8 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes Naturally

Warm weather is finally here and everyone is getting ready for several months of outdoor activities! But nothing can quite ruin the carefree fun of the outdoors like mosquitoes. These pests land on you as you’re trying to enjoy outdoor games with friends, prepare a barbecue meal, and when you’re just working on the lawn or in the garden. There’s nothing fun about swatting mosquitoes off your skin or dealing with the itchiness when one does bite you.

While most of our clients are commercial, we wanted to provide some practical pest control information for you to use at home. Believe it or not, it can be as simple as planting certain types of flowers and plants. Here are eight of the most helpful plants you may want to have at home to help repel mosquitoes naturally:

  • Basil: Not only is Basil a great tasting herb, but it’s also a great mosquito deterrent. Plant or keep basil anywhere in or around your home where you have a mosquito problem. While the garden is the most likely place for basil, it’s also an effective mosquito deterrent on the porch and on windowsills throughout your home.
  • Citronella: This plant helps to deter mosquitoes from biting you when you crush its blades to make a salve. You can apply the salve directly to your exposed skin or combine it with other types of repellent blooms for the most effective pest relief.
  • Floss Silk: The smell of this plant is repugnant to mosquitoes, which means they won’t want to come anywhere near it. Although it can be challenging to grow floss silk in your garden, it’s worth it to have a natural mosquito repellent.
  • Lemon Balm: This plant doesn’t automatically keep the mosquitoes away. However, you can rub its juices on your skins to prevent yourself from providing the pest’s next meal. You will need to pick several fresh lemon balm leaves, crush them with your hands, and rub the plant extract on any skin potentially exposed to mosquitoes.
  • Lemon Thyme: This plant produces a citrus aroma that keeps pesky insects like mosquitoes away. Even better is the fact that it attracts helpful insects such as bumblebees that can make your plants and flowers healthier.
  • Marigolds: Mosquitoes and other types of destructive insects hate the smell of marigold. That is because this flower contains pyrethrum, a chemical used in commercial insect repellent. Marigold is also easy to grow and makes an attractive addition to any garden.
  • Peppermint: Mosquitoes dislike the aroma produced by peppermint and will naturally stay away from it. Like lemon thyme, it has many other uses. One of the most popular ways to use peppermint is as a flavor enhancer or by adding it to tea.
  • Rosemary: Rosemary plants naturally keep mosquitoes out of the garden. You can also combine rosemary with other types of herbs to create a salve to rub onto your skin.

We hope you find these plant and flower recommendations useful as ways to ward off mosquitoes naturally. If you know of any other natural repellents, we’d love to hear about them! Just leave a comment below.

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