Get Rid Of Mosquitos Thanks To These Beautiful And Effective Plants
While bug spray offers one solution, you can also keep the mosquitos away through a more natural means: plants. Plenty of plants naturally repel mosquitos from in and around your house, saving you from the unpleasant experience of spraying chemicals on your body. If you’re ready to take a more natural route to keep these bugs away, take a look at these beautiful plants that effectively repel mosquitos.
1 Basil
Basil might be your spice of choice in all your favorite dishes, but it’s also an effective mosquito repellant. Basil is toxic to mosquito eggs, so it’s the perfect plant to keep mosquitos larvae from making their home in standing water around your house. Simply plant basil wherever you have concerns about mosquitos and watch as all the pesky little creatures disappear.
As an added bonus, basil also repels flies. Plus, a well-cared-for basil plant eliminates the need to buy pre-packaged basil from the store. There are really no downsides to putting this plant around your house.
2 Bee Balm
Also known as wild bergamot or horsemint, bee balm does act as an effective mosquito repellant. While it’s keeping mosquitos away, the plant will also attract important pollinators to your garden. Plant bee balm and you’ll soon find your yard is teeming with bees, hummingbirds, butterflies, and other gorgeous little critters.
To effectively repel mosquitos from your yard, you must crush the bee balm leaves and allow the resulting oils to release into the air. While it’s a little more work than simply sticking a plant in the ground, the crushed leaves will effectively keep the mosquitos far away from your home.
3 Catnip
While your kitties may be drawn to catnip, mosquitos will want to stay far away from this plant. Catnip contains an active ingredient called nepetalactone. This one natural ingredient is more effective in keeping away mosquitos than the strongest chemicals found in most bug sprays.
If you have cats, they’ll also love the addition of catnip to your home. The same chemical that wards away mosquitos attracts cats, so don’t be surprised if you find your kittens rolling around in your plants. Catnip will also repel termites and cockroaches, making it an all-around safe choice for your home.
4 Citronella
Citronella is used in many mosquito repellant sprays. The scent from the plant masks other smells and simultaneously wards away those unpleasant, biting bugs. If you want to increase the efficacy of this plant, crush the leaves and allow the resulting oil to your skin. This simple extra step creates a totally natural bug spray.
Citronella is also incredibly easy to take care of. It needs water every now and then, but other than that, it can pretty much survive on its own. Planting this around your house will result in a convenient, no-fuss mosquito repellant.
5 Cadaga Tree
Cadaga tree, also known as Eucalyptus torelliana, requires a little more work than the other plants on this list. It is a tree, so finding a spot to put this plant and making sure it can grow may be more difficult than other mosquito-repelling options.
However, Cadaga tree wards off mosquitos by simply existing. Once the tree grows, the smell acts as a barrier that protects your home from the biting bugs. Mosquitos don’t like the smell of Cadaga tree. If you’re willing to put in the extra effort to grow this plant, you’ll find that you’ll rarely see any mosquitos around your home again.
6 Floss Flower
Floss flowers are an absolutely beautiful addition to any outdoor (or indoor) space. Their vibrant color is visually stunning, so they’re an easy choice to include in your home garden. What you might not know, however, is floss flowers are also effective mosquito repellants.
Floss flowers secrete coumarin, a common substance used to repel mosquitos. The strong odor of coumarin is offensive to these blood-hungry critters, ensuring that they stay far away from any home surrounded by floss flowers.
7 Garlic
Eating too much garlic will scare anyone away, including mosquitos! Just the smell of garlic acts as a deterrent for them. Just like humans who shy away from garlic breath, mosquitos aren’t big fans of this pungent smell.
To use garlic most effectively, crush a fresh clove and rub it over your skin. It acts as quite a strong perfume, but it still smells better than most chemical sprays. If you really want to scare the mosquitos away, consuming garlic in addition to rubbing it on your skin may keep the critters (and everyone else) away from you.
8 Lavender
Unlike the strong scent of garlic, lavender is quite a pleasant smell. But while humans tend to enjoy the relaxing scent of lavender, mosquitos don’t. Much like garlic, mosquitos like to stay far away from this pleasant scent.
Planting lavender around your house adds a little perfume to your outdoor area and simultaneously keeps the mosquitos away. If you want to take your mosquito repellant on the go, simply crush the lavender and rub it over your skin to keep the mosquitos at bay.
9 Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is quite a beautiful plant, but it’s not often chosen by experienced gardeners. You don’t want to plant lemon balm in the middle of a thriving garden, as it’s an invasive species that will soon take over your other plants. If you can manage to keep lemon balm in check, however, it acts as quite an effective mosquito repellant.
To keep mosquitos away with lemon balm, crush the leaves and rub the resulting oil onto your skin. You can keep a lemon balm plant in a planter for easy access to this all-natural repellant. While you should be careful where you plant your lemon balm, the mosquito-repelling benefits may be worth the risk of planting an invasive species.
10 Lemongrass
Lemongrass, commonly known as lemon verbena, is another effective mosquito repellant. Lemongrass contains an oil called citral, which effectively keeps mosquitos away. Unlike garlic, lemongrass has such a pleasant aroma that it’s often used in perfumes and other toiletries.
In addition to the mosquito-repelling benefits, lemongrass is also a delicious addition to soups, chicken, and other foods. It’s toxic to mosquito larvae, and it might become your new favorite cooking ingredient. In other words, there are no downsides to planting lemongrass near your home.
