and stop biting as much. In even cooler conditions, they enter a dormant state called diapause to survive cold periods.

Dispause is why mosquitoes are less of a problem in cooler climates or during colder months. Therefore, if you are in a warm area, using fans or air conditioning to cool your environment can make it less appealing for mosquitoes to hang around.

Dry Environments

Mosquitoes are attracted to moist environments because they need standing water to lay their eggs. They thrive in areas like ponds, puddles, or even water-filled containers. In dry environments, the lack of humidity makes it challenging for them to survive and find suitable breeding grounds.

Without enough moisture in the air, mosquitoes' delicate bodies can dry out more quickly, limiting their ability to live and reproduce. Keeping your surroundings dry by eliminating stagnant water and maintaining good drainage helps reduce mosquito populations significantly.

Smoke 

Mosquitoes rely heavily on their sense of smell to find humans by detecting carbon dioxide and other body odors. When smoke is present, it masks these scents, making it harder for mosquitoes to locate their targets, which is why they detest smoke.

If you want to use smoke to repel mosquitoes, light a bonfire, burn smoke-releasing candles with potent smells or mosquito-repellent incense.  Apart from the smell, mosquitoes hate smoke because of high temperatures and flames, which can burn them.

Sober People

Mosquitoes do not necessarily detest sober people. They are just less attracted to them because when people drink, their body temperature may rise, and they tend to exhale more carbon dioxide, both of which attract mosquitoes.

Additionally, alcohol can slightly alter the scent of your skin, making you more appealing to these pests. In contrast, sober people may not emit as many cues mosquitoes use to locate their targets, so they may not be as attractive to mosquitoes. 

Bug Zapper

Mosquitoes hate bug zappers because it can kill them. Bug zappers attract and kill mosquitoes and other flying insects using light and electricity. They typically have ultraviolet (UV) light bulbs, which draw mosquitoes towards them.

When mosquitoes approach the light, they fly into an electrified metal grid surrounding the light source. Upon contact with the grid, the insects are electrocuted and killed instantly. These zappers are useful in outdoor settings like patios or campsites and should be combined with other mosquito control methods.