05/25/2026
EPA-registered essential oils are plant-derived botanical extracts officially evaluated and approved by the Environmental Protection Agency to kill or repel pests.
These registered versions are legally classified and labeled as pesticides. Two of EPA registered essential oils are:
– Catnip oil (Nepeta cataria)
– Citronella oil (Cymbopogon nardus).
Catnip oil, the most potent of the group, can run expensive, but a little goes a long way. A 0.1% concentration was almost twice as effective as 0.1% DEET on the mosquito species ‘Aedes aegypti’ landings, and a 1% concentration stayed effective for almost as long as 1% DEET (Reichert et al 2019).
The oils mentioned below have been identified in the research as promising and potent enough to be considered in formulations.
“Some are selected for their similarity with already established repellent oils, some because they have consistently shown to be strong candidates in their own right.
Cinnamon bark, Clove, Peppermint, Lemongrass and Geranium.”
“Both Cinnamon bark (Cinammomum verum) and Clove (Syzygium aromaticum) oils have shown efficacy in research, both as repellents and as pesticides, killing off various stages of mosquito development”.
Clove oil was the most potent with complete protection lasting 112 minutes. Cinnamon bark and isolated geraniol (the major constituent (80%) of Palmarosa oil) provided protection for over an hour.
Peppermint, Geranium and Lemongrass were the next in line for duration, followed by Spearmint and Citronella, Turmeric, Mandarin, Eucalyptus globulus, & Ylang ylang.
Mandarin (Citrus reticulata) showed very good potential – with both the peel and leaf oil providing protection. The peel oil was more efficient, preventing 100% of mosquito landings for 30 minutes (Haris et al, 2023).
Looking to try the single versions yourself? You’ll find them at The Oromocto Galleria, with Catnip only being available in our pre-bottled blend Bug Spray.