Tired of that horrible high-pitched mosquito whine offending your ears? These eight plants can help to repel those repulsive bugs.
Most of these fantastic plants contain essential oils that mosquitoes find repugnant, so you might need to crush some of their leaves onto your skin to get the most benefit.
1. Basil
The humble, beautiful basil plant is a natural mosquito beater as these flying felons can’t stand that sweet smell. Basil is easy to grow and unleashes its pungent aroma without the need for you to pluck its leaves and rub them on your skin.
2. Catnip
While it might be heaven for cats, catnip is absolute hell for mosquitoes. Catnip produces nepetalactone, an essential oil that repels mosquitoes when the leaves are crushed. Catnip is best grown in containers to stop it from getting out of control.
3. Citronella
One of the most well-known mosquito deterrents, the overwhelming aroma of citronella plants masks the odor of carbon dioxide produced from our warm-blooded bodies. This stops mosquitoes from homing in on you. These plants can get quite big so are best grown in planters or gardens.
4. Lavender
The luscious smell of lavender does more than promoting a good night’s sleep – it also mollifies pesky mozzies and other insects. Using dried lavender is a great technique, so hang or place a few sprigs anywhere that mosquitoes can get in.
5. Lemon Balm
A member of the mint family, lemon balm is a multi-purpose plant that can also chase away marauding mosquitoes. This fast-growing herb is best kept in a container in case it begins to take over your garden.
6. Lemon Thyme
Sensing a theme here? The strong, fresh citrus scent of lemon thyme is the bane of mosquitoes, interfering with their ability to detect people to annoy. Lemon thyme does well as a container plant or as part of a herb garden. To get the mosquito-beating benefits, pick a couple of leaves and rub them against your skin to set the potent essential oils free.
7. Marigolds
Magnificent marigolds are more than just a pretty face – they’re also easy to grow and give off a pungent scent that messes with mosquitoes. Give them a space in your garden near a vegetable patch or use cut marigold flowers as mobile mosquito defences.
8. Rosemary
As any chef will know, rosemary is a particularly potent herb. But this strong smell has another purpose – it’s excellent at repelling mosquitoes. These bush-like herbs can be grown pretty easily in containers and are recommended repellents from the New York Botanical Garden. You can also snip off a few sprigs and hang them around windows or doors to dissuade mosquitoes.
Want to get your hands on some of these natural mosquito countermeasures? We have all these plants and more at STEPS Garden Centre, phone (07) 5436 6023 to find out more.
