Are Citrus Peels the Natural Pest Repellent Your Garden Needs?

Can you put citrus peels in your garden to keep bugs away? This viral gardening hack has been making the rounds online, so we checked in with a pest expert for the truth. Before you go putting orange peels around your tomatoes and tossing lemon rind in your houseplant containers, here’s what you need to know about the pros and cons of using citrus peels in your garden and potted plants.

Can Citrus Peels Keep Away Pests?

The short answer is no. “There’s not much scientific evidence that [citrus peels] repel insect pests,” says Gabrielle LaTora, an agricultural entomologist who serves as an Agriculture and Natural Resources agent for the University of Georgia Extension in Fulton County.

While the essential oils and extracts distilled from citrus peels are effective at repelling insects ranging from carpenter ants to cockroaches, these compounds only work when applied in high concentrations, much higher than what is present in the peel itself.

An orange peel has less than 1.2% of the compound limonene, which does repel bugs, while essential oil is more than 90% limonene. “This means that your discarded orange peels are probably not potent enough to have much of a repellent effect,“ LaTora says.

But wait, you say. You can smell the citrus oils coming out of the peel when cut into an orange, lemon, or lime. Doesn’t it have some insect-fighting value?

“There is a brief window where the oils in the peels are evaporating and entering the air around the plants, but they are not concentrated enough to have much of a repellant effect. They just fade too fast and become so diluted in the air that they’re not going to deter insects,” LaTora says.

Do Citrus Peels Have Any Garden Value?

Like any food scraps or other organic material, citrus peels add nitrogen and other nutrients to the soil that benefit your plants’ health, LaTora says. “The key is that citrus peels should be balanced with other materials and fully composted before adding them to the garden to get the most benefits,” she says.

Got that? Run citrus peels through your compost bin instead of putting them directly into your garden.

“Adding organic matter in the form of compost does a ton of amazing stuff in the garden,” LaTora says. “It improves soil tilth and structure, improves the water-holding capacity and drainage of the soil, and provides a low level of nutrients in a slow-release form.”

Can Citrus Peels Harm Your Garden?

If you toss the citrus peels in your garden, they’ll sit on top of the soil for a while. Their low moisture content and waxy skin mean they take a long time to break down and mix into the soil, LaTora says. But if you don’t mind the look of citrus peels strewn around your yard, then it’s not causing a problem.

Putting citrus peels directly into your garden also may attract wildlife, rodents, and other animals you may not want, LaTora says. “However, you’re not hurting anyone by putting orange peels in your garden. If you want to, and you don’t mind the risk of attracting wildlife, go for it!”

Better Ways to Repel Pests Naturally

Okay, so keeping pests out of your garden isn’t quite as simple as leaving a few citrus peels around. But there are several other simple and natural ways to reduce pests that are more effective.

Follow Good Garden Practices

Rotating crops in a vegetable garden, planting trap crops, and breaking up insect life cycles by planting cover crops are good ways to prevent pest infestations. “You can even cover your plants with fine mesh during periods when they’re susceptible to insects,” LaToya says. “We can also boost biodiversity by growing lots of different types of plants and flowers in an area. This helps support predator and parasitoid insects that feed on our pests and keep their populations in check.”

Use Essential Citrus Oils to Fight Insects

“Commercially made products containing citrus oil or extracts are formulated to be effective and safe to use,” LaTora says. The extracts and oils are derived commercially from citrus peels—limonene, pinene, and terpinene—and repel carpenter ants, cowpea weevils, lesser grain borers, German cockroaches, and other insects.

Use Organic Insecticides

Bt, insecticidal soap, and neem oil are derived from natural materials and can be used on specific pests. Different pests will respond to different types of insecticides, “You always want to identify the pest before applying an insecticide so you’re not wasting your time and money and putting insecticides into the environment for no reason,” LaTora says. “Even organic insecticides can be dangerous if used incorrectly, so they should be used with caution. With any insecticide, always read and follow all label instructions.”