Can You Use Coffee Grounds to Get Rid of Mosquitoes?

Did you know that coffee grounds can be used to repel mosquitoes effectively? 

Here, we will go over some effective and safe ways to use coffee grounds for mosquito control!

Nobody wants to be hounded by mosquitoes as they sit by a campfire or relax out back on a beautiful June evening. However, many people are unaware that they already possess a natural, safe, and effective mosquito repellent in their kitchen! 

Coffee grounds can be used as a natural mosquito repellent to help fight off these intrusive, bloodsucking pests, and other unwelcome bugs in and around your home.

Not only do coffee grounds mask many of the scents that attract mosquitoes in the first place, but they make it harder for them to find a target, land, and bite you. Coffee can also be used to prevent mosquito larvae from maturing and the caffeine in coffee works as a natural insect repellent. 

Also, when you burn coffee grounds or spread them in certain ways in areas where you plan to spend time, it becomes challenging for mosquitoes to sort out where to land or to investigate a target in the first place.

However, there’s a whole lot more to the story and we want to cover it all! So below, we will go over everything you need to know about using coffee grounds as a mosquito repellent and to get rid of other insects as well! 

How do coffee grounds repel mosquitoes? 

While this method of pest control may sound like a safe and effective dream come true, you are probably wondering how it actually works. Let's explain why coffee grounds work as a mosquito repellent so that you can fully understand the process and implement it as creatively as possible. 

Coffee Grounds for Getting Rid of Bugs: How it Works

Coffee grounds can be used to repel insects in a couple of ways. Have you ever noticed that certain natural scents, like the ones found in citronella candles and lemongrass, are commonly used for mosquito control? Coffee grounds work in a similar way. However, while citronella oils or lemongrass aren't regular household ingredients, coffee grounds often are. All of these substances have strong smells which make it more difficult for mosquitoes to pick up and target scents in the air. But that’s not all!

Many Insects Can Not Tolerate Caffeine

Have you ever wondered why certain plants (like the coffee plant) produce caffeine in the first place? It's because it naturally repels insects. In fact, caffeine is a popular pest repellent used by many professional insect control services. 

Caffeine works surprisingly well as a natural pesticide and can cause many pestilent insects to have issues with their nervous systems when they ingest it. Not all insect species are repelled or killed by caffeine, but many of them are impacted significantly. Mosquito larvae exposed to caffeine lose the ability to swim. This means that you can dump coffee grounds in pools of standing water to keep mosquito larvae from hatching.

What other insects are deterred or repelled by coffee grounds? 

Apart from mosquitoes, slugs, snails, and ants are repelled by coffee grounds. Indeed, many insects are not interested in or repelled by the scent of coffee. The caffeine may also help deter certain bugs and garden pests. This is why many seasoned gardeners use coffee grounds mixed in with their soil to keep garden pests at bay. 

What type of coffee grounds should be used for mosquito control? 

The good news is that you don't need to have any special kind of coffee grounds to use for mosquito control. Pretty much any brand will work! 

Unflavored coffee is a good option but vanilla coffee grounds can work as well since vanilla is also a natural mosquito repellent. To enjoy delicious vanilla-flavored coffee, follow this link. Then, after you're done brewing coffee and drinking your coffee, save those used grounds for mosquito-repelling purposes! 

How to use coffee grounds to get rid of mosquitoes?

There are many great ways to use coffee grounds to repel mosquitoes and other insects. The most popular method is to spread the scent of coffee around any area where you plan to spend time in the evening. 

Burning Coffee Grounds

For example, if you will be enjoying the sunset on your back porch and don't want a bunch of mosquitoes bothering you, you can burn coffee grounds using the method in this video link. If you don't have time to watch the entire video, We will give you a quick breakdown. Basically, the goal is to dry out your used coffee grounds and then burn them to make a sort of anti-mosquito incense. 

You can spread the dried grounds on a foil plate or old pie tin. Then, you add a little bit of lighter fluid to the coffee grounds. Light them with a lighter or match until they catch fire, count to five, gently blow out any flames, and let them smolder. The smoke of your coffee ground incense and its scent will keep mosquitoes away. 

It is best to place your smoldering coffee ground pie tin a little bit away from where you will be hanging out so that the smoke doesn't bother you or your guests. Just keep it close enough to your deck or porch to keep mosquitoes away. This method can also help keep mosquitoes away from your home’s entry points and anywhere people will be spending time. 

Making a Coffee Vanilla Mosquito Spray

You can also make natural DIY bug sprays with coffee grounds and other ingredients that are safe to use around pets and kids. Get a small spray bottle and fill it 80% up with water. Then, add about two tablespoons of coffee grounds and two tablespoons of cheap vanilla extract. This works as a natural mosquito repellent since your body odor will be masked by the vanilla, and mosquitoes hate the scent of coffee. 

Using Coffee Grounds in the Soil to Deter Bugs in the Garden

Gardeners know that coffee grounds can be great for their plants and also keep insects away. Simply spread used grounds around in the dirt, particularly, in areas where mosquitoes gather and bother you as you garden. This can create a repellent barrier for slugs, snails, and ants, as well. 

Coffee Grounds for Mosquitoes: Final Thoughts

As you can see, coffee grounds can be great for keeping pesky pests from bothering you in the summer! You can burn coffee grounds, add them to DIY mosquito sprays, or mix them with soil in the garden to deter other pests. Plus, the caffeine in coffee may act as another natural insect deterrent. That way, insects like mosquitoes will be repelled, and thus, stop troubling your tranquil evenings out under the cabana. 

Before you can use coffee grounds to deter insects, you'll need some delicious coffee! We highly recommend this vast selection of organic coffees. Click the link to start shopping!