Aromatherapy with Essential Oils to Repel Mosquitoes

Published: 24 June, 2024 | 7'

The arrival of warm weather means spending more time outdoors, and the good weather encourages us to take advantage of the sunny hours. Additionally, it is common to open the windows more often at home to ventilate and prevent the heat from accumulating indoors.

However, in many cases, the increase in temperatures is also synonymous with the proliferation of certain insects in the environment, such as the dreaded mosquitoes. In this article, we will explain why these flying insects appear with the heat and how to get rid of them at home with the help of essential oils in the form of aroma diffusers.

Why do mosquitoes proliferate with heat and humidity?

The ecological cycle of mosquitoes coincides with the summer season, as the temperature and humidity during this time stimulate their reproduction.

Firstly, humidity plays an important role, as mosquitoes reproduce in stagnant water and also require heat to proliferate. Therefore, it is common for mosquito activity to increase after heavy rainfall, such as during summer storms, or in areas around rivers and even natural beaches with abundant vegetation.

In addition, mosquitoes survive in high temperatures, and the warmer regions are the favorites of mosquitoes, such as the Mediterranean, the tropics, or specific areas of irrigated crops.

How to repel mosquitoes at home

There are some tricks to prevent these annoying insects from entering your home and to avoid their bites, such as:

Avoid using fruity or sweet air fresheners, as these aromas attract mosquitoes.
Install mosquito nets on the windows that are usually open to ventilate the house.
Frequently empty the water residues from the air conditioning to avoid water stagnation, as well as any other nearby containers or areas with stagnant water.
Aromatize your home with essential oils that repel mosquitoes. For this, an ideal product for keeping insects away should have an optimal degree of volatility, making it possible to maintain an effective concentration of vapor. The vapors should also be able to repel multiple species of biting insects, not cause irritation to the skin or mucous membranes, and not be toxic.

Which scents repel mosquitoes?

The diffusion of essential oils releases into the environment some molecules such as citral, geraniol, citronellal, or neral, which have the ability to mask other odors that are attractive to insects. In this way, mosquitoes will not be attracted to the room where the aroma diffusion is applied.

Aroma diffusion to repel mosquitoes

In ancient times, essential oils for aroma diffusion were already used for their benefits to physical or emotional well-being. Nowadays, we can find a multitude of aroma diffusers that allow us to diffuse the most suitable essential oils according to the desired environment. Essential oils are natural aromatic liquid substances of variable color, depending on the plant from which they are extracted, and they are obtained by using the best of each plant.

Aroma diffusion involves the use of high-quality essential oils that enter the body through the respiratory tract or the skin.

To determine the high quality, effectiveness, and safety of the essential oil, we must consider the extraction method (distillation or cold pressing) and the chemotype, which is the complete identification of the chemical composition of the essential oil.

How to use aroma diffusion at home?

Aroma diffusers create a mist and release it into the air using different techniques, such as ultrasonic diffusion. This allows for the uniform and cost-effective release of all sizes of molecules contained in the essential oils into the atmosphere.

This technique, along with essential oils that repel insects, is ideal for the home or other enclosed spaces.

Aroma diffusers are efficient because they release all the molecules of different sizes at the same time, unlike vaporizers that use heat, so there are no residual burns when the essential oil is depleted.

Can aroma diffusion be used near babies and pets?

It is essential to know the proper way to use an essential oil diffuser, especially if it will be used near babies, young children, pets, or vulnerable individuals.

In the case of children and babies, it is recommended not to use aroma diffusion in the presence of children under 6 years old. As a general recommendation, to avoid using the aroma diffuser in the presence of children, it is suggested to use it first for about 15-20 minutes when the child is not in the room. Once the desired atmosphere is achieved, turn off the diffuser and wait about 20-30 minutes before the child enters the room.

Similarly, the time that pets spend in a room with a diffuser running should be limited. As a suggestion, the diffuser can be used for some time before the pet enters the room, as mentioned in the previous section.

Essential oils to repel mosquitoes at home

As we mentioned earlier, certain scents repel mosquitoes. This is the case with citrus aromas, which are capable of masking other strong odors that attract mosquitoes, such as citronella, lemon eucalyptus, exotic verbena, or geranium.

