Plants which repel mosquitoes

Geraniums tolerate periods of dry soil much better than long periods of wet soil, so let the soil get fairly dry before providing additional moisture. Also, water the soil directly without wetting the leaves. Your geranium will thank you! Breaking the leaves of these plants and rubbing their oils directly onto your skin can amplify their positive effects on beating mosquitoes. Plus, think how good you will smell! To prevent mosquitoes from breeding in your yard, get rid of all standing water.

Anything that can hold even the smallest amount of rain or sprinkler water must be removed or turned over. There are over 65 varieties of mosquitoes in Georgia, and some of these plants will be more or less effective against certain types.

However, all of these plants will add beauty to your garden, with others providing additional cooking benefits. One time use, and may not be combined with other offers. Know someone who needs a new unit? Contact Us Book Online. Catnip Your feline friends will be happy to know that catnip is a great mosquito deterrent! Marigolds A bright, hardy annual plant, marigolds are a great choice for repelling mosquitoes.

Basil Calling all cooks! Lavender You probably know that lavender is a gorgeous purple flowering plant with a soothing, calming scent. Peppermint Most bugs despise the smell and taste of peppermint, so planting it around your home is a great way to keep them from dropping by uninvited. Garlic Unfortunately for all of us who love Italian food, studies have shown that eating garlic does not repel mosquitoes. Apply market research to generate audience insights. Measure content performance.

Develop and improve products. List of Partners vendors. American Beautyberry. Continue to 5 of 12 below. Continue to 9 of 12 below. Featured Video. Related Topics. Article Sources. The Spruce uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles.

Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Read More. Your Privacy Rights. To change or withdraw your consent choices for TheSpruce.

At any time, you can update your settings through the "EU Privacy" link at the bottom of any page. These choices will be signaled globally to our partners and will not affect browsing data. We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification.

I Accept Show Purposes. We link to vendors to help you find relevant products. If you buy from one of our links, we may earn a commission. These might include:. The thing is, with all these plants, you have to crush or burn some part of the plant to get to the substance within that offers the repellant properties.

Simply plopping it in a pot on your back patio will not the problem solve. Many of these plants contain the substance citronellal, which does indeed have insect-repellent properties. It was once said that this plant was the result of combining genes of two other plants — citronella grass and African geranium.

Scented Geranium Plants in 4-Inch Pots. Ceylon citronella grass Cymbopogon nardus , available via Amazon , and Java citronella grass C. Citronella Grass, 6 Live Plants. These are clump-forming grasses that are perennial in zones , but grow as annuals in other zones. Heirloom Lemon Grass Seeds. These are the plants that supply the oil used in commercial citronella products, such as candles.

Another citronellal-containing plant for which limited information is available in English is Citronella mucronata , also known as Chilean citronella or, in Spanish, huillipatagua. Chilean citronella is an evergreen tree native to Chile that can grow to be 30 feet tall. It is one of approximately plants in the Citronella genus, most of which are native to tropical climates. Lemon Balm Seeds. Packets of seeds are available from Burpee.

Lemon balm is an herbaceous perennial native to south-central Europe, the Mediterranean Basin, Iran, and Central Asia. Which plants repel mosquitoes and other insects in the backyard and garden?

Mosquitoes are more than a nuisance, too, as there are many mosquito-borne diseases out there, including viruses such as West Nile, Eastern Equine Encephalitis, and Dengue. Mosquitoes and many other insects target their victims by the odors and gases we give off—carbon dioxide, sweat, and smelly feet to name a few. They can be attracted from as far as feet away. Luckily, the scents of mint , fruit, and even chocolate can block the receptors that the bugs use to find us.

Since many plants give off these fragrances naturally, why not plant them around your yard or put some pots of them on your deck or patio to ward off the biters? Here are a few plants that I have found to actually help repel the bugs that bug us:.

One of the most effective things you can do to cut the mosquito population down is to eliminate any standing water where their larvae may be living. Do you have any tips for keep mosquitoes and other biting bugs away? Share them in the comments below! Just make sure you don't plant this in a pond or lake. It is very invasive. Potting is safe. Many years ago when I worked at a lakeside campground, I would rub fresh pennyroyal a member of the mint family on my exposed skin and never had any trouble with mosquitos.

I rub Thieves Oil on exposed skin mix with an oil like olive oil or unscented lotion. I've found it to be effective. Tansy helps to repel mosquitoes. Crush a couple of leaves and rub on exposed skin.

It has a pleasant lemony odor. Tansy is poisonous when eaten. However, my horses, dogs and cats leave it alone. Body odor has a lot to do in attracting these bugs. Found out that warmth does attract them. They will seek out my ears that gives off heat.

Also when the mailman arrives and stops to talk, the vehicle is loaded with them, heat of the engine. Women seem to attract them more so than men. Another observation. Something is going on. It use to be driving with headlights you could see many bugs over the warm tarred highway and had to use the windshield washer to see.

Not so now.