What Smells Do Mosquitoes Hate? 13 Scents Rated by the Evidence

Quick Answer

A handful of scents genuinely bother mosquitoes, but far fewer than the internet claims, and almost none last long. The strongest evidence is for oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) and its active ingredient PMD, which the CDC lists among its recommended repellent ingredients, followed by catnip oil and clove oil, which held off mosquitoes for one to several hours in lab tests. Citronella, peppermint, lemongrass and geranium work a little, typically for 30 to 60 minutes or less. Lavender plants, dryer sheets, coffee grounds, eating garlic and Vicks VapoRub have no good evidence behind them as mosquito repellents. The catch is that mosquitoes find you mainly by your breath, body heat and skin odor, so a pleasant smell rarely beats those signals for long. If you need protection that holds up for hours, use an EPA-registered repellent; if you want fewer mosquitoes around your yard, deal with standing water and the adults already flying.

Searching for "smells mosquitoes hate" turns up long lists of kitchen herbs, candles and household hacks. Some come from real research. Many don't, and a few are repeated so often that they sound like settled science when they were never tested on mosquitoes at all.

We went through the published studies and the CDC and EPA guidance for every scent on those lists and rated each one on the evidence. We sell a mosquito trap, not scented products, so we have no reason to oversell any of these, and we'll tell you which ones are worth your time.

First, Why "Smells Mosquitoes Hate" Is Tricky

Mosquitoes don't wander around avoiding bad smells. Host-seeking females home in on the carbon dioxide you exhale, your body heat and the chemistry of your skin (we cover what else draws them in our guide to the colors mosquitoes hate). A strong scent can mask those cues or irritate a mosquito's senses up close, but the effect fades as the scent evaporates.

Three things to keep in mind as you read the scorecard below:

• Most positive results come from the lab, often with one mosquito species and strong or undiluted oils you wouldn't want on your skin all evening.
• Many "natural" repellents have never been tested for effectiveness by regulators. The EPA notes that products made from its "minimum risk" ingredients, such as citronella, cedar, geranium, peppermint and soybean oil, "have not been evaluated for effectiveness."
• The CDC is blunt about it: "We do not know the effectiveness of non-EPA registered insect repellents, including some natural repellents," as its prevention guidance puts it.

The Scent Scorecard: What the Research Actually Shows

Scents With Real Evidence Behind Them

Oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) and PMD

This is the only plant-derived scent on the CDC's list of recommended repellent ingredients, alongside DEET, picaridin, IR3535 and 2-undecanone. In a 2017 study in the Journal of Insect Science, a 30% OLE spray performed about as well as a 98% DEET product at keeping Aedes aegypti mosquitoes away in the lab.

One important distinction: the CDC does not recommend "pure" oil of lemon eucalyptus sold as an essential oil. The evidence is for formulated, EPA-registered OLE and PMD products. The CDC also advises against using OLE or PMD products on children under 3. We compare these side by side with DEET and picaridin in our guide to the best mosquito repellents.

Catnip (nepetalactone)

Catnip oil is one of the more surprising scents with solid lab data. A 2019 study in Scientific Reports found more than 95% repellency that faded between two and four hours, and a 2021 study in Current Biology traced the effect to TRPA1, an irritant receptor in mosquitoes. Earlier research found catnip works better as a "spatial" repellent, keeping mosquitoes away through the air, while DEET was better on contact. The EPA lists catnip oil as a skin-applied repellent ingredient, and a few registered products use it. Growing catnip in the garden is a different matter; see our breakdown of plants that repel mosquitoes for why live plants rarely help.

Clove oil

Clove oil repeatedly scores well, with a big caveat. In a 1999 study in the Journal of Medical Entomology, thyme and clove oils protected for 1.5 to 3.5 hours, but only at high concentrations; volunteers found the smell unacceptable at 25% and above, the oils irritated skin, and none of the oils worked at 5 to 10%. A 2023 study in Scientific Reports found a 10% clove lotion lasted more than an hour, compared with up to six hours for 10% DEET. Effective in a pinch, but not something to slather on nightly.

Scents That Work a Little (Briefly)

Citronella

Citronella is the most famous mosquito scent and one of the weakest. In a landmark 2002 comparison in the New England Journal of Medicine, a 23.8% DEET product protected for about 301 minutes and a soybean-oil product for about 95 minutes, while all the other botanical repellents tested lasted less than 20 minutes. Candles do even worse: a 2009 peer-reviewed study found citronella candles gave just 14% repellency indoors, versus 68% for citronella diffusers. We dig into why in do citronella candles work?

Peppermint

Peppermint oil helps, briefly. The 1999 Journal of Medical Entomology study found only high concentrations repelled mosquitoes, and they can irritate skin. A 2020 lab study that let mosquitoes choose between two air streams found peppermint effective for about 30 minutes, and the 2023 Scientific Reports study found a 10% peppermint lotion lasted a little over 30 minutes.

Lemongrass and geranium

As oils, both deterred mosquitoes for roughly 30 minutes in the 2020 and 2023 lab studies. As plants, they disappointed: a 2026 study in the Journal of Medical Entomology found live lemongrass actually drew more mosquitoes than clean air, and citronella-scented geranium plants did not reduce mosquito catches in the field.

Cinnamon

Cinnamon oil reduced mosquito interest for about 1.5 hours in the 2020 lab study, and a 10% cinnamon lotion lasted more than an hour in 2023. Its strongest evidence is actually against larvae: cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its smell, killed half of the larvae in a 2004 lab test at very low concentrations.

