Most people love the summer sun, but nobody’s thrilled when mosquito season ramps up. The CDC estimates about 200 mosquito species live in the USA, some of which carry harmful diseases. Once the daily heat increases, mosquitos will make their presence felt in more states with itch-inducing bites. 

Since mosquitos are so annoying and potentially dangerous, it makes sense for people to practice pest prevention. While many people have heard of repellants like DEET and citronella, they may be surprised to see CBD appear in a few mosquito-blocking products. Does this mean hemp extract has unique benefits against pests, or is this just a marketing gimmick? 

Is CBD Oil a Suitable Mosquito Repellant?  

There’s no evidence that CBD oil will ward off bugs like mosquitos. However, many people in the cannabis community believe this plant has special pest-resistant qualities. Indeed, many botanists theorize that cannabis evolved unique terpenes and cannabinoids to ward off insects and pests. So, in its natural state, hemp may naturally deter a few pests. 

Just keep in mind that terpenes aren’t unique to the cannabis plant. Other fruits, spices, and herbs have the same terpenes found in hemp strains. Interestingly, some cannabis strains have the terpene citronellol, which is found in the well-known pest deterrent citronella.  

Therefore, it’s most likely CBD oil would have some effect on repelling bugs if it’s in a full-spectrum form. The more terpenes are present in a CBD extract, the greater odds it will deter bugs. However, it doesn’t appear hemp is strong enough on its own to fend off mosquitos. Customers shouldn’t use CBD oils instead of professional mosquito repellent products. 

So, Why Do Companies Add CBD To Mosquito Repellants?

Since CBD doesn’t appear to be helpful as a pest repellant, you may wonder why companies would even bother including hemp in their sprays or lotions. Even though CBD has minimal effect on repelling mosquitos, please remember it has significant anti-inflammatory properties. Multiple studies show CBD topicals can reduce skin redness, itchiness, and swelling. 

Since mosquito bites cause annoying skin issues, CBD can help decrease uncomfortable inflammatory reactions. In this way, CBD may act as a complementary therapy with approved mosquito repellants like citronella or DEET. 

Find Skin Soothing CBD Lotions on Real Tested CBD

A pure CBD mosquito repellant may be a fantasy, but that doesn’t mean hemp extract doesn’t have a place in pest control. CBD may provide moisturizing and anti-inflammatory effects when added to other known pest repellants. CBD lotions may also help reduce a mosquito bite’s intense itchiness and swelling. 

If people are interested in using CBD creams for red or itchy skin, they must read through the CBD topical reviews on Real Tested CBD. Our team of researchers pays careful attention to third-party lab results when evaluating hemp CBD brands. You can trust that all the ratings on our CBD lotions page are unbiased and scientifically verified.

Dr. Igor Bussel, M.D., M.S., M.H.A

Dr. Igor Bussel, M.D., M.S., M.H.A is a clinician-scientist and ophthalmic surgeon. Before attending Chicago Medical School, he worked as a Research Scientist in a Healthspan Pharmacology Laboratory at University of California, Irvine focused on investigating the impact of botanical extracts and dietary supplements that can slow the aging process and add healthy years to human life.