Do Coffee Grounds Actually Repel Mosquitoes? Pest Pros Explain the Household Hack

This natural mosquito repellant is going viral on social media—but does it actually work? A pest control pro weighs in on its effectiveness and warns when not to use it.

Pesky mosquitoes can quickly ruin a backyard summer gathering, but don’t reach for the bug spray just yet. Thankfully, there are many simple solutions to repel mosquitos, from setting up insect traps to stuffing your pockets with dryer sheets. One of the easiest and most popular methods—lighting citronella candles—also does a decent job of keeping the bugs at bay. But if you don’t have any citronella on hand, there’s something unexpected you can light instead—coffee grounds.

Burning coffee grounds as a way to repel mosquitoes is the latest trending household hack on social media—but does it work? We chatted with a pest expert to find out whether this hack actually works, and whether or not it’s worth trying.

Related: The Best Ways to Repel Mosquitoes from Your Yard

What Is the Coffee Ground Mosquito Hack?

Content creator Ken Long, known for sharing popular home hacks and tips, recently shared a video about using coffee grounds to get rid of mosquitoes on his Instagram and TikTok accounts. The combined videos currently have over 18 million views, which can likely be attributed to the fact that many viewers have never heard of this trick before.

Long starts by pouring coffee grounds into a small glass jar and setting them on fire, just like you would a candle. He notes that the grounds will burn for hours and, since mosquitos hate the smell of coffee, it will keep them away. It seems harmless enough to try out—but is it worth your time, or is it a waste of coffee? Becca Teller, head of customer experience at pest control company Pestie, breaks down the hack for us.

Related: 6 Things You Can Clean with Coffee Grounds

Does This Natural Mosquito Hack Work?

So, do coffee grounds actually repel mosquitoes? According to Teller, yes and no. “Some people may observe a decrease in mosquito activity when burning coffee grounds,” she says. “[But] some studies suggest that it’s actually the smoke, rather than the smell, that deters mosquitoes.”

So while burning coffee grounds certainly can repel those pesky insects, burning other things could work just as well. This notion aligns with some of the comments on the creator’s video, stating that the smell of anything burning, not just coffee, repels them.

If you do try it out, you might be wondering whether to use dry or used coffee grounds. In the video, Long doesn’t directly mention whether you should try the hack with fresh or already used coffee grounds, but he clearly opens a new, single-serve coffee pod before pouring the grounds into the jar. Some commenters wondered if grounds they’ve already used to brew a cup can be dried and then lit rather than wasting perfectly good coffee. Teller says she’s seen most people use unused ground-roasted coffee. If you’re testing it out, it’s probably best to stick to fresh grounds, which will light more easily than damp, used grounds leftover from your morning brew.

Related: Does a Citronella Plant Really Repel Mosquitoes? Here’s What Studies Say

Is This Hack Safe to Try at Home?

Teller says this method is generally safe to try in your own backyard, though she warns against using a glass container to hold your coffee grounds. When it gets too hot, glass can break, posing a fire risk. Glass candle jars stay intact despite the flame inside, thanks to their center wick, which keeps it far enough away from the glass. With this method, there’s nothing to keep the flame in the middle of the coffee grounds, so be sure to keep an eye on it. Or, use a more heat-resistant container, such as a clay pot, ceramic bowl, or disposable aluminum pan.

It’s also important to keep the following precautions in mind to avoid the risk of fire:

• Keep flames away from children and pets
• Never leave a flame unattended
• Keep flames away from flammable items
• Use a sturdy holder for burning materials

“While this solution might be the right for some households, it’s not one that will work for everyone,” Teller says. For example, if you have kids and pets running around in the backyard, it can be an accident waiting to happen. She advises that there are alternative ways to manage mosquitos, such as keeping the grass short, eliminating standing water sources (like kid’s pools, pet water bowls, and puddles), and applying a pest-control treatment such as Pestie.

Ultimately, depending on the region you live in and how affected you are by mosquitos, burning coffee grounds may not be a strong enough repellent, but it’s certainly worth trying.

Related: 6 Natural Ways to Keep Mosquitoes from Ruining the Party

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