The season of mosquitoes is upon us and everyone is looking for natural and effective ways to keep them away. Planting mosquito repelling plants in your yard or around your house is a popular option, but what plants actually repel them? That’s what we are about to find out, with the help of Advantage Pest Services, which does pest control in Madison, MS.
Mosquito repelling plants are popular because they don’t require a lot of upkeep, plus they are extremely cost effective. There are plenty of herbs and other plants that mosquitoes hate to be around, and those are the best ones to use. Citronella, peppermint, and lavender are just a few plants that keep them away. We will go into more detail in this article.
Benefits of Mosquito Repelling Plants
Adding certain plants to your garden or around your house can be extremely beneficial, not only for you but also for your pets and children. Here’s a look at some of the benefits you are getting by planting mosquito repelling plants around your home.
- It saves money. Instead of continuously spending money on bug sprays and pesticides, you can buy a plant that will go a lot further for a lot less money.
- Repels naturally. You don’t have to worry about you or your family breathing or ingesting chemical bug sprays.
- Works in multiple ways. Some plants repel more insects than just mosquitoes. Get rid of all your flying pests like flies, gnats, etc.
- No mess. When you spray bug spray, you must clean it up or risk your children or pets getting into it. With plants, you don’t have to worry about cleaning up the aftermath.
- Adds color to your garden or wherever you choose to put your plants.
As you can see, there are plenty of reasons to go natural rather than using chemicals for these pesky insects.
Top 10 Mosquito Repelling Plants
There are so many plants that repel mosquitoes, but I have narrowed it down to the top 10 best plants to use to make it a little easier to decide which one you want to plant.
- Pitcher plant: This plant doesn’t actually repel mosquitoes or any bugs for that matter. Instead, it attracts them and eats them. This plant is great for indoors since they only eat a certain number of bugs per week.
- Rosemary: An awesome herb for seasoning food and great at repelling mosquitoes. The plant must be damaged to repel them, so it is best to pull up a few sprigs and lay close to where you will be outside or even close to your bed if you have them in your house.
- Lavender: One of my favorites! Not only for its beautiful appearance, full of color, but also because while looking pretty, it also keeps the mosquitoes away. Thankfully, mosquitoes find the deeply sweet scent off-putting and therefore stay away from it at all costs. If you are looking for a personal repellent, try putting a few drops of lavender essential oil on your wrist or neck to keep them away. Lavender contains 25% linalool. Linalool was found to work as well as DEET at repelling mosquitoes, according to one study.
- Marigolds: Another colorful addition to your garden. This plant, arguably one of the most beautiful flowers out there, also has a use not too many are aware of. It repels those pesky blood suckers. They contain pyrethrum, which is a compound that is commonly used to repel mosquitoes.
- Peppermint: The peppermint plant has been used for centuries for the purpose of repelling insects, including mosquitoes. According to a study, it is effective on more than one species, plus it is pretty and smells fresh.
- Citronella: This is one of the first plants that comes to mind since we use citronella candles and oil to keep mosquitoes away anyway. Why not use the plant that the smell originated from? According to one study, the citronella plant inhibits the mosquitoes’ growth wherever they are planted and also prevent the incidence of mosquito-borne illnesses.
- Geranium: This plant has a lemony scent that is similar to citronella grass, which could be why mosquitoes steer clear of it. Either way, it is a great addition to your yard and house.
- Garlic: Not only can you eat garlic to keep these pests from biting you, you can also plant it outside of your house for a similar effect.
- Basil: An extremely potent mosquito repelling plant. It actually has four components that work to repel them: estragole, citronellal, limonene, and nerolidol.
- Lemon Eucalyptus: One of the best plants out there at repelling mosquitoes. In fact, the CDC has confirmed that it works as well as the chemical DEET does when used properly. This is great news, since DEET is harmful to breathe in. Plant a few of these around the outside of your home as well as inside if you want, and always keep a bottle of lemon eucalyptus essential oil in the summer. It will come in handy! This plant is comprised of 85% citronella, which mosquitoes hate.
Which Plant Should You Choose?
Seeing as none of the plants mentioned are harmful to humans or animals, you can choose whichever one you’d like.
If you want to add a little color to your yard while also repelling mosquitoes and other pests, you should plant lavender and/or marigolds. If you are looking for the strongest and most effective plant, you may want to plant basil or lemon eucalyptus. And finally, if you can’t come to a decision, buy a variety of mosquito repelling plants. You can’t go wrong there. Good luck!