My idea for organic bug repellent

[Cowboy303]

I had an idea about making my own organic bug repellent...
If you were to take cedar wood shavings and boil it in water, and then strain the water, and then put it on your plants, do you think that would keep the bugs away? Has anyone tried this before? Did it work? Thanks in advance for your help!

[rainbowgardener]

Seems like it should work, though I haven't tried it. I had heard that cedar could be toxic to plants, be a growth preventer like the juglone exuded by black walnut trees. But I went looking and I couldn't find anything to support that. I did find this advertised:

CedarCide YardSafe Lawn & Garden Spray

CedarCide YardSafe is a ready to use spray that attaches to your garden hose for easy application. This is a chemical free, non toxic spray that repels mosquitoes, gnats, flies and other outdoor pests and is safe to use on lawns, shrubs, flowers, patio, gardens (even vegetable gardens.) Active Ingredients: 13% Cedar Oil.
CedarCide YardSafe is a chemical free solution that is safe for children & pets.
https://www.pestproducts.com/chemical_free_repellents.htm

It's an advertisement so take it with a grain or three of salt, but it does seem like people are using cedar essence that way.

[Tilde]

That's the site I found looking to see if cedar shavings as mulch might be a better option in my bitty garden ... hrm!

Cedarcide, I mean. Not only that, I think a local distributor was wandering a local fair I attended recently and gave me a pamphlet (he was touting its use for headlice).

[bg]

My brother in law suggested this to me a while back, saying his family used to do that (the homemade method) to get rid of ants iirc. I haven't tried it yet, but I did buy and use cedar mulch (not shavings) for my garden. I still have plenty of bugs going around my garden, under the soil, ants and aphids etc.

I'm finding small birds have been the most annoying, aside from the aphids.