Thyme, rosemary and basil

Results here are all over the place. Thyme oil lasted hours at strong concentrations but under 20 minutes as a 10% lotion. Rosemary had no effect in one study and lasted about 30 minutes undiluted in another, and rosemary plants did nothing in the field. Undiluted basil oil lasted a median of about three hours in a 2022 study in Insects, but undiluted essential oils aren't something to put on skin.

Popular Scent Hacks With No Good Evidence

Lavender

Lavender is one of the most-searched mosquito scents, but the evidence is thin. In the 2026 Journal of Medical Entomology study, live lavender plants did not repel Aedes aegypti mosquitoes in the lab, and we could not find a verified skin trial of lavender oil against mosquitoes. It smells nice; don't count on it.

Dryer sheets

We found no peer-reviewed study of dryer sheets against mosquitoes. The only published test we could find was on fungus gnats, in HortScience in 2010, where fewer gnats settled near the sheets. Be wary of articles citing "USDA" or "CDC" dryer-sheet studies; we could not find any such study.

Coffee grounds

Coffee grounds have been studied, but against the wrong life stage for this question. Research has found used grounds can stop mosquito larvae from developing and that coffee in water discouraged females from laying eggs there. We found no peer-reviewed study showing that coffee grounds, burnt or not, repel biting adults.

Eating garlic

This one has actually been tested. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in Medical and Veterinary Entomology in 2005 found eating garlic provided no significant mosquito repellence, and the CDC's travel health guidance lists ingesting garlic or vitamin B as ineffective. Garlic oil lost its effect within 30 minutes in the 2020 air-stream lab test.

Vicks VapoRub and camphor

We found no peer-reviewed test of VapoRub against mosquitoes. If anything, a 2026 study in Current Biology found camphor is part of a flower scent that draws in young Aedes aegypti females, which is not what you want from a repellent.

Vinegar

Vinegar has more research behind it than most kitchen hacks, but it depends heavily on concentration and wears off quickly. We cover the details in why mosquitoes hate vinegar.

How to Use Scents Safely If You Try Them

• Never apply undiluted essential oils to skin. Several of the oils above irritated skin at the strengths that worked.
• Patch-test first on a small area, and stop if you notice redness or itching.
• Reapply often. Most botanical scents in these studies faded in under an hour.
• Follow product labels, and don't use OLE or PMD products on children under 3, per the CDC.
• Use an EPA-registered repellent when you need reliable protection for hours, such as long evenings outdoors or travel.

What Works Better Than Scents for Your Yard

Scents are personal, short-range and temporary. To actually reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home, work on the mosquitoes themselves:

1. Remove breeding water. Tip out and scrub anything that holds water once a week; see where mosquitoes lay their eggs.
2. Use moving air where you sit. A fan makes it hard for mosquitoes to fly and disperses the carbon dioxide you breathe out, a trick we explain in our guide to getting rid of mosquitoes at night.
3. Reduce the adults already flying. We make Mosquito TNT, a no-electricity CO₂ trap for the host-seeking females that bite, so we're biased; whatever you choose, pair it with the water check above.
4. Protect your skin when it counts with an EPA-registered repellent.

For the full outdoor plan, see our guide to getting rid of mosquitoes in your backyard.

Frequently Asked Questions

What smell do mosquitoes hate the most?

Based on the research, oil of lemon eucalyptus (OLE) and its active ingredient PMD have the strongest evidence among plant-based scents, and they are the only ones on the CDC's list of recommended repellent ingredients. Catnip oil and clove oil also performed well in lab tests, but clove irritates skin at the strengths that work. Formulated, EPA-registered products are what the evidence supports, not pure essential oils.

Does peppermint repel mosquitoes?

A little, and not for long. In lab studies, peppermint oil deterred mosquitoes for about 30 minutes, and one study found only high concentrations worked. Strong peppermint oil can also irritate skin, so it's a short-term option at best.

Does lavender repel mosquitoes?

There's no good evidence that it does. In a 2026 lab study, live lavender plants did not repel Aedes aegypti mosquitoes, and we could not find a verified skin trial of lavender oil against mosquitoes.

Do dryer sheets repel mosquitoes?

We found no peer-reviewed study showing that dryer sheets repel mosquitoes. The only published test we found was on fungus gnats. Claims that the USDA or CDC tested dryer sheets on mosquitoes don't appear to be backed by any real study.

Do coffee grounds repel mosquitoes?

Not as far as current research shows. Studies have found coffee grounds can stop mosquito larvae from developing in water and can discourage females from laying eggs there, but we found no peer-reviewed evidence that coffee grounds, burnt or not, keep biting adults away.

Does eating garlic keep mosquitoes away?

No. A double-blind, placebo-controlled trial published in 2005 found eating garlic gave no significant protection from mosquitoes, and the CDC lists garlic and vitamin B as ineffective when taken by mouth.

What essential oils repel mosquitoes?

In lab tests, catnip, clove and cinnamon oils held off mosquitoes for an hour or more, while peppermint, lemongrass, geranium and citronella oils lasted about 30 minutes or less. Most results used strong concentrations, and several oils irritated skin. For dependable protection, the CDC recommends EPA-registered products, including those made with oil of lemon eucalyptus or PMD.

Sources

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