The warm weather invites fantastic backyard barbecues, fun-filled beach days, and one of the most feared insects: the mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are quite annoying, and aside from that, they are associated with some health risks.
Mosquitoes are drawn to several pleasant aromas that are given off by humans. These annoying bugs enjoy the smell of carbon dioxide that we give off when we breathe and also the compounds that are secreted when we sweat. Mosquitoes also like warm bodies, and since humans are warm-blooded, they make the ideal choice for feeding, mainly when the weather is warm.
Certainly, you can make use of some insecticides in fighting these pesky bugs, but the chemical constituents of these insecticides are quite harmful to your health and that of your entire family. Insecticides are likewise detrimental to the eco-system because when sprayed, they find a way of diffusing into the air. For the best natural and harmless option, you can consider making use of some mosquito repellant plants to fight these mosquitoes in and within your house.
Some anti-mosquito plants are quite effective in repelling these stubborn bugs; these plants, which are listed below, such as lavender and mint gives off a scent that we find so soothing but are quite repulsive for these mosquitoes. If you don't want to make use of insecticides, which are quite detrimental to our health, you can opt for a more natural alternative in mosquito repellant plants. Mosquito repellant plants can repel these stubborn mosquitoes and ensure that you don't get bitten.
Mosquito repellant plants are quite functional if placed near the region where you want to repel mosquitoes. You can station these plants on places like your window, doors, walkways, dining areas, and seating areas. Some plants are quite effective when they are used on the skin, but you shouldn’t try this for all plants.
Some of these mosquito repellants are effective in pots and planters because this helps you transport the plant around your apartment. Also, other plants work best when grown in the garden because they help in repellant several types of insects; thus, these plants serve as a natural insecticide for your garden bed. Below are some examples of these mosquito repellant plants:
Basil
Basil comes with a sweet pesto sauce and tasty salads, but it is effective in keeping mosquitoes at bay. The basil gives off its aroma naturally, so you don't have to force its aroma out by crushing it or cooking it in any way. This plant is harmful to the larvae of mosquitoes, so you can place this plant close to stagnant water to stop mosquitoes from laying their eggs.
Basil comes in different varieties; therefore, you could go for that which you find very suitable. Also, several professional gardeners recommend the use of basil or cinnamon basil in repelling insects. Basil is also straightforward to grow; a beginner can grow this plant without any problem whatsoever.
Bee Balm
The bee balm is popularly referred to as wild bergamot and horsemint. This mosquito-repelling plant will attract so many pollinators to your gardens like hummingbirds, and other various pollinator agents. The bee balm plant is mainly utilized in jellies, teas, and it is also garnished and used as a sweet garnish for salads and other types of dishes.
Catnip
This mosquito repellant consists of the chemical called nepetalactone, which is known to be a potent mosquito repellent, including feline attractant. Nepetalactone and other chemicals present in this plant make it as effective than DEET, which is a constituent found in almost all insect repellants. This alone makes this plant the best pick amongst the extensive list of plants that are effective in repelling mosquitoes. Cats like this plant and they often love to play with it; they do this by rubbing their body against the plant, so ensure that this plant is kept far away from your cats. One thing you should know concerning this plant is that it is quite easy to care for and very invasive if harbored in a garden bed.
Citronella
The citronella plant can be seen in mosquito repellents and candles. The powerful scent that this plant gives off conceals the smell of various attractants (such as the smell of carbon dioxide). The Citronella plant is quite big and is mainly found in planters but can also be grown in gardens that have no frost. This plant is quite easy to maintain; this denotes that with this plant, you can repel mosquitoes with minute effort. There exist few variations of the citronella and other plants that share the same family with this plant, and these variations are citronella grass and citrosum.
Floss Flower
Here lies one of the best plants that repel mosquitoes. This flower consists of a chemical that is widely known as coumarin. Coumarin is a chemical substance that helps in repelling mosquitoes; this substance is often integrated into most mosquito repellants. Floss flower no doubt will be an excellent addition to your garden bed, or it can serve as an edging plant and still perform its duty of keeping the mosquitoes away. This flower comes in a variety of colors, some are blue, pink, white, and purple, and they can easily adore your bouquet with astounding beauty.
Garlic
The smell that comes with garlic tends to scare mosquitoes away. Eating garlic can fairly keep the mosquitoes at bay. Extracting the juice from the garlic either by squeezing it and then applying it direly on your skin can also ensure that these mosquitoes don't come close to you. Due to the pungent smell that comes with garlic, rubbing it on your skin can also make people stay away from you.
Lavender
The lavender plant is one of the best known natural mosquito protection. The excellent fragrance that comes with this plant can soothe your nerves and repel ravaging mosquitoes. Lavender isn't just a fantastic tea ingredient; it is an excellent natural insect protection that helps in repelling mosquitoes and various flying insects. The plant lavender consists of several varieties, and one may grow well in your climate area than another variety.
You can choose to grow this plant indoors, close to an opening, like a sunny window, or you can consider growing it outside in your garden or flower beds to safeguard your flowers.
Lemon Balm
This plant boasts of several health benefits. The lemon balm helps to mitigate stress, reduce stomach upset, etc. You should also note that this breed of plant grows aggressively and can completely occupy your garden bed if planted there. The lemon balm, which is an ornamental plant, is very delicious when used in making soups and various dishes. This plant also helps in repelling mosquitoes.
Here is a bonus: you can utilize the dry form of the lemon balm leaves in making herbal tea.
Lemongrass
Lemon verbena, which is the same as lemongrass, is a plant that boasts of an excess level of citral, which is an oil that is amongst the primary constituents of mosquito repellants. The lemongrass, which is an ornamental plant like the lemon balm, has a great taste when used to make certain soups. Because this grass is known to cause certain child defects, pregnant women and nursing mothers should stay away from them.
Marigold
The marigold plants are very common because they are used for vegetable gardens. Marigold, which is a yearly plant boasts of a powerful fragrance, and they taste good when used in making a salad, herb butter, or soup because of their delicate and citrusy taste. This plant consists of pyrethrum, which is a compound that is utilized in the making of several repellants and is, on a few occasions, regarded as 'the insecticide of nature."
This plant isn’t just effective in keeping mosquitoes at bay; they can also dissuade aphids, thrips, whiteflies, tomato hornworms, etc.
Hint: Partner this plant with tomatoes. Most insects hate this combo so much that they completely stay off your lovely tomatoes.
Peppermint
Peppermints are known to be very invasive. This plant can invade your garden if not properly monitored, but mind you, other plants in the mint family are more invasive than the peppermint. The oil derived from this plant is not only effective in keeping the mosquitoes at bay, but it can also help in relieving the itches that you feel on that area which mosquitoes have feasted on.
Bonus Tips regarding these mosquito repellants
- To make sure that your yard doesn't become a breeding place for mosquitoes, ensure you get rid of all stagnant water that may be present in your environment. Anything no matter how little that can store a minute quantity of rain should be turned over or discarded.
- To amplify the positive effect of these mosquito repellant plants, you can break their leaves and apply their oils on your skin. You can also smell nice by performing this single act, but don't try it with garlic.
