Does Cedar Repel Bugs? Yes! Here’s How to Use It

Cedar has been used for many years as an easy and reliable way to repel insects. Most experts believe that it is something in the oil that bugs and other pests don’t like. It has a strong smell, which may work to keep them away. Fortunately for us, most people enjoy the smell of cedar. Even those who don’t love it prefer that scent to the presence of unwanted insects around their home and in their closets.

If you want to use cedar to keep your space bug-free, there are a few easy ways to implement this natural bug-repellent. Some are more involved than others but even the least DIY-inclined person can find a way to add cedar to their home to keep insects away.

Use Cedar Sachets

One of the easiest and most cost-effective ways to use cedar in your home is by adding a sachet to a drawer or closet. These small bags can contain large or small cedar shavings. The smell of the wood inside the bag permeates the space without being overwhelming to people. Sachets can also be portable, making them a good option to take with you if you want to make sure that your things are protected from insects while traveling.

Because they are small and thin, the cedarwood shavings inside will dry out and become less effective over time. You may need to replace them or get an entirely new sachet. One option to prolong the life of the sachet is to put a few drops of cedar essential oil inside. This has the same effect and is absorbed into the shavings.

You can buy ready-made sachets or make your own. All you need are a few cedarwood shavings and some breathable fabric. If you want to boost the scent, add some dried lavender to the shavings in a bowl. You can also use cedar or lavender essential oils to make the effect even stronger. Mix it all together and spoon just enough into a muslin bag and close it. If you can find small drawstring muslin bags, those are often the best option. You can customize the amount of wood shavings inside and swap them out when they start to become less fragrant.

Hang Clothing on Cedar Hangars

Using cedar to hang your clothing has two main benefits. First, it keeps insects away from your clothing. Soft things like cloth can be very attractive to bugs, especially termites, moths, and ants. These pests are common irritants that can get inside and wreak havoc. Having cedar close to your clothing will keep them away. Second, hangars are typically used in closets. These spaces are small and enclosed, making the cedar even more effective. Have you ever opened a closet with cedar hangars and experienced the strong smell of cedar hitting your nose? While pleasant to most people, it’s downright awful to insects.

If the smell is too much, you can just choose to put specific items on cedar hangars and use others for the rest of your clothing. Fortunately, the repelling effect still gets to the rest of the space and doesn’t take much for a closet. Using a hanging block can be a good option. Cedar balls are another option that is readily available. These can be tucked into pockets or shoes.

Use a Chest or Trunk

A cedar chest has similar benefits to cedar hangars in that it provides a repellent that can be set up close to items like linens and clothing. But a cedar chest can also store other things that you want to protect from insects or just general dust and wear. It is a convenient way to keep things together that you want to store while also repelling pests. The physical barrier of the chest or trunk can also deter insects from getting inside.

Cedar chests tend to be a bigger investment than some other small options, such as sachets or hangars. If you already have a chest or trunk that you want to make less insect-friendly, consider lining it with cedar planks or blocks. These can be fitted to the chest or tucked inside among your treasures.

Build New Projects

If you’re trying to get really serious about keeping the bugs at bay, building with cedarwood can have some benefits. This is a big investment and most homeowners choose cedar for a number of reasons, not just their ability as an insect repellent. Because termites can cause such big problems for homeowners, cedar is often a go-to choice when termites are an issue. You can use cedar for framing, but it is quite expensive. Many projects and builders recommend using less expensive treated wood for framing that has many of the same properties and keeping the expensive cedar for the areas that will be seen and enjoyed.

It is a particularly strong wood, which many people like for its longevity and durability. Cedar also has a distinct look. If you are getting ready to build a home or an addition, cedar can be a great option for a variety of reasons, including the way that it deters insects.

Challenges with Using Cedar

Bugs may not like the cedar smell but it probably won’t bother them when in a large space. Cedar tends to be most effective in smaller, confined areas like closets or trunks. As the space gets bigger, the cedar gets less potent. So you’ll need to keep the cedar to small spaces to really have an impact against potential pests. This is one reason that cedar is used in closets and trunks.

Cedar can also come in a spray, although you should be careful not to spray this directly onto surfaces. The tricky part with spray is that the oil from the wood has to be present in order for it to be effective. But you likely don’t want to spray oil directly on your clothing or linens.

One of the biggest drawbacks of using cedar is that it is expensive compared to other woods, especially when used in large quantities. This is one reason that projects are often limited to specific spaces, such as decks, or portable items like cedar-lined trunks. Sachets and blocks are budget-friendly ways to use cedar.

What Kind of Bugs Don’t Like Cedar?

Cedar can keep many bugs away but it seems to have the strongest impact on termites, mosquitos, moths, some beetles, ants, and cockroaches. Fortunately, those are the same pests that many homeowners don’t want in their homes. That’s one reason that cedar is such a great option that many people try. After all, why wouldn’t you give it a shot if it means getting rid of cockroaches or termites?

The main reason behind the insects’ boycott of cedar is that it contains thujone. This chemical is also found in other plants, including some varieties of cypress, juniper, sage, oregano, tansy, and wormwood. It is this last plant that is used to make absinthe, which is known for its high levels of thujone. However, more recent studies showed that the levels weren’t as high as some people believed. Regulations today require that all foods and beverages sold legally have to be free of thujone.

The combination of the toxic thujone and the smell of the cedar make it a really unpleasant environment for insects. The main exception to this is certain species of carpenter bees. Cedar is soft enough that they can easily bore into the surface, which they love. They aren’t attracted to cedar specifically but do look for wood that they can get into. Cedar just happens to suit their needs.

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