31 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes
When spring arrives so do those annoying mosquitoes. Instead of going the chemical route, here is a collection of mosquito repelling plants to make mosquito control more natural.
Basil – Ocimum americanum – has essential oils that can be extracted and used as a spray to repel mosquitoes. It has also been an effective repellent when grown nearby.
Bee Balm – Monarda – is a beautiful flowering plant that attracts hummingbirds and, of course, bees. It is also very effective used as a mosquito repellent, when allowing the fragrant oils to be released when the leaves are crushed.
Bee Balm
Cadaga Tree – Eucalyptus torelliana – can repel mosquitoes simply by being planted in an area where mosquitoes are not wanted. The scent from the tree acts as a barrier to repel mosquitoes.
Catmint – Nepeta faassenii – is very effective at keeping mosquitoes away. It is even better than commercial bug sprays at keeping the pests away. Simply, cut off the flowers and boil them to make a spray.
Catnip – Nepeta cataria – is an effective mosquito repellent. One of its main active ingredients, nepetalactone, was found to be 10X stronger than even DEET in a recent study. It is a good non-toxic alternative to traditional chemical sprays.
Cedars – Thuja species – Many repellent products contain cedar oil as one of its active ingredients to repel mosquitoes as well as other insect pests.
Citronella Grass – Cymbopogon nardus – is a plant which, when crushed, releases an oil. This oil can be placed directly on the skin to act as a mosquito repellent, or mixed with other oils and liquids to make repellants.
Citronella Grass
Clove – Syzygium aromaticum – a natural mosquito repellent plant you can use as a planting around the yard or use the oil from the clove to repel mosquitoes quickly.
Floss Flower – Ageratum – Coumarin, which is secreted by ageratum, is found extensively in the manufacture mosquito repellents. Mosquitoes find the odor offensive. Growing well in partial or full sun with requiring rich soil.
Garlic – Allium sativum – is a natural way to repel mosquitoes. One way to use it is to cut up garlic and sprinkle it around your outdoor living areas. A yard spray can also be made. Garlic can even be mixed with natural aromatic oils in order to create a mosquito repelling body spray.
Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia – Even though lavender is a smell often enjoyed by humans, lavender repels mosquitoes because mosquitoes dislike the scent lavender gives off. It can be planted in gardens or made into oil and applied to the skin or mixed with other oils to keep mosquitoes away.
Lemon Balm – Melissa officinalis – Lemon balm is a herb in the mint family that has a variety of uses like in flavoring in herbal teas. Make a quick mosquito repellent, by crushing a handful of leaves and rubbing on your exposed skin. Grow them in the garden for easy access when you need them.
Lemon Grass – Cymbopogon citrates – containing citronella, a natural oil that repels mosquitoes. Lemon grass is used in Southeast Asia to flavor things such as chicken. In India, it is used as an anti-inflammatory medicine. Lemongrass has a wonderful aroma so that it is often used in perfumes and other toiletries.
Lemon Scented Geranium – Pelargonium crispum – can be added to your landscape to allow you access to a natural mosquito repellent. When the leaves are crushed, they emit a strong lemony smell. The crushed leaves can be spread around your living area to keep mosquitoes at bay.
Lemon Thyme – Thymus vulgaris – repels mosquitoes naturally. Mosquitoes tend to hate their citrus smell. Crush a few parts of this plant and rub on the body to keep these harmful bugs away. Make sure that your skin can tolerate the oil before applying to larger areas of the body.
Lemon Thyme
Lemon Verbena – Aloysia triphylla – can be planted in your garden, doorways, and windows in order to repel mosquitoes. It has an aromatic, fresh lemon scent. The plant’s oils can also be applied to the body to ward off bugs.
Mexican Marigold – Tagetes lucida – the scent of marigolds is offensive to most people and mosquitoes. You can grow it in your yard or cut the flowers off and keep them around the house to keep mosquitoes from visiting.
Eucalyptus – Natural oil from the eucalyptus tree repels insects such as mosquitoes, sandflies, ticks, midges, stable flies and more. Formulas are made to be gentle to the skin.
