TikToker Uses Pine-Sol Hack To Deter Mosquitoes, But Is It Effective?

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When mosquitoes threaten your yard, looking for a DIY repellent is an understandable impulse. One hack featured on TikTok uses Pine-Sol to keep mosquitoes away. While this trick may have some short-term benefit, other methods are more effective since Pine-Sol is missing the proven repellent: pine oil. For better mosquito deterrence, replicate this hack with a cleaner that includes pine oil and eliminate standing water in your yard.

TikTokers have shared that using a diluted solution of water and Pine-Sol was effective in keeping mosquitoes from patios and decks. Some people put the solution in a spray bottle. Others mopped with the mixture. Some say the method works, while others warn that it quickly wears off. This limited effectiveness may be because the smell or even the taste of the cleaning solution keeps bugs away while they can sense it.

Use caution with this hack if you have pets. Wait until the area dries before letting them outside. Although the formula doesn't contain the pine oil that made the original cleaner dangerous to animals (especially cats), it's still important to make sure your furry friends don't ingest it or get it on their paws. Also, keep in mind that all methods have limitations when combating mosquitoes. It makes sense to reduce their numbers before hosting an event in your yard, but it's also okay to keep mosquito control efforts minimal, since they may be more valuable than you think, benefiting plants and birds in the local ecosystem.

It's the "pine" in the name Pine-Sol that gives people the idea that it deters mosquitoes. Scientific research has shown that pine oil kills and repels several mosquito species. But the name is misleading. Since Clorox removed that ingredient from the formula in 2013, the Pine-Sol found in stores today doesn't contain pine oil. Instead, it uses citric acid as its active ingredient.

To get the benefits of pine oil, which scientists at the USDA Agricultural Research Service have found to be better than the widely-used compound DEET at preventing mosquito bites, you can replicate the hack with oil-containing cleaners like King Pine. You can also purchase the essential oil, dilute it, and apply it to your skin when you're outside. This has also been shown to work with lemon eucalyptus oil. Another little-known essential oil trick to naturally repel mosquitoes involves applying a spray made with sandalwood, witch hazel, and distilled water.

Even though citric acid doesn't have the same repelling power as pine, if all you have is Pine-Sol or you're just curious, you may still get some benefit from the cleaner. Throughout the years, people have used citrus to repel insects. Research shows that phytochemicals in citrus have some degree of effectiveness in driving mosquitoes away, potentially because of how the smell changes the insects' behavior. Anecdotal evidence has also shown the cleaner can kill individual mosquitoes when they encounter it. But research indicates the citrus-based solutions lose effectiveness after several hours.

Instead of taking a chance on the Pine-Sol deterrence hack to get rid of mosquitoes in your yard, you can try a variety of more reliable strategies, like eliminating stagnant water and using compounds that have been proven effective. It's important to clean storm drains and other places where water can pool, or treat the water with Bacillus thuringiensis israelensis, a type of natural bacterium that destroys mosquito larvae while being safe for people and pets. You can find this ingredient in products like Mosquito Summit Dunks, which are granules you can drop into the water. However, the most effective measures against standing water are quite simple. Keep the water in your birdbaths or water features fresh, maintain your gutters, and dump water out of any containers, toys, or tires in the yard after rainstorms. Your rainwater collection barrels should be covered with a screen.

If you are having a gathering, you can apply an insecticide that targets adult mosquitoes, usually in the form of a spray or fog, a day before the event or in the morning if you're planning to be outside at night. It's also smart to have repellents on hand so you and your guests can wear them. The proven formulas contain DEET and Picaridin.