There are plenty of reasons to love plants, but did you know that some plants can help keep mosquitoes away? If you’re looking for a natural way to prevent mosquitoes from taking over your yard or patio, consider planting strongly scented plants that are mosquito-repellant.
10 Mosquito Repellent Plants
There are a few things that you can do to prevent mosquitoes from becoming a problem in your home. One is to make sure that you have plenty of insects repelling plants. Some common garden plants that are effective mosquito repellent plants include:
Citronella Geranium
Citronella plant is one of the best mosquito repellent plants. It can be grown in pots for citronella oil, or on the ground, and its strong scent will help keep mosquitoes away.
Lavender plant
Another plant that emits a strong, pleasing scent, lavender is also great at repelling mosquitoes. It can be grown in pots or on the ground, and it has pretty flowers making it a nice addition to any garden.
Penny Royal
This plant is a great mosquito repellent, and it can also be used to make a homemade insecticide. It should be used with caution, however, as it can be toxic if ingested in large quantities.
Rosemary
A common culinary herb, rosemary is also effective at repelling mosquitoes. It can be grown in pots or on the ground, and its strong scent will help keep mosquitoes away.
Sage
Sage is another common herb that is great at repelling mosquitoes. It can be grown in pots or on the ground, and its strong scent will help keep mosquitoes away.
Lemongrass
Lemon grass is another plant with a powerful citrus scent. Lemongrass oil is often used in natural mosquito repellents. This grassy plant grows best in warm climates, but you can also grow it in a pot and bring it indoors during the colder months.
Basil
Basil is another fragrant herb that repels mosquitoes naturally. Basil oil is often used in natural mosquito repellents. This herb grows best in warm weather, so if you live in a cooler climate, you may want to grow basil in a pot that you can bring indoors during the winter months.
Garlic
Garlic is a fragrant herb that’s not only good for cooking, but also for deterring mosquitoes. The strong scent of garlic helps to keep mosquitoes away. You can grow garlic in your garden or keep a potted plant on your patio or deck.
Catnip
Catnip is a plant that’s beloved by cats, but mosquitoes hate it. Catnip contains an ingredient called nepetalactone that repels mosquitoes. You can grow catnip in your garden or keep a potted plant on your patio or deck.
Marigolds
Marigold flowers are beautiful and also happen to be great at repelling mosquitoes. The strong scent of marigolds helps to keep mosquitoes away. You can grow marigolds in your garden or keep potted plants on your patio or deck.
Other mosquito-repelling plants:
- Mint plants & mint family
- Lemon balm
Important Tips
- Crushing the leaves of these plants and applying their oils topically onto your skin can boost their anti-mosquito properties. Plus, imagine how nice you’ll smell! (except the garlic)
- Get rid of any stagnant water in your yard to prevent mosquito breeding. Anything that can retain even a smidgeon of rain or sprinkler water needs to be removed or flipped over.
Ways To Keep Mosquitoes Away
Keep Door And Porch Lights Off
Mosquitoes are attracted to veranda and door lights, and they can quickly enter the house when the door opens. To avoid attracting them, turn off or dim the lights, or replace white lights with yellow lights.
Essential Oils And Burning Candles
Mosquitoes are attracted to the scents of burning candles and many essential oils, so using these scents to keep them out of your home is a good idea.
Get Mosquito Nets
Mosquito nets are an old but effective mosquito control method. Mosquito netting can be used to keep mosquitoes away from your bed.
Mosquito Repellent Spray with Essential Oils
This mosquito repellent blends the most powerful mosquito repelling essential oils to create a spray that lasts up to 8 hours.
Conclusion
These are just a few of the many plants that can be used to prevent mosquitoes from becoming a problem in your home. By growing these plants around your home, you can enjoy the outdoors without having to worry about being bitten by mosquitoes.