Nodding Onion – Allium cernuum – Juices can be extracted from allium cernuum via grinding or blending. This juice is highly proficient in repelling mosquitoes and can be directly applied on to the skin. The allium cernuum is not an irritant and is not known for any sort of reaction.
Mint – Mentha – usually grown in gardens to flavor tea. However, mint also repels mosquitoes and you can make your own repellent with mint! All species of mint, both wild and cultivated, contain aromatic properties repulsive to insects.
Mint
Pineapple weed – Matricaria matricarioides – the aroma of pineapple. The weed can be dried or used fresh to prepare an interesting tea. Matricaria matricariodes’ buds can be used to add an interesting twist to salads.
Pitcher Plant – Nepenthes alata – it is actually a carnivorous plant that is similar to a Venus Fly Trap. Except this little beauty gobbles up mosquitoes. Simply, plant this in your yard and watch it work.
Wormwood – Artemisia – strong but natural way to ward away mosquitoes. Crush up wormwood leaves and distribute around your outdoor living ways in order to effectively keep these nasty insects away.
Rosemary – Rosmarinus officinalis – can be planted in your garden in order to control mosquito infestation. It can also be mixed into various formulas and lotions to act as a mosquito repellent for the body.
Snowbrush – Ceonothus velutinus – is a plant that can be used in your landscape in order to keep mosquitoes away but considered a weed in most areas.
Sweet Fern – Comptonia peregrina – is a natural herb that has many uses. To fight mosquitoes away you can place some Sweetfern into a fire to keep the little bugs away from the fire and the surrounding area. Also can be used as an essential oil spray.
Tansy – Tanacetum vulgare – used for a variety of health problems, as it helps increase blood and saliva flow. Tansy can be used as a bug repellent around your home.
Tea Tree – Melaleuca – We have long used Tea Tree oil on our animals, as well as ourselves. The scent is too strong for any bugs to get near, and it also does wonders on irritations to bugs or the environment. It is great and natural! But toxic, so be careful.
Tea Tree
Vanilla Leaf – Achlys triphylla – used by native tribes as an insect repellant. First crush and apply by rubbing mosquito-repellent plants like vanilla leaf on your skin.
Wild Bergamot – Mondarda fistulosa – can be used to repel mosquitoes but it must first be diluted with water because the plant itself can irritate the skin. Also you should test the plant on your skin in small amounts first to test for allergic reactions.
Stone root – Collinsonia canadensis – a tall plant that is similar to mint, in fact it is in the same family. It is easy to grow and can be made into a mosquito repellent when crushed and boiled.
Source: http://bestplants.com/plants-that-repel-mosquitoes/
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Thank you for sharing this wonderful article and great information on insect and mosquito repellent. Has we know that mosquito continues to be responsible for variety of diseases and serious health problems to public even though many techniques and products used for their control.
An insect repellent of plant origin should be harmless to humans as well as providing a means of personal protection. Therefore, use of these botanical derivatives in mosquito protection instead of chemicals could reduce the costs and environmental effects.
Thank you Pastor Seng Piow and Rinpoche for sharing this very useful article for repelling mosquitoes. Didn’t realise there are so many types of plants that can keep away mosquitoes.I have experienced using Citronella Oil for keeping away mosquitoes and it really helps. The ointment is also very good for relieving stress and headaches too.
Wow……i did’nt know there so many plants that can repel mosquitoes.
Thanks for sharing these informative article ….which i will share with my friends as there’s so many cases of dengue in our neighborhood.Good to use natural plants to repel mosquitoes..then chemical sprays to kill them.
Thank you Rinpoche/Pastor for sharing.
I have never known that there are so many plants that repel mosquitoes, and they release strong scents. It does makes sense now, bugs or mosquitoes really do not like strong smells. One thing I’m surprised to see on the list is garlic, garlic is really a good helper, it does not only kill bacteria but also can be placed indoor or outdoor to act as a repellent.
Mosquito bites can be very dangerous, I had dengue about a year ago and ever since that incident, I’d freak out when I see mosquitoes. Their bites are just a very small issue, it’s the virus they carry that kill people. Therefore, it is also very important that we keep our surroundings dry and clean so that we do not risk our health or lives.
It is always better to repel and prevent household pests problems than having to resolve to killing them.
Mosquitoes can be a nuisance and in some tropical countries can bring fatal diseases like malaria and dengue.
