As much as we love summer, it does have annoying mosquitos. I am sharing 10 Plants to Keep Mosquitos Away! Help repel mosquitos by filling your garden with as many plants that keep mosquitos away and hopefully, you’ll have a mosquito-free yard!
10 Plants to Keep Mosquitos Away
Many of the 10 plants to keep mosquitos away are easy to add to your patio decor. They will not only look beautiful but serve a purpose in keeping your outdoor space pest-free!
If you want to control mosquitos so you can cut down or eliminate using dangerous poisons look no further than nature to do so. As you choose which plants to use, consider placement, putting them where you are more likely to hang out such as doorways, near windows, and near outdoor seating.
A lot of the plants do double duty as they’re actually edible and can be used in culinary dishes such as lavender in ice-cream or basil and garlic in your marinara sauce. Plus they look interesting and aren’t usually that hard to grow or take care of. I have many of these planted in the yard or in flower pots.
- Basil – This is one of 10 plants to keep mosquitos away. You can make your own natural mosquito repellent with dried basil very easily. Simply steep a cup of dried basil in 1/2 cup of filtered boiling water, kind of like you would make tea. In fact, you can use a tea ball to help make this a neater job. Add in a little basil essential oil and about 1/2 cup of some sort of alcohol that is safe for the skin.
- Catnip – Some studies show that catnip oil is better at repelling mosquitoes than harsh chemical insect repellants. If this is true, you should try it. You can buy it already made catnip oil repellent or make your own catnip mosquito repellent. It works on other types of pests too.
- Citronella – This lemony plant is the most popular known plant to help keep mosquitos away. You’ve likely seen citronella candles that work too, but why not just plant this pretty grass-like plant. You should plant it in large containers that can be easily protected during frost and place strategically around when guests are visiting.
- Garlic – The bulb of the garlic plant’s amino acid makeup converts to a substance called allicin once you crush it, blend it or chop it. You can blend the bulbs with water and water other plants and foliage (and humans) with it to help repel insects. Here are a few recipes you can try.
- Geranium — Plant scented citronella geraniums to help control mosquitos in pots to put around your patio and in areas where you and your guests might want to sit without being bothered by mosquitos.
- Lavender – Growing lavender is fun and has many uses including as a mosquito repellent and it’s a lot more plant to smell than some of the other options. If you don’t want to grow it you can purchase lavender soaps, essential oils, and lotions to use as a mosquito repellent.
- Lemon Balm – This also smells a lot better than citronella or garlic and works well too. All you have to do is take the leaves and crush them and rub them on your body where the skin will be exposed.
- Marigolds – Most people who grow vegetables tend to plant marigolds within, and for good reason. These magical flowers help banish many types of insects including mosquitoes. Of course, the smell is usually not that pleasant to humans either, but they’re not hard to look at or grow.
- Peppermint – This delicious tasting and smelling plant is a great mosquito repellent. Bugs hate the smell and the flavor of them. You can either crush up the leaves or rub on the skin or you can use an essential oil-infused lotion. Thankfully, peppermint is easy to grow because you’ll want to use it for mosquito repellent and for your mojitos. Buy peppermint essential oil here.
- Rosemary – You can boil a cup of dried rosemary in a quart of filtered water for 20 minutes, and then strain into another quart of filtered water. Pour into individual spray bottles, to use when going outside where mosquitoes might be. Be sure to store unused portions in the fridge. You can also crush the leaves and add to lotions to help the repellent work even better.
These 10 plants to keep mosquitos away are much better to use than chemical bug compounds that contain DEET which is not only bad for you but the environment.
They also make your yard and patio look nice! Find more garden tips and ideas at Frugal Gardening.
Can You Plant Mosquito Repellent Plants In Containers?
Yes, all 10 plants to keep mosquitos away do well in planters and containers. This makes having them on your patio or deck easier and near where you want to hang out.
Do You Have to Replant each Summer?
This plant list for keeping mosquitos away is a mix of annuals and perennials. Annuals you have to plant each year, but perennials will grow back year after year. Some herbs in pots can be brought indoors for the colder months if needed. Our rosemary and lavender are planted in our garden beds and do fine during our Pacific Northwest winters. We keep our mint in pots and they do fine too. All the others, we plant new in the late spring.
Plant List for Mosquito Control
Natural Pest and Mosquito control with these 10 plants. Print to take with you to the garden store.
Materials
- Basil
- Catnip
- Cilantro
- Marigolds
- Geranimums
- Peppermint
- Lemon Balm
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Garlic
Instructions
- Plant from seed or starters in pots or around your patio or deck.
If you have a slug problem, I’ve got a great solution for that too. See how to get rid of slugs here.
Here are a few other options for getting rid of and controlling Mosquitos. Mosquito Repellents
SPARTAN MOSQUITO ERADICATOR - Best Whole Yard Outdoor Mosquito Protection Solution
Follow along on Instagram | Pinterest | Facebook
DIY Home & Garden
Simple and creative ideas for your outdoor living.
Spring Lawn Care Tips - Winter Recovery
What you should be doing in the winter for a beautiful summer lawn.
When to Reseed Lawn and Tips for Reseeding
Here's information on when the best time to reseed your lawn.
William Lim says
Will any one of the plants you have listed here work or do I have to plant more than one.