Does Peppermint Oil Repel Mosquitoes?
WouterUsing peppermint oil to repel mosquitoes is a natural approach. Its cooling and soothing effect can help to ease itchy mosquito bites. You can apply it to your skin, doors, and other entry points.
Peppermint oil is a pure extracted oil, meaning there are no toxic components. It contains menthol, which can be an effective mosquito repellent.
Peppermint essential oil has been tested in a laboratory to determine its effectiveness against mosquitoes. Adult female Aedes aegypti were used in the experiment. These were taken in batches of fifteen. They were kept in a cage for a period of 48 h. A mortality count was recorded after 3 h and 24 h.
The oil was applied to a marked area (5 cm x 5 cm) on each forearm. After this, the control was exposed to ethanol alone. Afterward, the LC90 values were calculated.
After three hours, the percent protection was calculated. LC90 is a measure of the percent of mosquitoes that were protected by the repellent. It is a standard in mosquito repellent testing.
Unlike repellents that contain picaridin, which block a larger number of receptors, essential oils only block a smaller number. This means that they are less effective at a particular species.
However, essential oils have their own appeal. The relative safety of these products is one of their major draws. If you are interested in trying out an essential oil, you should test it on an isolated patch of skin before spreading it around the house. If you notice any negative effects, you should stop using it. You should also check with a healthcare professional.
