What is the ratio of peppermint oil to water for bug spray?

2 tablespoons liquid soap 2 teaspoons peppermint oil 1 gallon warm water Mix dish soap and water together, then stir in the peppermint oil. It cuts through a bug's waxy shell. Are attracted to the color blue.

Can I spray diluted peppermint oil on my plants?

Yes, that would be the safest and most effective way of using it. The key to success will be using diluted amounts only when necessary . If you think about the average yield of peppermint essential oil being between 0.5-1%, we start to understand how strong it is compared to a plant.

What is the mix ratio for peppermint oil?

Many people use a teaspoon to measure how many essential oil drops are needed, as it holds approximately 5 ml of oil, which is about 100 drops of carrier oil. This means to dilute to 2%, you will only need to add 2 drops of peppermint oil to 1 teaspoon of carrier oil , which can be easily done using the dropper.

How many drops of pure peppermint oil in water?

For hot drinks: Boil a cup of hot water and pour it into a mug. Mix in two to three drops of peppermint oil and drink. For cold drinks: Pour yourself a glass of cold water and mix in one drop of peppermint oil to create a calorie-free, thirst-quenching drink.

What is the best dilution for peppermint oil?

Remember how to dilute peppermint oil; for an adult, it is three drops of essential oil in a teaspoon of carrier oil . You must dilute it into a carrier oil. Reduce it to two drops in a teaspoon for someone in a weakened state.

Is peppermint oil better than bug spray?

The biggest issue with using essential oils is they evaporate quickly. They are not as effective as DEET or picaridin . Repellents are meant to block an insect's receptors related to the scent but with essential oils, only a few receptors are blocked. Therefore it is possible it may work on some insects but not all.

How to make homemade bug spray?

Instructions. Combine 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup water, and 40 drops of rosemary oil in a spray bottle and shake well . "If you don't like the smell of rosemary, you can also try lavender," says says Harlow-Ellis.

How do you make peppermint spray for plants?

Fill a small fine mist spray bottle with 10 drops of peppermint oil, 10 drops of rosemary oil, five drops of homemade rosemary-infused vodka, and distilled water until full. Give it a good shake.

How long does peppermint oil last as a repellent?

Generally, peppermint oil will last for up to two weeks as a wasp repellent. This is because the oil will evaporate over time, reducing its potency and effectiveness. To ensure that the oil remains effective, it should be reapplied every two weeks.

How do you use peppermint from the garden?

Peppermint is used to add flavor or fragrance to foods, cosmetics, soaps, toothpaste, mouthwashes, and other products , and it may have some medicinal uses. A person can also use dried or fresh peppermint (Mentha piperita) leaves to brew tea.

Does peppermint oil repel bugs in garden?

Peppermint oil also can help repel bugs around the garden . Avoid spraying concentrated oil directly onto plants, as it may damage them. Instead, dilute it with water (about 2 teaspoons of oil for each gallon of warm water), and add 2 tablespoons of liquid soap.

How do you make bug spray for plants with essential oils?

Fill a small fine mist spray bottle with 10 drops of peppermint oil, 10 drops of rosemary oil, five drops of homemade rosemary-infused vodka, and distilled water until full . Give it a good shake. To use, lightly spritz plants from a foot and a half away, or spray upwards in a room to let the solution fall and disperse.

How to make peppermint oil spray for squirrels?

You can use peppermint essential oils in a number of ways - you can add it to water in a spray bottle and spray it around your property , or apply it to cotton balls and position them in areas where squirrels are active.

2 Ingredient Peppermint Oil Bug Repellent Spray for the Garden (2024)

Get rid of garden insect pests quickly and effectively with this all natural peppermint oil bug spray. All you need are two simple ingredients! This is my go-to bug repellent recipe when I want to avoid harsh chemical pesticides!

2 Ingredient Peppermint Oil Bug Repellent Spray for the Garden (1)

My garden was in full bloom a few weeks ago when I noticed them…tiny green specks on my pea plants. And they were moving. APHIDS!!

Last year’s pea crop had no issues, but unfortunately this year the aphids discovered them! And if you’ve ever dealt with aphids, you know that they multiply rapidly and can quickly overwhelm your crops.