Aroma diffusion through essential oils from these four plants will become your ally in keeping mosquitoes out of your home. Additionally, their scent promotes a feeling of cleanliness and well-being in the home thanks to their pleasant fragrance.

Learn about the characteristics of each of these essential oils and forget about mosquito bites at home not only in summer but throughout the year.

Citronella Essential Oil

The ability of citronella to repel insects was already discovered by Roman and Greek cultures, who used this plant to keep them away. In addition to mosquitoes, it also repels clothes moths, flies, and wasps. Currently, citronella is the most popular choice for repelling mosquitoes, and it can be found in the form of essential oil to diffuse its aroma throughout the house, as well as in spray or bracelets for outdoor use.

Its strong citrusy lemon scent is responsible for repelling all these insects, as it masks other strong odors that attract them. The citrus scent is due to the abundance of terpene compounds such as geraniol, citronellal, citronellol, limonene, eugenol, among others. In other words, the citrus scent emitted by citronella is an effective natural mosquito repellent, and it is more than 70% effective in repelling mosquitoes of different species, and its effect lasts up to 6 hours¹.

Lemon Eucalyptus Essential Oil

This essential oil is obtained from the leaves of the eucalyptus tree, which is native to Australia and can grow up to 50 meters tall. Its leaves release a lemon-like aroma when rubbed, similar to citronella. Its main compounds are 1,8-cineole, citronellal, citronellol, limonene, p-menthane-3,8-diol (PMD), etc. The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, USA) recommends PMD as an active ingredient for repellency against some mosquito species².

Thanks to its strong citrus scent, lemon eucalyptus essential oil is also commonly used in aroma diffusion to repel flying insects, especially in summer, and it is often combined with other similar aromas that enhance this effect. In fact, lemon eucalyptus essential oil is more than 80% effective in repelling mosquitoes for 6 hours¹.

Geranium Essential Oil

Geranium is commonly used as an ornamental plant for its colorful and curly flowers that adorn gardens, balconies, and patios. But it also has many other uses related to its perfume, which can be extracted from its leaves. Its multiple species make it ideal for making perfumes since it encompasses a wide variety of scents, such as rose, mint, citrus, and even coconut.

Due to its citrusy touch, thanks to the presence of citronellol and geraniol, geranium has shown that it is 80% effective in repelling different mosquito species through aroma diffusion, and its effect lasts up to 8 hours¹. Its aroma is also associated with positive effects on mood.

Exotic Verbena Essential Oil

Exotic verbena belongs to the Lauraceae family, which is characterized by having pleasant aromas, sometimes strong and penetrating, and a warm pungency. The main terpenes in its oil are geraniol, geranial, and neral.

Its use in aroma diffusion has shown that it can repel mosquitoes with an efficiency of 90% for at least 8 hours¹.

Repel insects with Synergy Repell

These four essential oils are found in Synergy Repell, which combines Citronella, Lemon Eucalyptus, Geranium, and Exotic Verbena in 100% BIO, pure, and natural essences for use in aroma diffusion. It will be your best ally against mosquitoes at home!

All four essential oils from these plants have common chemotypes, such as citronellol and geraniol, which create a citrus aroma that brings freshness to the atmosphere and at the same time repels mosquitoes and other flying insects from any room.

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How to use essential oils to repel insects?

An aroma diffuser will be the most suitable way to create a mosquito-free environment with essential oils like Synergy Repell. A diffuser releases the aroma molecules of essential oils evenly and uniformly into the room in the form of a mist.

In addition, a high-quality diffuser allows you to choose the operating time and even create relaxing or energizing environments according to your desires, thanks to its built-in light. It is important to follow the manufacturer's instructions for proper use and optimal use of any essential oil.

Steps to use Synergy Repell and keep mosquitoes away

Choose the capacity of the diffuser depending on the size of the room.
The diffuser needs space around it to properly diffuse the aroma, so avoid placing it on close shelves or other objects on top that could hinder the optimal diffusion of the aroma.
Fill the aroma diffuser with water according to the manufacturer's instructions.
Add 3 to 5 drops of Synergy Repell for every 100 ml of water.
Turn on the diffuser in your preferred mode or with a timer. In rooms such as the living room or bedroom, using it for at least 2 hours will suffice, and it will keep the atmosphere for several more hours if you avoid opening windows or doors.