7 Herbs That Repel Mosquitos

Mosquitoes can be a real pestilence. Anyone who lives in an area with a high population of mosquitoes knows how annoying they can be. Mosquito bites can be infuriating, and will soon leave you with itchy sores all over your hands and feet where they bite.

Mosquitoes often carry deadly diseases such as dengue, malaria, etc. These diseases are spread almost exclusively by mosquitoes, and you can never be sure whether the mosquito infestation that is pestering you every night isn’t carrying these diseases.

There are many ways you can get rid of mosquitoes. You can use sprays and mosquito coils to kill these insects. But these are toxic, and long term you affects your health too. You can use bug zappers, which are not really that effective. At the end of the day, mosquitoes require long term solutions, like removal of stagnant water pools where they breed and lay eggs.

This may not be an option for you. You should thus look into some natural solutions for a mosquito infestation. An unique way to control mosquitoes are a few herbs and plants that act as mosquito repellants. For some reason, mosquitoes cannot bear these plants, and if your home has these lants growing, you are not likely to get many mosquitos around your home.

The following is a list of seven plants that seem to have this mosquito repellant effect:

Rosemary

Rosemary is a herb that is often used in culinary efforts, to great effect. However, the plant contains an oil that seems to be unbearable to mosquitoes, and a few pots of rosemary can easily keep mosquitoes out and well away.

Rosemary thrives in warm climates. If it gets really cold in winter where you leave, you have to take the rosemary plants in for the winter. They will work as well from the inside in repelling mosquitoes.

Catnip

Cats love this herb and often go wild with pleasure when presented to it. But that’s not all catnip does. Catnip is, in fact, a powerful mosquito deterrent that can keep these pestering bugs well away. Grow some in your garden or in pots indoors, throw some in a potpourri, around your doors and seating areas to keep mosquitoes out of reach for an deadly bites.

Marigolds

Marigolds are beautiful looking, but they don’t smell that great. However, they are not that bad smelling to be deterring, even if you are sitting next to them.

However, marigold is a powerful mosquito deterrent, as well as a deterrent for other pests and snakes. You can grow some in your garden to keep garden pests away.
Mosquito Plants

Well, the name says it all. These plants have found great popularity as being specifically bred to keep the mosquitoes far away. It is not really known if they are much effective in dealing with mosquitoes. There have been some positive reviews, but equally, some people have received no help at all from planting them.

Citronella Grass

Citronella candles are well known. These candles can be lit to get rid of mosquitoes. The candles are infused with citronella oil that keeps mosquitoes well away. You can just as well grow citronella grass to get rid of mosquitoes. These plants grow up to 6 feet tall in tropical climates, so if space is an issue for you, this may not be the mosquito deterrent of your choice.

Peppermint and Oil

An oil that commonly helps combat indigestion and nausea, this is also great for mosquito deterring. Additionally, it helps deter pesky mice and other insects too. It also grows quite prettily in beds, and you can always pick some up for a delicious peppermint tea.

Eucalyptus and Oil

Eucalyptus is quite famous for its mosquito deterring properties. It is really good at keeping mosquitoes well away.

Unfortunately, these plants don’t do well in temperatures below 27 degrees Fahrenheit. In lower temperature environments, you could use extracted eucalyptus oil as a spray to keep mosquitoes away.

The plants mentioned above are bound to keep mosquitoes away if you grow them in their home. You can also crush the leaves and infuse them in rubbing alcohol to create a powerful mosquito repellant, which you can then spray, just like commercial aerosol sprays, to get rid of mosquitoes.