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Today we have the coolest and easiest DIY natural cinnamon spray for bugs that works for all types of surfaces plus you can even use it on your skin.
Many years ago, we shared this incredibly popular post on all the ways you can use cinnamon besides food flavoring. In this science-based post, we shared that cinnamon was one of the best natural bug deterrents.
I have tried a few methods to see how using cinnamon works best as a repellent. While there are several ways to get the benefits of cinnamon, this cinnamon “tea” spray has proven to be one of the absolute best!
Here is how you can make it too.
DIY Natural Cinnamon Spray For Bugs
How to Make a DIY Insect Repellent with Cinnamon:
First, you need to create the cinnamon tea (shop all ingredients easily in our list):
- 4 cups of boiling water
- 2 tablespoons cinnamon
- 2 cinnamon sticks
Directions:
- Boil the 4 cups of water in a saucepan, add the cinnamon and cinnamon sticks. Turn the heat off, and allow to steep for two hours.
- After the two hours, strain out all the cinnamon and cinnamon sticks.
How To Use This To Repel Bugs Outside:
The cinnamon tea mixture you made can be added to a spray bottle and simply sprayed outside. You can spray plants, outdoor furniture, or any surface that you want to repel insects from.
You will reapply this spray as often as needed. When it comes to natural home remedies, you usually need to use a product more often. Last summer, I sprayed my potted plant area and the porch every day to keep away gnats. Feel free to use it as much as you want!
If you want to create a mixture to add to your skin:
While the above mixture can work well on its own, it usually helps to add a few other ingredients to your skin. This is a similar formula to our other DIY bug sprays we have on our website. This can repel basic insects, I am not sure how strong it is against mosquitos on your skin, so please use caution.
- 2 cups of the cinnamon tea mixture from above
- 1 tbsp rubbing alcohol
- 1 tbsp dish soap (it can be any type of this spray)
- Simply add all the ingredients in a spray bottle together, give a simple swirl to combine everything.
The Science Behind Natural Cinnamon Spray For Bugs
Cinnamon has been proven very successful as an insecticide. The key is the chemical compounds called cinnamaldehyde.
Where did this recipe come from? Cinnamon “tea” like this has been used for centuries in the gardening world. I first stumbled upon it in college when I was studying horticulture. We went through old books from the 1900s for part of a project. I was fascinated by all the science in these home remedies. Some old-fashioned books even talk about using the cinnamon tea for fertilizing plants!
There are many ratios of making this type of tea, but I have found that using the very concentrated ground cinnamon and cinnamon stick together works great!
What Type of Insects Does This Repel?
Depending on your climate, this cinnamon spray can work for several types of insects. I have found it can deter mosquitos around the porch, gnats, usually flies, ants (when sprayed on a surface). You can experiment with it and see what it works for around your house. Use it on everything as often as you would like too.
The great thing about homemade remedies like this is you can use them for many things as often as needed, and you can experiment around your home to see what it works for with your home and climate.
Tips On Straining This Mixture:
For straining, you can use a coffee filter in a mason jar, cheesecloth, or a small colander. The aim is to filter out the bulk of the solids, though some fine cinnamon particles are perfectly fine. The only reason we strain this is to allow for better spraying.
What Type Of Spray Bottle Works Best For This DIY Natural Cinnamon Spray?
I am using this spray bottle which I also use for my homemade spider repellent. Since there are no essential oils in this, you can use plastic as well. I will also use the small amber spray bottles.
If you enjoy making this DIY natural gardening remedy based on science, be sure to check out our other popular recipes:
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