Pelargonium Graveolens (Geranium) for Insect Bite Relief

Research suggests that Pelargonium graveolens essential oil demonstrates meaningful insect-repellent and insecticidal properties across a range of pest species, with laboratory and field studies supporting its activity against mosquitoes, ticks, and chiggers. Studies indicate repellent effects against Ixodes ricinus ticks at higher concentrations, larvicidal activity against Culex mosquito species, and notable protection times against biting mosquitoes in both skin application and commercial formulation tests, with one field evaluation of a geranium-containing commercial product reporting approximately 163 minutes of protection. The evidence base consists predominantly of laboratory bioassays and small field evaluations rather than large randomized controlled trials, and findings are not uniformly strong — one randomized controlled trial found a geranium-containing commercial blend provided only 48% protection against mosquitoes, among the lowest of the products tested, and one study noted relatively weaker larvicidal performance compared to other essential oils. Overall, the research is directionally supportive but largely preliminary, and the effectiveness of geranium oil in practical settings appears to depend substantially on concentration, formulation, and the target insect species involved.