Banish mosquitoes from your home with one natural ingredient — and it also smells great

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Keep mosquitoes at bay with this one refreshing smell

Mosquito on hand
(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Summer is here and the perfect time to get outdoors and enjoy the warm weather.

But if your day is ruined by unsightly bites on your skin, mosquitoes can be an annoying culprit this season.

Before you rush to the nearest store to stock up on toxic mosquito sprays or repellents, you might want to consider something more natural to get rid of mosquitoes.

In fact, this simple solution is not just a quick, natural pest repellent, but will also make your home smell fresh and fragrant at the same time. Can’t get better than that!

So, what is this household staple that can help keep mosquitoes at bay?

Eucalyptus Oil

Eucalyptus oil in two bottles next to white bowl with leaves

Eucalyptus oil in two bottles next to white bowl with leaves (Image credit: Shutterstock)

While we might enjoy the spa-like scent of eucalyptus oil, mosquitoes actually hate the strong smell. This is thanks to the component called eucalyptol found in the oil, that does well to keep mosquitoes and other arthropods far away.

You can easily make a DIY eucalyptus mosquito repellent to spray around the home and backyard. Simply dilute about 40 drops of eucalyptus oil to 1/3 cup of witch hazel and water in a spray bottle.

Once mixed thoroughly, your solution is ready to spray around doorways, windows, and any other trouble areas where mosquitoes congregate.

Not only is this a cheap way of repelling mosquitoes, but is an instant way of making your home smell fresh — without all the chemicals.

Handcraft Blends Eucalyptus Essential Oil
Handcraft Blends Eucalyptus Essential Oil: $8.50 at Amazon

This pure eucalyptus oil is paraben free, and provides a fresh scent. Versatile to use in aromatherapy, or in an oil or reed diffuser. And while the fragrance is pleasant to our senses, it is also known to be a natural mosquito and pest repellent.

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Of course, prevention is always the best method, and it’s important to remove anything that attract mosquitoes to your yard in the first place.

This includes removing stagnant water such as rain barrels, bird baths and puddles, as water serves as the ideal breeding ground for mosquitoes to lay their eggs. Also ensure your grass is cut to an appropriate length, as these pests love to hide in tall grasses.

Similarly, make sure your yard is tidy, clean and clutter-free as you’re making things more attractive for passing mosquitoes to dwell in.

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Cynthia Lawrence
Cynthia Lawrence
Content Editor, Homes

As the Homes Content Editor, Cynthia Lawrence covers all things homes, interior decorating, and garden-related. She has a wealth of editorial experience testing the latest, ‘must-have’ home appliances, writing buying guides and the handy ‘how to’ features. 

Her work has been published in various titles including, T3, Top Ten Reviews, Ideal Home, Real Homes, Livingetc. and House Beautiful, amongst many.

With a rather unhealthy obsession for all things homes and interiors, she also has an interior design blog for style inspiration and savvy storage solutions (get rid of that clutter!). When she’s not testing cool products, she’ll be searching online for more decor ideas to spruce up her family home or looking for a great bargain!

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