5 Essential Oils That Carpet Beetles Hate

Certain essential oils are super effective in repelling carpet beetles.

The research results in the Journal of Textiles revealed that some essential oils, like citronella, are best for repelling these pesky insects.

This guide will discuss some carpet beetles repelling essential oils and how to apply them.

In the sections below, we will discuss the five carpet beetle-deterring essential oils and how to apply them.

5 Essential Oils That Carpet Beetles Hate

Carpet beetles are destructive creatures. They do not just stop at eating your carpets but also hunt for other properties like bedsheets, curtains, etc.

Their mission is never for peace; your concern should be how to keep them at bay for good.

Below, we consider some essential oils you can use against them:

1. Neem Oil

The popular, ancient essential oil, Neem, is an extract from the Neem seed. Its insect-repellent power always saves the day when there’s an Infestation. Its essential oil content, azadirachtin, sponsors the scent that most insects and pests hate.

Another significant effect of Neem oil is its smell keeps pests from eating. Since pests are attracted to sources of food and shelter, they will quickly leave their hideouts at the scent of Neem oil. Neem oil is super effective but has a foul odor that puts most people off.

Aside from the foul odor, Neem oil’s smell poses no threat to you or your household pets. This explains its use for controlling outdoor pests. You can also use it indoors if you can put up with the smell.

So, with Neem oil, you can repel and kill both carpet beetle larvae that stay indoors and the adult carpet beetles that feed on flowers.

2. Cinnamon Oil

Cinnamon essential oil is made from the outer bark of the Cinnamomum verum tree and the Cinnamomum cassia tree. One of the many uses of cinnamon oil is its use as a repellent for insects and pests. Fortunately, it also helps in keeping carpet beetles away.

But then, there are variants of cinnamon. There is cinnamon powder and cinnamon essential oil. Both are effective in repelling carpet beetles. But the leftover stains from cinnamon powder discourage people from using it. As a result, its variant, which is the oil, is safer.

Avoid mixing with water as it dissolves the cinnamon mixture, making it ineffective. Spray directly with the original mix as it is more effective alone. It would be best if you also were careful while using it, as its contact with the skin causes burns and irritation.

3. Clove Oil

Clove is another essential oil that carpet beetles hate. Eugenol, its major component, makes it potent in repelling insects.

Cloves repel carpet beetles even in their ram and grounded forms. Unlike some other essential oils, clove oil has a pleasant smell.

So, you don’t have to worry about its slight rubbing off on your clothes and other belongings.

Either whole or grounded cloves, carpet beetles run from the scent of cloves.

For clove application in your closet/wardrobe, clove satchels work best.

4. Peppermint Oil

Peppermint essential oil is a must-have for repelling carpet beetles, insects, and pests. You can grow peppermint plants as a means to repel carpet bugs. But its extracted oil is more potent in repelling carpet beetles.

But the thing is, you can always have both the plant and the oil. This is so that you can consistently reproduce whenever you run out of oil.

Growing peppermint flower plants in the yard can repel adult carpet beetles in your garden or farm. In contrast, processed oil takes care of the larvae in your closets and rugs.

You can smell peppermint oil if you are allergic to it. It doesn’t take long to fade away, or you keep away from the premise until the air is clear. Aside from allergic reactions, its smell is unharmful.

Carpet beetles find their way into homes through openings in the doors or windows. So, keep a ball of wool soaked in peppermint by those entry points to keep them away. Also, remember to shake thoroughly before spraying.

5. Vinegar

Vinegar is another alternative for repelling carpet beetles. The good thing with vinegar is that aside from acting as a pesticide for repelling pests, you can also use it as a cleaning agent. Here’s its pro as a cleaning agent.

Using vinegar to wipe surfaces infected by carpet beetles prevents them from returning and cleanses the infected materials. So for maximum effect, you can use any other essential oil to spray around the house while you use vinegar for cleaning.

The best vinegar for pest control is white vinegar. The reason is that apple cider vinegar has a sweet smell that attracts certain pests. So, it is safe to stick with white vinegar only.

Also, the smell of white vinegar kills both carpet beetles and their eggs to prevent them from multiplying after the death of the adult carpet beetles.

Conclusion

If you suspect a carpet beetle Infestation in your home, do not be quick to introduce any pesticides or essential oil. They will only relocate to another space.

Before applying these essential oils, rid every suspected area of the beetles by cleaning and steam-heating infected objects.

Carpet beetles are not all conspicuous. Some of them can be hard to see, especially when they stick to similar materials. A vacuum cleaner is most efficient for removing the almost invisible ones stuck on rugs.

In applying essential oils, do not just leave droplets on suspected areas. Spray them all over the house so there’s nowhere conducive for them to hide.