For people, cedarwood has an enticing scent, but mosquitoes aren’t too fond of it. It’s antiseptic, insecticidal, and antispasmodic. Use cedarwood in a combination with other oils to repel pests and treat bites with a carrier oil. Cedar oil is unique among the essential oil-based mosquito repellent possibilities in that it comes from a variety of plants and trees rather than just one. In truth, cedar oil (also known as “cedarwood oil”) may be extracted from a wide range of conifer trees, including those belonging to the pine and cypress families.

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Cedar oil is employed in a variety of industries, from industrial to fragrance, with insecticidal applications becoming more popular in recent years. However, no major governing or certification organization now supports this later application, owing to a general lack of study into its usefulness. Indeed, one of the only major pieces of peer-reviewed literature on cedar oil concerns its safety, which has been determined to be potentially harmful at concentrations exceeding 1%. (due to allergens).

Simply put, there is no scientific evidence to support cedar oil’s effectiveness in repelling mosquitoes or any other bug. Those looking for a natural bug repellant alternative will be best off selecting a more commercially accessible solution, considering its poor safety rating when used in this manner. Pine and conifer trees, which can be found all over North America, produce cedar oil. 

Growing your own cedar oil source from the start is not recommended because these trees take decades to mature. Those who have pines and conifers on their land may be able to extract this essential oil from the leaf and wood of these trees. Although the usefulness of a cedar oil spray is unknown, several anecdotal sources claim that it is an efficient way to get rid of pesky insects. A spray like this can be made by mixing 12 pints of cedar oil with 5 gallons of water. The oil’s unpleasant odor can then be sprayed on garden plants and other resistant surfaces to drive pests away.

This essential oil can be purchased online or from natural sources. Cedar oil is primarily derived from the foliage of pine and cypress trees, though some blends also include oils derived from the timbers of those plants. This oil is commonly used to impart fragrant properties to soaps and fragrances due to its limited (and potentially harmful) usage as an insect repellent. When purchasing cedar oil, keep in mind that it is commonly used for wood treatment. As a result, not all types of cedar oil are created equal, with some posing a greater risk to human health than others.

For decades, the insect repellent capabilities of Juniperus genius trees of the Cupressaceae family have been known. This is why precious fabric things have been housed in Cedar chests for centuries. This is also why Juniper and Cedar are used to make wooden hangers. Compared to a reference, cedarwood oil was found to lower the number of red ants sitting on a source of food. This effect was observed using a 1% and a 10% solution of Cedarwood oil, respectively. The nymphs of black-legged ticks yielded substantial results in these experiments as well (Ixodes scapularis). Its 48-hour mortality rate varied between 77% to 100%, depending on the drug. In comparison, the control group only had a 3% death rate.