The Popular Scent That Can Keep Unwanted Pests Out Of Your Garage

Cinnamon is a beloved spice. Just a pinch of it can lure hundreds of airport travelers and mall walkers into buying foods with little nutritional value. However, the spicy oils in cinnamon can be an irritant to humans and other animals. That's why people use it as a natural pest control remedy. Making your home smell like cinnamon can invoke a comforting feeling. Wouldn't it be great if you could do the same for your garage — just leave a few cinnamon sticks around to keep unwanted pests out? 

Well, it's not that simple: a handful of cinnamon sticks won't do much to repel pests. Still, it's worth trying cinnamon oil to get rid of snakes, ants, mosquitoes, cockroaches, ticks, and other domestic nuisances. Cinnamon oil has many uses — as a fungicide, herbicide, anti-microbial agent, and pesticide — but a Cornell University study emphasizes that the oil needs to be relatively highly concentrated to act as a bug repellent. Moreover, the study found that the oil needs to be sprayed as an airborne vapor. 

A 2014 study from the International Journal of Scientific and Research Publications found that to repel ants, the mixture needs to be sprayed directly on the pest. The U.S. Department of Agriculture recommends using the same direct spray method (preferably on the head) to control snakes, in order to disrupt their sense of smell, which they use to track prey. However, it won't work as a preventative method by simply spraying it on your garage surfaces ... and you probably don't want to have direct contact with the snakes. If you have snakes in your garage, contact a professional.

Don't be deterred by these limitations, however. You can still try a homemade cinnamon oil repellent to control pests in your garage. Before you start, however, wear gloves and avoid contact with the eyes, as cinnamon oil can be a skin and eye irritant. Keep pets away when spraying, as cinnamon oil may be toxic to pets, including any aquariums or water sources — it's a known fish anesthetic. If any of that cinnamon oil makes its way outside, the good news is that it's bee-friendly, and will only be toxic to these buzzing pollinators at 10 times the recommended concentration.

Making your repellent solution is simple. Cinnamon oil contains the same ingredient (eugenol) as clove oil, so the method is similar to using clove oil for pest control. Add ½ teaspoon of of cinnamon oil and 1 cup of water to a spray bottle. Shake well and spray directly on pests or around areas where they enter or hide in your garage. You will need to frequently reapply as its oils dissipate. If you can't smell a very strong scent of cinnamon, then reapply again as needed. 

Cinnamon oil should be a part of your comprehensive pest control strategy, while also removing any potential food sources and hiding places — and sealing any entry points into your garage. It's not a foolproof method, but at least your garage will smell better than leaking motor oil. Now, if only you could figure out why your garage is so cold.