There are all kinds of home remedies for keeping your house pest-free, and essential oils are a big player. If you want to repel some roaches, a little peppermint oil is believed to be surprisingly effective.
How to make cockroach deterrent spray
A mix of peppermint oil and white vinegar is a solid go-to for repelling several pests, especially spiders. But research from Auburn University suggests the mix is good for the peskiest of pests too. To make your own cockroach deterrent spray, Brittney Morgan at Apartment Therapy recommends dropping 10 drops of peppermint oil into a spray bottle filled with two parts water and one part white vinegar. Spritz it around cupboards, under the sink, in the bathroom, and anywhere else that roaches might want to hang out. You can also use straight peppermint oil to wipe down countertops. Not only will it keep pests away, but it will smell nice, too.
Keep in mind, however, that this won’t kill the roaches in your home. If you have a serious infestation, get an exterminator to take care of them first, then use this spray to keep them from coming back. In fact, some folks recommend skipping the DIY method altogether (if the problem is extreme enough) and simply seeking out the help of a professional rather than spending time attempting to treat roach problems the natural way.
Have you dealt with a cockroach problem effectively at your place? Let us know how you managed the issue in the comments sections below.
3 Non-Toxic Tips for Ridding Your Home of Roaches [Apartment Therapy]
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This article on using peppermint essential oil to deter cockroaches has been updated since its original publish date.
Comments
2 responses to “Can You Keep Cockroaches Away With Peppermint Oil?”
At the risk of sounding biased, I own and run a Pest management business. Most of the products used to control cockroaches in the home are synthetic pyrethroids and are used at a rate so low it is very unlikely you will have any issues unless you are hyper-sensitive. The other products used in severe infestations are insect growth regulators that affect things that we as humans don’t even possess. I’m never going to tell a client not to use a home remedy, because if they think it works, they will be happy. Just remember that there are more effective things you can do for cockroach prevention using integrated pest management than spraying around essential oils.
Mint oil will work most effectively if applied directly to cockroaches at a concentration greater than 3%, and will have a kill time of about 2 minutes.
Real pest control is probably cheaper, 3% applied directly is a lot. Especially when you consider most essential oils you buy are already heavily diluted, they only need to smell a bit like it to pass.