10 Plants You Need to Keep Mosquitoes Away

For many of us, summer vacation is beginning and it is often a time for some much-needed relaxation and nice weather. However, there is one insect that is just waiting to spoil your holiday – mosquitoes!

How much we enjoy summer in North America depends a lot on how many mosquitoes there are waiting for us outside. Their bites are itchy and their drone bothersome, but there’s also concern that mosquitoes carrying dangerous diseases are knocking on our door.

Spring has come and gone, so welcome to mosquito season.

Ah! You’re trying your best to enjoy an evening cookout, but a constant swarm of mosquitoes follows you from grill to poolside. The hazard? A pierce to your skin, leaving behind an itchy red bump and possibly even a severe illness.

It becomes impossible for you to celebrate when mosquitoes show up to your barbecue. The party just becomes less fun when you’re constantly swatting at bugs and itching your skin.

As you swat wildly at the pests, you see that others too are absolutely peeved.

 

Beware! Mosquitoes are human hunters and disease spreaders

Of course, we all love to hate mosquitoes.

Unfortunately, some of the mosquito species are far from being just a mild nuisance, as they can carry dangerous diseases. In Canada and the United States, we often hear about the menace of West Nile virus, which is carried by local mosquito species and can lead to severe health complications like coma and paralysis in a minority of cases.

 

One of the best predictors of West Nile infection rates in Ontario is the minimum temperature reached during February. If the coldest temperatures in February are warmer than usual, more people become infected with the West Nile virus during the summer months.

 The Asian tiger mosquito, which can transmit the Zika virus, has been spotted in southern Ontario in Canada. (Shutterstock)

A bite from an infected mosquito can cause infection with the West Nile virus. Infected mosquitoes can spread the virus to humans and other animals. (Source- Canada.ca)

These viruses are all spread by mosquitoes, are severely debilitating, and cause hundreds of thousands of deaths each year. 

Mosquitoes know you are coming from a mile away, well 50 yards and they want something you’ve got, and they will stop at nothing to get it.

Not even jumping up and down and swatting them away will stop them.

You never know which mosquito bite is going to get your report positive for Dengue or Malaria or any other serious disease. So, what’s the solution?

 

Well, there are a lot of chemical sprays and repellents that you could use to get rid of mosquitoes, but such chemical sprays infect the air around them, and we inhale that too. Many people tend to get allergic to the chemical mosquitos repellents available in the markets.

Now, what to do?

Don’t worry! Mosquito repellent plants are here to help you! Besides trying getting these plants, professional mosquito control is always the proven way to get rid of these pesky pests.

 

5 Reasons Why You Need Mosquito Repellent Plants

1. Indoor mosquito repellent plants keep growing and blessing us with other therapeutic/medicinal/ Fengshui plants.
2. It maintains a check on the deadly mosquitoes. Many aromatic plants have characteristics that mosquitoes avoid, said Prof. Christian Lacroix.
3. Many commercial mosquitoes and insect repellents contain harmful chemicals which are toxic to children and pets. So, mosquito repellent plants indoors are a great option.
4. You can grow natural mosquito repellent plants indoors and outdoor quickly.
5. If you’re not a fan of putting anything on your skin, you can try the other route, which we also use, and that’s homemade repellents and gardening.

Wondering which are these effective mosquito repellent plants in Canada?

Then, this blog space is meant for all you plant lover curious souls. Read on to find the best and easy to grow and maintain mosquito repellent plants in Canada.

However, if mosquitoes are ruining your time outdoors, reach out for professional mosquito control. A friendly specialist can come out to evaluate the infestation and determine which treatment method is best for you. Once we take care of the problem, you’ll be able to enjoy the summer weather without needing to worry about lots of pesky mosquitoes!

Did you know?

Ancient Greeks used penny royal as a flea repellent.

The substances are produced by the plants to protect themselves from insects. Lacroix believes it is a combination of smell and taste that mosquitoes don’t like.

 

10 Flowers and Herbs That Repel Mosquitoes

If you have a green thumb, take as many of these beauties below and form a captivating mosquito repellent flowering pot to hang around your house.

You can make a few of them hang where you entertain guests so they not only look and smell beautiful but they are performing double-duty.

1. Rosemary

One of the best plants that keep mosquitoes away is rosemary plants. Rosemary is a fragrant plant that you might already know, and its woody smell is actually what keeps the cabbage moths, mosquitoes, and carrot flies off from your home. They work best in warm and dry temperatures and can be effectively grown in small vases.