Some of the recommendations for getting rid of aphids include spraying them with water or smashing them by hand. I tried both of those methods, but the aphids continued to thrive.

That’s when I knew it was time for some of my trusty peppermint oil spray!

Why Do Bugs Hate Peppermint?

Peppermint oil is a gardener’s best friend! That’s because most bugs HATE peppermint!

Peppermint has a strong odor that most insects will avoid. It makes a wonderful natural deterrent if you’re looking to avoid pesticides.

An interesting fact I learned while researching my peppermint bug spray is that stick bugs use a peppermint odor to repel predators! They’re already onto the peppermint repellent trick!

Is Peppermint Oil Safe to Use on Plants?

You’ll want to dilute peppermint oil before you apply to plants. Pure peppermint essential oil is quite strong, so you don’t want to risk damaging plants. It’s usually not advised to apply directly to human skin, so it makes sense that you wouldn’t want to apply directly to plants either.

Also, diluting helps a little bit of peppermint oil go a long way. Peppermint oil has a strong fragrance, so you really only need a few drops. Diluting with water allows you to make enough spray to apply to your entire garden, or the plants that need help.

As with any pesticide, natural or otherwise, it’s important to spot test before applying to the entire plants. Diluted peppermint oil is safe for most plants, but you always want to make sure first.

2 Ingredient Peppermint Oil Bug Repellent Spray for the Garden (2)

Peppermint Bug Spray Ingredients

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You only need a couple simple ingredients to make this natural garden pest repellent.

Water
Peppermint Essential Oil
Dish Soap (optional – if needing to stop an infestation)

Tools Used

Glass Spray Bottle

How to Make Peppermint Oil Bug Spray

I’ll show you two different recipes and you can chose the one that works best for your needs:

If You Just Want to Repel Potential Pests…

Peppermint oil is a great preventative. I apply every month or so (or after a drenching rain) to keep potential insect pests away from my garden.

For this method, simply fill a spray bottle with water and add 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil. Mix well and spray lightly on plants. (Remember to spot test first!)

If Your Plants are Already Infested…

You’ll need something a little stronger! For example, my pea plants that were covered in aphids were past the repellent stage. I also needed to get rid of the bugs that were already there.

In this case, I added 1 Tablespoon of dish soap to my spray bottle, along with the water and peppermint.

The dish soap penetrates insects’ exoskeleton and kills ’em dead. It’s a key ingredient in my favorite DIY ant spray too!

Be sure to use dishwashing liquid and NOT dishwasher detergent, which is completely different formulation. Dishwasher detergent won’t help your bug problem and may actually kill your plants instead.

Again, remember to spot test your plants to ensure they don’t react negatively to the spray.

What Type of Bottle to Use

When working with essential oils, the best choice for container is glass. Essential oils can actually deteriorate plastics over time.

2 Ingredient Peppermint Oil Bug Repellent Spray for the Garden (3)

Peppermint Garden Bug Repellent Recipe

Time needed:5 minutes.

Peppermint Oil Bug Spray

To Make a Bug Repellent
Fill a spray bottle with water. Add 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil and mix.
To Make Bug Repellent and Killer
Fill a spray bottle with water. Add 1 TB dish soap and 10-15 drops of peppermint oil.

Does Mint Attract Insects?

While peppermint is generally a bug repellent, there are some types of insects that are actually attracted to the smell of mint and/or mint plants. The really neat thing is that the insects mint attracts are actually beneficial! So we have a plant oil that gets rid of “bad” bugs and attracts the good ones!

Certain types of wasps and flies are attracted to mint. At first it would sound like you wouldn’t want those around, but here’s why you might…

Wasps are helpful pollinators and having them around can actually increase fruit production. Even better, wasps lay eggs inside of caterpillars (a huge garden pest) and may even eat pest insect eggs!

Related: 5 Ways to Attract Pollinators to Your Garden

Just another reason that I not only make sure to grow mint plants in my garden, but to keep a bottle of peppermint spray at the ready!

More Ways to Keep Bugs out of the Garden

How to Get Rid of Ants in the Garden
9 Natural Pest Repellents for the Garden
How to Keep Slugs, Snails, and Caterpillars out of the Garden