These 13 Plants Keep Mosquitoes Away
During the sultry summer evenings you probably like to sit outside on your terrace. Unfortunately, annoying mosquitoes really spoil the atmosphere! Fortunately, there are a number of plants against mosquitoes to keep them at a distance.
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Mosquitoes have an incredible sense of smell! They can detect attractive odours up to 70 metres away – such as the carbon dioxide we exhale. Some plants also have a strong smell and can therefore mask your presence. By placing them on or around your terrace, you can repel female mosquitoes (because only they bite) from biting mosquitoes.
Many plants that mosquitoes don’t like contain strong-smelling essential oils. Are you going to work in the garden? Then you can also pick some plants, crush them and rub the sap on your skin. This is a good, natural repellent! Place these 13 mosquito-repellent plants near your patio or seating area.
Cats love it and mosquitoes stay far away: catnip ( Nepeta ). This perennial plant contains the substance Nepetalactone , which attracts cats and has the opposite effect on mosquitoes. According to some studies, it is even stronger than DEET, so it is a real anti-mosquito plant... Catnip is also a nice and easy plant in the garden. Place it in the sun and cut it back after flowering to let it flower again.
Crush the leaves of lemon balm to enjoy its delicious citronella-like scent. While you enjoy the scent, the mosquitoes will stay away! Lemon balm likes some shade and moist but not soggy soil. This plant can self-seed .
Love it or hate it: many people love the smell of lavender , while others find it horrible. Mosquitoes belong to the latter category, so lavender is recommended if you want to keep them off your terrace. In addition, the flowers attract all kinds of pollinating insects. Did you know that you can also plant a beautiful lavender hedge ?
Basil is essential for lovers of Italian cuisine, it is of course a great flavouring! Mosquitoes do not like the plant.
You can sow basil in pots in a sunny spot on your terrace or plant it with your tomatoes as good neighbours in the vegetable garden . Keep the soil moist and mist the plant occasionally in warm weather. Remove the flower stems, because once basil flowers, it will no longer produce new leaves.
They are sometimes called stinkers, but that does not do African marigolds ( Tagetes ) justice. The cheerful yellow, red and orange flowers are great plants in the vegetable garden, because they keep various pests at bay.
On your patio they actually keep mosquitoes away! Very handy for your patio is that they are perfect plants to grow in pots. Marigolds are easy to sow . Place them in the sun and only water when the soil feels dry. Cut the flowers regularly and they will bloom until well into the autumn.
Tip!
The bergamot plant ( Monarda ) is a beautiful perennial that attracts bees , butterflies and other pollinators, but repels mosquitoes with its minty scent. Plant the bergamot plant in full sun, keep the soil moist and regularly remove faded flowers to keep it blooming until fall.
You can find lemongrass mainly in Asian cuisine (it is also called sereh), but you can also grow this herb yourself. It tastes and smells delicious and mosquitoes do not like it.
Give the plant a warm spot in the sun, sufficient water and regular feeding. It cannot tolerate cold, but you can keep it by placing it on a sunny windowsill in the winter.
Not only does lemon thyme look beautiful (especially the variegated variety 'Lemon Variegated', pictured), its strong lemony scent is not popular with mosquitoes. The plant does well in pots, so you can put it near your patio (or even on the table). Crush some leaves to release the oils for the best anti-mosquito effect.
Rosemary ( Rosmarinus officinalis ) can grow into a large shrub. You can keep mosquitoes away with this plant and of course you can use this Mediterranean herb in the kitchen! Give rosemary a spot in full sun with strong drainage.
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- Our best tips for year-round cooking from your own garden
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Mint is such a versatile plant! You can make a delicious tea with it, decorate a summer cocktail with it or mix the leaves into Asian dishes and salads. And keep mosquitoes at bay! Grow mint in pots to prevent them from taking over your entire garden. Give them a spot with partial shade and do not let the soil dry out.
A more native touch with beautiful flowers and that keeps mosquitoes at bay? Then tansy would look great in your borders. Not only is the scent unattractive to mosquitoes, it also attracts many butterflies and other pollinating insects. If the plant is happy, it can spread quite strongly, but is easy to remove.
Lantana is popular with pollinating insects such as honeybees and butterflies, but mosquitoes turn their noses up at this plant. Lantana likes lots of warmth and sun, but they are unfortunately not winter hardy.
Most types ofpelargoniums show off brightly coloured summer flowers, but there are also types that are grown specifically for their leaf scent. The lemon-scented scented pelargonium 'Citriodorum', also called lemon geranium, is a good choice against mosquitoes. Place it in the sun, only water when the soil is dry, in warm weather . Do not give the plant extra nutrition.
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