Stop Tossing Out Orange Peels & Try A Patio Pest Control Hack Instead

Nobody wants to have pests bothering you every time you step out onto the patio. If this is happening, you may considering using a commercial pest control product or hiring a professional. Those options can work, but many pest control experts recommend natural ingredients to deter pests before resorting to those options. A solution that Orkin and other pest control companies often suggest is placing orange peels on your patio. Certain pests hate the scent of citrus and will avoid it. Orange peels contain natural tannins that bugs dislike, so tossing them onto your patio may be a humane pest control option.

When testing a liquid spray, a 2001 study by Bioresource Technology found that sweet orange (Citrus sinensis) extract was effective against a variety of insects, including Aedes aegypti mosquitoes. According to a 2023 study in the International Journal for Multidisciplinary Research, orange peels that were dried and ground into a powder worked well as part of a mosquito-repellent incense when added to ingredients such as charcoal, turmeric, camphor, and essential oils. A 2023 study in the International Journal of Mosquito Research found that, when compared to other citrus peel extracts, sweet orange had the highest repellent effect against the C. tritaeniorhynchus mosquito.

These studies related to orange and citrus extracts, rather than orange peels specifically, or combined crushed orange peels with other ingredients. While the peels may help keep flies away from your patio as well as aphids, ants, beetles, and cockroaches, there isn't yet clear proof of their effectiveness. With that being said, it's worth trying — especially if you have oranges around your home anyway. Use the power of oranges with other methods rather than just placing the citrus peels outside to potentially increase the effectiveness of this pest control hack.

If you want to take the leap and see if this often-discarded ingredient works for you, the simplest way to use orange peels is to set some in various spots around your patio. While you can place whole orange peels, they may be more effective if you cut them up. Consider chopping them or grinding them into smaller pieces and spreading them around. This will allow you to cover more ground and give your patio the best chance of staying pest-free. Remember that the fresher the orange, the more effective it may be — if you're located in the right climate for it, you may even want to learn how to grow oranges yourself. Also, remember to remove orange peels and add new orange pieces once they dry out.

Another way to make use of orange peels is to create a spray. To do this, you'll need to boil a cup of water and several submerged orange peels for about 10 minutes. Then, add the liquid to a spray bottle. Spraying the solution around the patio every few days may help deter pests. Finally, consider applying orange peels directly to the skin. Simply rubbing the orange peels on your skin may repel them as well. This will cause them to have a harder time recognizing the lactic acids in your skin that attract them. But if all else fails, consider purchasing a highly rated natural insecticide made from orange peel extract, like Orange Guard.