11 Peppermint
Not only is peppermint infused with a lovely smell, but it also has the ability to ward away many pests, including the mosquitos. Peppermint plants diffuse their minty scent and the strong odor keeps pesky critters far away from your house.
Much like lavender, the peppermint plant releases a calming smell. The fresh scent will liven up your outdoor area while also keeping you free from itchy, red bites. If you want to make peppermint even more effective, make your own perfume by crushing the leaves and rubbing the oil on your exposed skin.
12 Citrosum
Citrosum is a well-known mosquito-repelling plant. Like the closely related citronella plant, citrosum contains citronella oil. The plant releases this oil into the air constantly, and the resulting scent keeps mosquitos away for up to 10 feet surrounding the plant.
While you may need a large amount of citrosum to make this plant effective, it can be a powerful natural mosquito repellant. It isn’t the pretty plant on the block, but it serves the purpose of keeping the mosquitos far away from your delicate skin. Doesn’t that fact alone make the plant worth purchasing?
13 Sage
Sage is a popular plant for anyone who believes in clearing their home of bad energy. People burn sage to refresh their house and create a calm environment conducive to relaxation. But burned sage has one other practical application: it helps to ward off hungry mosquitos.
The smoke that results from burning sage is horrific to mosquitos. The strong scent and slight thickness in the air will scare away any critters looking to take a bite out of you. Whether you believe in the more spiritual aspects of burning sage or not, burning this plant may keep you free from annoying mosquito bites.
14 Marigolds
Unlike some other plants on this list, marigolds are a truly gorgeous addition to any house. The vibrant color of this flower stands out in any environment, sprucing up the look of your garden and adding a little color amongst the greenery.
But while marigolds look lovely, their scent is rather offensive. You don’t want to dip your nose into a marigold, and mosquitos feel the same way. Marigolds also contain a compound called pyrethrum that is dangerous to many bugs, including mosquitos. While you may not want to sniff your marigolds, you can rest assured that they’ll keep your home free from mosquitos.
15 Rosemary
Much like lavender, rosemary is also a useful and calming addition to any outdoor space. Rosemary’s scent is muted, but incredibly pleasant. Plus, there’s nothing like cutting some fresh rosemary from your yard to add to your cooking. Beyond those convenient applications, rosemary also keeps pesky insects far away from you.
Simply planting rosemary in your garden should be enough to keep mosquitos away. You can also mix rosemary into your favorite lotion to create a soothing and effective mosquito repellant. The oils in rosemary are incredibly good for you, so you can take care of your skin while simultaneously warding away mosquitos.
16 Scented Geraniums
We’ve mentioned citronella oil a few times and scented geraniums are yet another plant that utilizes this mosquito-repelling compound. Scented geraniums have a slightly lemony aroma due to the citronella oil that successfully repels mosquitos.
Unlike marigolds, scented geraniums emit a rather pleasant smell that won’t offend even the most sensitive nose. Plus, the blooms and flowers are perfect for decorating, so you can ensure your inside stays just as mosquito-free as your outdoor space. Again, you can crush the leaves to create a stronger scent that will act as an effective mosquito barrier. Simply spread the crushed leaves around the space you want to protect and relax in the knowledge that the mosquitos won’t bother you.
17 Allium
Allium is a plant family that includes garlic and onions. While you’re likely more familiar with the edible versions of this vegetation, this particular allium plant looks much nicer when planted in your garden. It includes bulbs, much like garlic and onions, but these bulbs produce purple flowers that sit comfortably atop the long, thin stem.
The allium plant keeps mosquitos at bay through its strong scent. Like garlic and onions, allium releases a fragrance that mosquitos simply don’t like. If you want to keep mosquitos away without rubbing garlic all over yourself, plant a few allium plants around your home.
18 Mint
If you can’t find a peppermint plant, a normal mint plant will do just fine to keep the mosquitos away. While most people grow mint to use in teas and tropical cocktails, the aroma of mint is known for warding away pesky critters.
While the mint plant alone might not contain a strong enough odor to scare away pests, you can make your own mosquito repellant by crushing the leaves and rubbing them into your skin. You’ll smell clean and fresh to the humans around you, but absolutely abhorrent to any lurking mosquitos. As an added benefit, you can also make your own mojitos with a little dash of mint straight from your garden.
19 Eucalyptus
Another calming plant, eucalyptus is often heard in conjunction with lavender. The eucalyptus plant has many health benefits and is a popular natural remedy for arthritis, congestion, cold sores, and many other common medical conditions. With its many uses, the eucalyptus plant is already a helpful addition to any home.
Beyond its medical properties, however, eucalyptus also releases a scent that mosquitos find offensive. The natural oils that eucalyptus secretes repels many insects, ensuring that you can relax outdoors without worry. The plant is most effective when the oils are rubbed into your skin. However, simply planting this beauty around your house may be enough to keep the mosquitos away.
20 Tea Tree
Tea tree is another commonly used natural remedy. You’ll often hear of this compound in skincare products, as its anti-inflammatory and anti-fungal properties solve a range of skin conditions. While you can’t create your own skincare line just using a tea tree plant, you can use this piece of greenery to keep mosquitos away from your home.
Tea tree emits a very strong scent when planted. In fact, the scent is too strong for many bugs to get close. By putting tea tree into your yard, you’ll find that mosquitos no longer have the courage to come near your house. However, you do have to be careful when planting tea tree, as it can be toxic to humans as well as bugs.
