20 Best Mosquito Repellent Plants for Your Home & Garden!!!
Do you want your home to be mosquito-free? The fear of getting infected with diseases such as malaria, dengue, Zika virus, and chikungunya caused by these insects always forces you to try new ways to get rid of these irritating pests as soon as possible.
As you always want to make your home a safer place for your family, you always look out for different ways to get rid of pests naturally. While you are searching for useful tips to make your home pest-free, you can always have a look at the natural home remedies before contacting pest control companies for the job. When it comes to shooing away mosquitoes from home, you can consider choosing a mosquito-repelling plant that is highly effective in reducing their numbers from your home.
Table of Contents
1. Basil
This common houseplant known to promote good human health also wards off mosquitoes. The natural strong aroma of this holy plant is disliked by the mosquitoes as basil is toxic to mosquito larvae. When you keep a basil plant near standing water, mosquitoes cannot lay eggs.
2. Citronella
Popular as an ingredient in essential oils, citronella grass is also used to make commercial mosquito repellants. According to the experts, lemon-scented plants like this grass are effective in keeping mosquitoes at bay. A potted citronella plant is much more useful in getting rid of these disease-causing pests.
3. Lavender
The camphor-like fragrance of the lavender plant restricts the ability to smell in the mosquitoes. The plant has a strong resistance from the drought and extreme weather conditions. Lavender also has the ability to ward off bugs, moths, and flies owing to its powerful aroma.
4. Garlic
The strong pungent aroma of the garlic makes it a good mosquito repellent. By just rubbing its juice on your skin, you can keep these harmful pests at bay.
5. Lemon grass
Lemon grass has a powerful citrusy odor that is not appealing to the mosquitoes. Also known as a popular ingredient in the medicines and culinary culture, lemon grass is also a well-known content in the mosquito repellants.
6. Peppermint
Peppermint essential oil is an amazing home remedy to repel mosquitoes. It is also a common ingredient used in the manufacturing of the ointments for mosquito bites. The strong aroma of this herb removes harmful pests in your home.
7. Rosemary
Not just fulfilling the responsibility of a delicious seasoning in several dishes, rosemary also drives mosquitoes and other insects away. Rosemary is an effective mosquito repellant due to its strong woody fragrance. By throwing rosemary herbs in the fire, you can ward off all kinds of insects. You can also plant this herb in your garden to keep it mosquito-free.
8. Bee balm
Also known as a wild bergamot, bee balm is a popular ingredient in many dishes and salads. It is a good attractor for the butterflies and bees but also deters harmful insects like mosquitoes. Bee balm is an effective mosquito repellant owing to the strong aroma in its natural oils.
9. Marigold
One of the most popular and attractive looking flowers found in almost every household of India, marigold is also a good mosquito repellent. Keeping marigold plants at the windows and your main entrance door will remove all kinds of bugs from your home. Not just mosquitoes, marigolds also deter whiteflies, beetles, thrips, aphids, and other bugs from your home just by their fragrance. The presence of pyrethrum compounds in these houseplants makes them a good ingredient in the insect repellant sprays and ointments.
10. Mint
Not just being an aromatic herb used in various dishes, mint is also a natural remedy for keeping mosquitoes and flies away. The pungent fragrance of this herb keeps all kinds of bugs at a distance from your home. The dried leaves of mint are a good pest control remedy in your home. Mint oil is also effective in soothing bug bites.
11. Catnip
The presence of the essential oil of nepetalactone in catnip makes it a powerful mosquito repellant. Catnip is one of the most-picked plants to get rid of mosquitoes from your home due to its distinct odor. This plant is ten times more effective than DEET, a popular chemical found in all insect repellants.
12. Floss flower
Coumarin is a chemical found in floss flowers which makes this plant an effective ingredient in mosquito repellent ointments and sprays. Not just appealing to the eyes, this plant also makes it an amazing insect deterrent in your home. The powerful aroma emitted by these floral plants is disliked by the mosquitoes.
13. Sage
Sage is considered as a spiritual plant as it is used in several cultures during religious rituals. The burning sage is a wonderful remedy to ward off mosquitoes from your home and garden. When you throw some sage in your fireplace, its appealing fragrance not just calms your senses but also shoos away mosquitoes. The earthy fragrance wards off other bugs and helps in the preparation of bugs spray.
14. Scented geraniums
Scented geraniums are an effective and popular natural remedy to get rid of mosquitoes. The strong citrus scent of the geraniums shoos mosquitoes away. Keeping scented geraniums in your home and garden keeps a handful of pests away. This plant has a small content of citronella oil that makes it an amazing mosquito repellant.
15. Pennyroyal
Pennyroyal is a wonderful plant that has the ability to repel mosquitoes, flies and fleas from the environment. Belonging to the mint family, it has a minty smell to it that helps in keeping pests at bay. The essential oil extracted from this plant is useful as mosquito-repellant oil.
Other Plants That Repels Mosquitoes
16. Thyme
Being one of the most popular savory herbs, thyme is an effective and powerful mosquito repellant. Planting this herb in the garden will keep mosquitoes at bay and keep diseases like malaria and dengue at bay. The essential oils found in this plant make it a strong mosquito repellent.
17. Fennel
Fennel is also counted amongst the powerful mosquito-repellents that help us get rid of these pests naturally. This plant has a strong fragrance that repels these pests naturally.
18. Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a useful and human health promoting tree that is also available in a plant variant. The strong pungent odor of this plant repels mosquitoes effectively. You can also use its essential oil for this purpose in case you don’t have a eucalyptus plant.
19. Onions
The presence of sulfur in onions acts as a repellent of mosquitoes.
20. Oregano
Oregano herb has pinene and thymol in it which is an effective mosquito-repellant.
The End Note
Apart from keeping mosquito-repelling plants in your home and garden, you can also use other effective methods to keep these disease-causing insects at a distance.
- Remove standing water in your home and garden as it can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Ensure there are no leaking faucets in your home.
- Clean your gutter at regular intervals.
- Use mosquito-repellant essential oils such as citronella, tea tree, eucalyptus, neem, mint, etc.
- Use camphor in your home as its strong fragrance is toxic for mosquitoes. You can put some camphor tablets in a water bowl and change it every three days.
- Making a concoction of apple cider vinegar and citronella essential oil to spray around your home is a useful remedy to shoo mosquitoes away.
- Prepare a garlic spray by boiling cloves of garlic in water.
- Put some cloves in half a lemon and keep it in different areas of your home.
- Prepare a mosquito trap using soap water.
- Hire a pest control service in case the natural remedies are ineffective.