Household Items You Can Use to Repel Bugs

Bugs can be pesky little creatures that can make life difficult, especially when you're trying to enjoy a peaceful meal outdoors. But did you know that there are actually a few common household items that can help keep bugs at bay? Many of the scents that humans enjoy are actually in the wild to protect plants from insects. Learn more about what scents repel bugs!

Household Insect Repellents 

There are a number of different insect repellents that you can use that are in your home. Household items that repel bugs include:  

Citronella

Using almost anything that contains citronella can work to repel flies and a lot of other pests. Some people will burn citronella candles in their homes. Other people will take citronella oil and soak towels in it. There are also citronella sprays for homes that will quickly and easily fill the entire house with the scent, which is something that most people will like and that most bugs will hate

Peppermint Oil

Using peppermint oil is popular these days. People will use it to treat everything from skin problems to depression. Peppermint oil can also be extremely useful in pest control, especially at keeping mosquitoes away. Most pests cannot stand the smell of peppermint oil, even though a lot of humans love it. It's also toxic to many insects. Leaving traces of it around the house, particularly in 'hot spots' that tend to attract a lot of pests, can kill some pests and cause others to leave.

Tea Tree Oil

This is another great essential oil that will work well in the fight against pests. Most people will love the pleasing scent of tea tree oil, which is similar to pine. Tea tree oil can be applied directly to certain household surfaces. Soaking a rag in tea tree oil will also create a potent scent that will tend to repel pests.

Vanilla Extract

The scent of vanilla extract can be used to ward off mosquitoes and quite a lot of other pests. Some people will use vanilla extract as something of a topical pest control repellent since it is possible to put vanilla extract safely on a person's skin without any issues. It is also possible to put vanilla extract on household surfaces without damaging them. The strong odor of vanilla extract around the house will repel insects, but it will be pleasing to humans. 

Garlic

A lot of insects truly dislike the smell of garlic. People who eat garlic on a regular basis will actually be less likely to get bitten by mosquitoes since the smell of the garlic will become more obvious as people perspire. Leaving out some garlic cloves around the house can be helpful in a similar way. Fresh garlic cloves typically have an odor that will seem minor to humans but much more extreme to the insects that people are trying to repel. 

Fabric Softener Sheets

People who place fabric softener sheets around their homes will find that the pest population will become less aggressive very quickly. Many brands of fabric softener in the modern world contain the compound linalool, which has an odor that mosquitoes and a lot of flying insects despise.

 

If people want to avoid using fresh fabric softener sheets for this purpose, the used ones should still work relatively well. The linalool might still be present even if the fabric softener sheet has been used. This setup allows people to reuse fabric softener sheets rather than throwing them out while also allowing them to get rid of pests effectively. 

Eucalyptus

Many people have used eucalyptus as a healing remedy. It is certainly hugely useful when it comes to pest control. Soaking a small towel with the eucalyptus oil and then placing it in an area that tends to attract a lot of pests will make a huge difference very quickly in a lot of cases.

Detergent

People don't always need to use herbal remedies for the sake of pest control. In some cases, people will be able to use detergent in order to get rid of bugs. Diluted detergent will work well as a spray. People just need to spray this diluted detergent in any area that is full of flies and bugs, and they will begin to disappear. 

Pest Repellents

Plenty of the scents that will repel insects will have a tendency to have some positive side effects around the house. A lot of people will like these scents, and a house will seem cleaner as a result. These pest control projects will also give a lot of people the chance to use old fabric softener sheets and detergent. Pest control can and should be safe for humans. These household items are truly only harmful to insects.