Homemade Bug Spray: How to Use Vinegar for Pest Control

Vinegar serves many purposes when used around the house; you can clean with vinegar, use vinegar for baking, use as homemade bug spray, and distill vegetables, all of which make this tangy liquid a pantry necessity.

Read on to discover how vinegar works as a pest control agent and to discover how to make homemade vinegar bug spray. 

Types of Bug Sprays

There are two categories of bug sprays, and these are the repellents and the insecticides. Both of them are considered as pesticides by the US EPA or the Environmental Protection Agency.

Repellents will work by making a person unattractive to certain bugs, for them to keep away from you. The insecticides, on the other hand, will kill all the insects almost immediately.

Certain bug sprays can be effective in almost anything. While there are some that can only work on a particular species of insect.

Both of these categories are available in most supermarkets. You may be wondering about the ingredients that are in it. You may be thinking how they work in eliminating or preventing these bugs from getting into you or your home.

Let’s find out the two categories of bug sprays that you definitely should be aware of. The information below will help you know which one to use and how they work.

How Does Bug Spray Work?

Most pesticides that are used for homes contain pyrethroids, which are known as chemicals that are synthetic and they are created to mimic chrysanthemum flower's natural oils.

These oils have the ability to affect the peripheral and central nervous system of an insect upon contact. This will then cause paralysis, tremors, and as well as immediate death to the insect.

Typically, these pyrethroids are very effective against different types of insects, which include butterflies, bees, fleas, and other bugs that are beneficial.

They are also toxic when it comes to fishes, which can be a problem if you are using it at home and you have a pet fish.

How Does Insect Repellent Work?

Insect repellents are better for outdoor use since it can be impractical to eliminate bugs when you are outside. Typically, when you are outdoors, all you want is for these bugs to leave you alone and this is where bug repellent comes in.

For people who don’t know, insect repellent works by ensuring that you are unattractive and invisible to insects, including chiggers, biting flies, ticks, and as well as mosquitoes.

In short, a repellent will act as a protective barrier that is temporary.

Using Vinegar to Make Homemade Bug Spray

In addition to vinegar’s culinary and cleaning attributes, vinegar can also be used as a powerful deterrent against pests, both inside and outside of the home.

This is great news if you are looking for ways to manage problematic pests without having to turn to harsh and toxic insecticides. 

Although vinegar will not necessarily kill pests, vinegar’s harsh acidity and potent aroma works well to keep insects off of crops and flowers, as well as out of the inside of your home. 

How Does Vinegar Work as a Natural Pesticide?

Vinegar has actually been used as a pest control agent for decades once it was discovered that the acidity in vinegar is powerful enough to repel a large majority of insects.

Wiping down indoor countertops with vinegar is extensively used to repel ants, just as wiping vinegar on the corners of walls can repel spiders. Too much spiders at home?

Check out our review on the best spider repellents available online. 

Flies and other flying insects are also susceptible to the strong aroma of vinegar. By putting a bowl of vinegar out in the open, flies will land in the liquid and subsequently drown.

Even if the vinegar does not kill flies directly, the liquidity of vinegar consumes their small anatomy resulting in death. 

With this in mind, vinegar has also been known to kill termites, due to the strong acidity of the substance attacking a termite’s central nervous and digestive systems respectively.

It is important to point out that although vinegar works wonders at repelling pests, vinegar is not a feasible alternative to natural pesticides, which can effectively kill pests. 

Are Mosquitoes Attracted to Vinegar?

Mosquitoes likely pose the biggest threat to both human and animal health than any other pest. Numerous diseases in humans and pets are attributed to mosquito bites, yet the threat from the toxicity of powerful insecticides is also concerning. 

Thankfully, mosquitoes fall into the category of pests that detest the smell and taste of household vinegar, yet the aroma of the substance is also alluring to mosquitoes. Since a primary base ingredient of vinegar is alcohol, flying insects find the smell attractive.

Apple cider vinegar also has a fruit as one of its primary ingredients, which apart from blood-seeking female mosquitoes, is one of the insect’s favorite sources of nourishment due to the sugar content. Proving that once again, apple cider vinegar has a large array of uses. 

This is great news, but can you make homemade mosquito spray from vinegar and can it actually kill mosquitoes?

Does Vinegar Kill Mosquitoes?

When it comes to adult mosquitoes, the same process that works with flies is also what you can expect when using vinegar to kill mosquitoes. The vinegar repels mosquitoes and does not necessarily kill the insects based on the chemical structure within the substance. 

Although it will require a more potent substance to effectively kill adult mosquitoes, vinegar is effective at killing mosquitoes when the insects are in the larvae stage.

Since mosquito larvae must be submerged in water to thrive, adding vinegar to bodies of water with active larvae is one way to kill the insects before they are able to evolve into adult mosquitoes. 

Apple cider vinegar has the highest rate of acidity, which you can add directly to larvae-infested water. Simply pour enough apple cider vinegar into the water to ensure an adequate kill rate, which is roughly 20% of an entire bottle. 

Even though vinegar is not outright effective at killing adult mosquitoes, this method will ensure that you are one step ahead of the mosquito reproductive life cycle. 

Adding vinegar to a spray bottle in a half and half mixture with water is also a great way to keep mosquitoes from landing on your skin. This method also works well when sprayed directly on foliage and crops within a garden to keep mosquitoes away. 

A homemade bug killer vinegar for pest control is easy to make and is a great alternative to contact spray insecticides. 

How to Make Vinegar Homemade Bug Spray

Follow these steps to make your very own homemade mosquito repellent:

1. Purchase a vinegar that contains a strong potency. Apple cider vinegar is one of the strongest types of vinegar available, especially concentrations containing the “mother”, such as Bragg Organic Raw Apple Cider Vinegar. This type of vinegar is also well-tolerated on skin and foliage.

2. Mix spray bottle with half and half dilution. Always aim to fill a bottle with 50% water and 50% vinegar. This will ensure that the vinegar has a mixing agent to bind to and decrease some of the powerful potency of the vinegar. It does not take much for vinegar to be effective. 

3. Optionally Add Lemon Juice or Rubbing Alcohol. Although this is completely optional, both lemon juice and isopropyl alcohol will take the repellent and killing properties to a much higher concentration. Be careful using rubbing alcohol around fire. 

And that is it, easy and quick homemade bug killer vinegar extract. 

Wrapping Up Vinegar Used In Homemade Bug Spray

Since pests are problematic both inside and out, consider using a natural product for either area keep your home pest-free.

Vinegar works very well at repelling a large variety of pests, rather it is within your home or in your garden. So, using vinegar as a viable homemade bug spray is certainly doable.