Who actually likes mosquitoes? Chances are, nobody but birds and bats.
Are you tired of having those pesky little insects dart around your backyard and terrorize you as you attempt to hold a peaceful barbecue or just enjoy the great outdoors? Join the club.
But what causes mosquitoes to attack us humans anyways?
Well, it turns out that there is a certain odor humans emit that attracts the insects. That explains why mosquitoes tend to attack those who sweat a lot.
But the good news is that there are also certain smells that mosquitoes absolutely hate – smells that will cause them to steer clear of you and your backyard. There are several strong-smelling plants that you can place around your backyard to ward off the insects, which we will discuss today. Each of these solutions can be greatly enhanced by not only planting these herbs around your yard but also crushing the leaves against your skin, allowing the smell to become absorbed by you and ensuring that the insects are repelled even if you step away from your garden.
Plant #1 – Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is a member of the mint family and has a strong, distinctive smell to match. It is quite good at keeping biting insects away from the area in which they’re planted. Be warned, though – lemon balm is an invasive species.
Plant #2 – Catnip
Catnip contains nepetalactone, which does a great job at repelling insects and attracting felines.
Plant #3 – Basil
Basil is quite toxic to mosquito larvae, guaranteeing that any mosquito that knows what’s good for ’em will stay far away.
Plant #4 – Lavender
We humans love the smell of lavender. Insects? Not so much. In addition to warding off mosquitoes, lavender does a great job of keeping moths and flies away as well. This plant in particular is quite good at warding off these insects when rubbed against human skin.
Plant #5 – Peppermint
Peppermint is a well-known insect repellant and, in oil form, is known to kill the larvae of several invasive insect species.
Plant #6 – Citrosum
This plant is actually marketed as a mosquito plant. However, there are some doubts about it’s effectiveness, especially when compared to some of the other plants on this list. Still, it is better than using nothing at all and does at least have some repellant properties.
Plants #7 and 8 – Sage & Rosemary
I’ve combined these two items because they are most effective when combined. If you are planning on having a campfire or barbecue, throw a little sage and rosemary into the fire. As long as you’re near to the smoke, it’ll keep the insects away. Like many of the other plants on this list, it also has the added benefit of smelling quite nice to the human nose.
Conclusion
Hopefully these tips have done a great job of letting you know how you can repel mosquitoes naturally. Remember to crush the plants against your skin for maximum effectiveness. This will ensure that you are protected and deterring to mosquitoes even if you step away from your garden. Enjoy!