Repel mosquitoes with common garden plants

Last weekend, Sam helped me in the garden. Thankfully, he soon wore out, and flopped in the cat cove catnip. - Central Texas Gardener Blog

Repel mosquitoes with common garden plants

By Catherine Mezensky for Baltimore Gardening Examiner, edited by Puter and c

With the frequent rains this spring, most gardens are doing well. So are the mosquitoes. Mosquitoes can breed in as little as a ½ of an inch of water, such as in a bottle cap. The best way to eliminate mosquitoes is to remove any standing water in your garden.

If you need a safe, organic, and environmentally sound mosquito repellent, many plants that you may already be growing in your home garden can do this job.

Citrosa and Rue are commonly considered to be good against mosquitoes, but some findings suggest that citrosa doesn’t repel mosquitoes as well as other plants. Lemon thyme is said to be stronger.

Catnip is supposed to be great at driving away mosquitoes and some sources say it is even better than Deet, which is the main ingredient in chemical repellents.

Rosemary and basil are also good. The best way to use these leafy herbs is to crush the leaves and rub them on your skin. (Test a small patch first to make sure you are not allergic.)

Garlic also wards off mosquitoes. Not only should you grow garlic, but you should eat it so bugs get the scent off of you and leave. (Unfortunately, this may also make everyone else stay away.)

Marigolds are known for pest control in garden beds but mosquitoes also dislike their smell. Put a few in pots and place them on tables or benches in outdoor sitting areas. If you are having a gathering pick a lot of marigolds and scatter the bouquets around the outdoor party area.

Many gardeners are fond of the mosquito plant. This is a hybrid that was developed from a geranium and was bred with citronella grass traits. Also called the citronella geranium, the plant grows well in pots and has a nice lemony scent. Like with other herbs, crush it and put it on your skin or grow it in pots placed in frequently used outdoor areas. The leaves are very lacy looking and the flowers are purple spikes. As a side benefit, this plant attracts both hummingbirds and butterflies.

Herbs and plants are not only a beautiful way to keep mosquitoes away, they are also the safe way to protect your family during the warm summer months.

Puter made me add this. ;) - c