Can Cockroaches Be Kept Away With Peppermint Oil? Do They Hate Peppermint?

Roaches are among the least popular insects in the world, while also being one of the most successful. These unwelcome house guests are an absolute menace, and your first instinct is to get rid of them as soon as possible.

But poison is poison, and you may want an organic solution to rid yourself of roaches. You may wonder: can cockroaches be kept away with peppermint oil?

  • Peppermint oil is an organic cockroach repellent
  • It is poisonous to cockroaches
  • The delightful minty smell repels cockroaches

Now that we’re aware of peppermint oil’s ability to repel these sneaky insects and potentially kill them, let’s look further into this.


Can cockroaches be kept away with peppermint oil?

Before you grab a rag, spray it with peppermint oil, and wipe all surfaces with it, there are a few important things to note. Various characteristics of the oil contribute to the long-term goal of getting rid of cockroaches.

We are all aware of peppermint’s strong and potent smell. Although this smell is refreshing for human beings, it really is powerful. Interestingly, the smell is so repelling for cockroaches that they may pack up their nests and check out of your home!

Numerous studies have proven this phenomenon.

According to a study conducted in 2001, the effects of peppermint oil on German and American cockroaches reflected intense repulsion due to its strong smell. However, the results were so precise and fascinating that they reflected a 100% rate of cockroach repulsion over the 14-day experiment.

Therefore, if you’re a victim of a cockroach infestation, this study was a game-changer. 

We are all aware of peppermint’s strong and potent smell. Although this smell is refreshing for human beings, it really is powerful. Interestingly, the smell is so repelling for cockroaches that they may pack up their nests and check out of your home!

Pest control companies are expensive and a hassle to deal with. If the infestation isn’t too bad, it’s often a good idea to tackle a roach problem on your own.

DIY methods for cockroach repulsion are truly a God send.

The best part about peppermint oil is that it is not hazardous to pets or children (candycanes!). However, we would still recommend minimizing any potential risk and keeping them from consuming raw oil.

Additionally, while the smell is an absolute cause of repulse for cockroaches, humans really enjoy it. This wonderful minty smell freshens up the entire room while keeping cockroaches away.

This raises the thought: is peppermint oil a magic potion?

This raises the thought: is peppermint oil a magic potion?


Can peppermint oil kill cockroaches?

The 2001 study also found that peppermint oil acted as a deadly weapon for American and German cockroaches as soon as it came in contact with them. Therefore, the findings suggested that aside from sending these cockroaches packing, peppermint oil also can potentially poison them.

According to research, peppermint oil consists of menthone (a compound similar to menthol) which is the core poison that contributes to a cockroach’s demise.

This compound is responsible for the oil’s excessively potent yet minty scent and is commonly found in various mint plant oils.


How effective is peppermint oil as a cockroach killer?

We apologize for bursting your bubble if you want to use peppermint oil as a DIY pest control method. This method may not be effective in killing too many cockroaches. According to the 2001 experiment mentioned above, cockroaches could only die from peppermint oil because they were constantly exposed to it.

According to the 2001 experiment mentioned above, cockroaches could only die from peppermint oil because they were constantly exposed to it.

Since you will set your DIY pest control method in motion at your house, it’s not going to be the same as the lab. Therefore,you probably won’t have the same success, as the roaches will flee from the oil.

Additionally, as we mentioned before, peppermint oil is a repellent; therefore, cockroaches will probably stay away from it. There is a large possibility that cockroaches recognize the danger that peppermint oil poses which is why its scent repels them.

To sum up the efficiency of peppermint oil as a DIY pest control system, you will need to expose the cockroaches to a lot of it to kill them, which is usually not possible through a spray bottle.


How can I use peppermint oil to keep cockroaches away?

Peppermint oil is easy to use throughout your home. Although this method isn’t foolproof, it is very cheap and convenient to experiment with.

To start, this method does not require any expensive tools.

You will only need a mixture of 10-15 drops of organic peppermint oil and water in a plastic spray bottle.

Pro tip: using other forms of mint oils that contain menthone will add to the efficiency.

Once you’re prepared your organic cockroach repellent, spray it across your counters, walls, and various other surfaces that cockroaches might visit. Remember to think of hidden nooks and crannies. Roaches like to stay to the shadows, out of the light.

The smell of the oil is likely to repel the cockroaches and keep them away from the sprayed areas.

Another way of incorporating peppermint oil into the repulsion mission would be to wet cotton balls with it and then put them near walls, inside closets, inside bedroom cupboards, and under appliances.

These will also emit a repulsive scent and, hopefully, keep the pesky insects away from your precious household items.

However, an important aspect is that you must repeatedly wet the cotton balls or spray the mixture to sustain the scent. As soon as the fragrance wears off, the cockroaches will likely move on back into yourr home.

You can add white vinegar to the mix if you wish to make a stronger cockroach repellant solution. The strong scent of white vinegar mixed with peppermint oil makes for a heavenly combination of cockroach repulsion.


Conclusion: peppermint oil is the ultimate repellent!

Does peppermint oil keep roaches away? Yes! It gets the job done. Although this may not be the ideal method to kill these insects, its smell is strong enough to repel them from your home and potentially keep them out (depending on your determination and consistency).