Chemical pesticides that can kill any creatures are bound to have some level of toxicity. Using natural plants to repel mosquitoes have many other side benefits. You reduce unnecessary exposure to toxic chemicals, some of these plants can be used in cooking and emit natural aromatic fragrant scent.
Since we are on the topic of mosquito, here’s a quote from His Holiness the Dalai Lama.
“If you think you are too small to make a difference, try sleeping with a mosquito.” ~ Dalai Lama
謝謝仁波切的信息分享，我從來不知道有這麼多的植物，可以幫助驅除蚊蟲，也是最自然及温文的方法，我希望通過種植這些植物將擺脫蚊子的叮咬。
Some plants like Citronella Grass and mint family plants are easy to plant to get, and used as mosquitoes repellent. Especially in this dry and hot season, with haze coming back, mosquitoes are would fly in the house especially at night. This post comes in the right time.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this very useful information.These methods is useful and natural,is a good way to prevent mosquitoes without killing them.
This is a good thing. I never actually knew that certain plants can actually affect whether or not Mosquitos come to you. I think I’m going to be carrying a lot more plants around with me hahah. Thank you for sharing this information with me Rinpoche, it was quite interesting to know and read.
It’s good to know that there are so many choices of natural mosquito repellants. Good news is some of these plants are available and suitable for tropical countries like Malaysia.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing the useful information to drive away the mosquitoes in a natural way. I like to use the mint plant as it can be planted as decoration or consume with other food.
Thank you for the sharing Rinpoche.Glad to know that there are so many plants from nature that could be used as an mosquitoe repellent.
This is definitely a better way to repel them ,then to purchase insecticide.
But still,we should practice good housekeeping around our garden to avoid breeding them unintentionally with stagnant water.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this great article on plants that repel mosquitoes. Mosquitoes not only bite and suck our blood and make us itchy, it can infected us with dengue virus that may lead to death.
We really need to plant more of these plants, especially those places that have been identified and declared as dengue prone area. Hope that this natural way is more effective in repelling the mosquitoes than using the chemical way. Awareness in having a clean environment also is an important factor in eliminating the breeding of mosquitoes.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing these remedies. I personally have try the citronella and lavender it really work the smell of the plant really dispel the mosquitoes is a good way to prevent mosquitoes without killing them.
Thanks Rinpoche for the sharing…
Now we have a better idea to keep a distance with mosquitoes without killing…
Thanks for Rinpoche’s sharing. This is really good idea to control the mosquitoes in nature way.
Thank you Rinpoche for sharing this useful information. I will choose to use garlic, nodding Onion , or mint to repel mosquitoes because easy to get it . No killing mosquitoes and also can live in healthy environment, support all natural products and less using chemical products.
Dear Rinpoche, I didn’t know that mint and pineapple are able to repel mosquitoes. Few months ago, my mom bought lemon grass to plant in the house so that mosquitoes won’t come near but the effect only lasted for a couple of weeks. I guess we can’t repel mosquitoes forever, but at least a few weeks without any mosquitoes bites is counted quite lucky.
Thank You for this article, Rinpoche.
A few of my friends have crushed Citronella and applied the oil. It works to keep away the mosquitoes.
Thank you for the information Rinpoche, I never knew that there are so many plants that can help to repel mosquitoes, planting plants is the most natural way as well. My house has a lot of mosquitoes even though I’m staying in a condo, I hope that by planting these plants will get rid of the mosquitoes.
This is interesting to know and little fun facts about mosquitos. I honestly hat the little guys but i do not kill them. Why cant i have every single one of these plants in my house. Thank you for sharing Rinpoche.
Thank you for sharing this information. It is greatly useful since I think that the mosquito population is increasing in my area and my poor animals may get bitten. These methods are natural and useful. Thank you!
Dear Rinpoche,
Thank you for the wonderful, all-natural manner to repel mosquitoes. It is a good method to keep those pesky mosquitoes at bay without killing them.
🙂
Thank you for sharing the information Rinpoche… it is useful to know what can be grown to repel mosquitoes in our environment especially living in Malaysia… we definitely need these plants in KFR. Good information for us to look into and help the green team to implement it.