You can grow these mosquito repelling plants and lower the risks that mosquito bites bring. Mosquitoes are annoying and the bites are itchy. When I was a kid I never thought of them as being more than an annoyance. But the fact is that mosquito bites have been linked to West Nile Virus, Encephalitis and the Zika Virus; not to mention a handful of other viruses and diseases seen in other countries around the world (source). They are bad for our pets and livestock too (source).
The best way to fight mosquitoes is to prevent them! You can plant any or all of the mosquito repelling plants in pots inside your home, in your garden, around your animal pens; and repel mosquitoes naturally. If you’re looking for a way to prevent bites on YOU check out my all natural bug repellent lotion bars.
Before we talk about mosquito repelling plants I HAVE to tell you about the #1 way you can reduce mosquitoes around your homestead….BATS. Yes, bats; they are mosquito eating machines. Did you know that of the more than 1,000 bat species, 70% of them feed exclusively on insects? Just 1 insectivorous bat can eat 600 or more mosquitoes in an hour (source)! So before plant a single mosquito repelling plant consider investing in a Bat House or 2 for your property…free mosquito service, check!
Ok, now that I’ve informed you on the best mosquito eating creatures alive…let’s talk about those mosquito repelling plants!
Mosquito Repelling Plants
Mosquito Repelling Plants #1 – Lemon Grass
If you’ve purchased a citronella candle you may be interested to know that the oil is actually from the lemongrass plant. The plant naturally repels mosquitoes; not to mention it has other culinary and medicinal purposes.
Mosquito Repelling Plants #2 – Mint
Not only does mint repel mosquitoes, mice hate it too. So planting just about any mint variety will be a help in more ways than one. Add some fresh mint leaves to your chicken’s nests to help prevent mosquitoes, mice and other pests from bothering them when they’re laying. Not to mention it will keep their breath fresh…just kidding. 😉
Mosquito Repelling Plants #3 – Lemon Balm
Lemon balm is actually part of the mint family and works well as one of your mosquito repelling plants. Going to go out to the garden and need a quick mosquito fix? You can actually crush a handful of fresh lemon balm and rub this on your skin for a natural repellent. Bonus? Lemon balm is a great herbal tea additive too!
Mosquito Repelling Plants #4 – Basil
Much more than a great cooking herb! Basil can repel both mosquitoes and flies. This is a wonderful herb to grow indoors for easy culinary access and to keep pests out of your kitchen.
Mosquito Repelling Plants #5 – Marigolds
Marigolds are a superstar flower in just about any garden. They keep a long list of pests away, including mosquitoes. As far as mosquito repelling plants go, marigolds should be at the top of your list; bugs find them repulsive.
Mosquito Repelling Plants #6 – Garlic
I had heard that eating garlic can make you less attractive to mosquitoes but there doesn’t seem to be much research to back that up. However, the garlic plant is a good choice to keeping them at bay. Planting garlic in your garden will also help in keep other garden pests away too. Not to mention Dracula hates the stuff.
Mosquito Repelling Plants #7 – Rosemary
A great addition to any herb garden with its many food and medicinal uses; but rosemary is also a mosquito repelling plant. And if that wasn’t enough, flies and cabbage moths don’t care for rosemary either.
Mosquito Repelling Plants #8 – Catnip
While your fluffy kitty may love catnip, mosquitoes are not a fan. Planting catnip can be helpful but using it as an essential oil can be more effective than DEET (source).
Mosquito Repelling Plants #9 – Petunias
Petunias might just be nature’s greatest pesticide. Not only are they known to repel mosquitoes, they will work to keep aphids, tomato hornworm, asparagus beetles, leafhoppers, and squash bugs from “bugging” your garden.
So there you have it, 9 mosquito repelling plants for you to keep in and around your homestead. And with many of them have multiple uses you may want to plant them all! But don’t for get to get your first defense…a bat house.
