Cedarwood oil affects octopamine which is essential to life for pheromone-driven pests like fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, flies, and hundreds of other insect and arachnid pests. Octopamine is responsible for regulating heart rate, movement, and behavior in pests. Cedarwood oil blocks their octopamine neurotransmitter receptors, causing pests to be repelled from the area. When sprayed directly, pests will suffocate and die.
When used as directed, cedarwood oil is safe for mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and beneficial insects because they do not utilize octopamine neurotransmitters in the same way that pheromone-driven pests do.