 

2. Lemon Balm

An excellent pick for a mosquito plant is lemon balm. Likewise famously known as Horsemint, it can fend the bugs and mosquitoes off because of its solid smell. You won’t lose the butterflies and birds because of it. This sort of plant develops successfully and requires lesser maintenance, making it easy to handle.

 

3. Basil

Basil is an extraordinary herb that works excellent as anti-mosquito plants. The solid smell of the basil leaves helps get the mosquitoes far from your home. It is critical to know that Basil likes to be kept wet; it needs sunlight and excellent drainage. You  can develop the plant in pots or containers. The herb is fantastic for medicinal purposes as well and is a great choice to go with while looking for natural mosquito repellent plants.

 

4. Marigolds

This blossom needs no introduction. Marigolds are a staple of annual flower gardens across Canada.It is a simple to-develop flower, which gives out a smell that repels mosquitoes which is what makes it even one of the best indoor plants for mosquitoes.  The well-known orange flowers are a powerful mosquito repellent and deter other insects as well. These flowers are often planted as companions in gardens to protect other plants from insects.
You can grow them in holders or pots and keep them at the entrance of your home to keep the bugs out. Apart from mosquitoes, they additionally keep away aphids, thrips, whiteflies, squash bugs, and also tomato hornworms.

5. Lemon Grass

Another amazing mosquito repellent is the Lemon Grass, which also goes by the name Cymbopogon Citratus. The bloom contains citronella which is a natural oil that the bugs hate. In some countries, the plant is also utilized as an anti-inflammatory medicine.

Lemongrass has a flawless fragrance and that is the reason it is utilized in toiletries and different scents as well to keep the bugs away.

 

6. Allium Sativum (Garlic)

One of the common mosquito repellent plants has to be a garlic plant. Garlic is another way to avoid mosquitoes. You can utilize it by cutting it in little pieces and spreading it around your living rooms. You can also make a spray using garlic. Blend it with aromatic oils to make a mosquito repulsing body spray or just grow a garlic plant in your nursery.

When it comes to old remedies for mosquitoes, garlic tops most lists, and scientists have reported that allicin, a compound in garlic cloves, is deadly to the larvae of some mosquito species.

 

7. Citronella Grass

It is one of the very important ingredients that all the DEETs and mosquito anti-agents have. Hence, it indeed makes a great anti mosquito plant indoor. This would always keep on repulsing bugs and mosquitoes effectively. Just ensure you keep the pots in colder spots. Citronella grass is delicate to colder climatic conditions.

 

The scent that they give keeps mosquitoes away especially in small areas making it one of the best indoor insect repellent plants.

 

8. Catnip

Catnip is also a fantastic mosquito repellent. Nepetalactone is one of the main ingredients in Catnip, which was seen as much more effective than even DEET, as indicated by many researchers. Catnip is similarly a decent non-toxic alternate to commonly used synthetic sprays. Also, cats love them 🙂

 

9. Mint

Mint is very popular as a mouth freshener, tea-flavour enhancer, or as a herb in various cooking styles. Plant various assortments of mints in your nursery, wild or developed, since every one of them has the basic property to normally repulse mosquitoes. Mint is simple to develop a plant with which you can even effectively make your own mosquito repellent.

 

 

10. Geranium

Pelargonium citrosum, also known as Geranium, is a flower blooming mosquito

repellent plant. It has light and dark pink flowers with a lemon-like fragrance. It is perfect for growing in sunny and dry climates. And the lemon fragrance makes it suited to grow near other plants such as in flower beds and vegetable gardens.

 Plant geranium mosquito repellent plant in areas where it gets lots of sunlight and if you are planting it indoor then make sure to have well-drained potting soil. Geranium does not like excess water as it causes its leaves to turn yellow and rot its roots. Geranium grows 1 to 3 feet high, and its oil is also used to remove scars. You can also rub its leaves directly on your skin to act as mosquito and bug repellent.

Other useful herbs and flowering plants for repelling insects include

• Peppermint
• Sage
• Wild Bergamot
• Lavender
• Penny Royal
• Thyme

 

So, these are some of the best indoor plants that repel mosquitoes!

Bring these into your home by ordering indoor plants online or by planting these from seeds.

Take back your yard from mosquitoes and reduce the stress of their attack for good so you can enjoy your summer evenings again.

Keeping the bugs away is not always as easy as surrounding your lawn chair with these herbs or flowers. You can also buy commercially-prepared, plantbased mosquito repellents or simply reduce your stress with professional mosquito control.

Stay safe from mosquitoes!

Happy planting!