I’m getting so many people these days looking for plants that repel mosquitoes, so here you go:
Citronella
Citronella-scented geraniums are pretty, lacy-leaved members of the geranium family that contain citronella oil. Mosquitoes don’t like them.
Other lemon-scented herbs that also contain citronella oil are lemon thyme, lemon balm, and lemongrass. The lemongrass and citronella-scented geranium are not winter-hardy here, while both lemon thyme and lemon balm are.
Herbs
Most herbs are effective at repelling mosquitoes—catnip, basil, pennyroyal, lavender, rosemary, and most all of your mint family members are all very good at repelling them—or at the very least, camouflaging YOUR scent so the mosquitoes have trouble finding you. The annual flowers marigolds and ageratum are also effective. By the way, most of these strongly scented plants can help repel fleas, too.
Now for the bad news–imagine surrounding your deck or patio with some pretty pots of fragrant herbs and not having to worry about mosquitoes at all. It’s a nice dream. Unfortunately, it’s not quite that simple. In order for any of these plants to repel mosquitoes, the leaves must be bruised or crushed to release the essential oils. For some of the more strongly fragrant herbs, like basil, lavender, rosemary, and lemon balm, brushing your hands over them and “ruffling” the foliage will work. But you need to “release” the fragrance.
You can grab a handful of leaves, crush them, and leave them sitting in bowls or you can actually rub them on your skin (I’d probably do a “patch” test first to be sure you’re not allergic.).
Lemon Balm is my go-to plant because it is not only perennial but is an extremely vigorous grower which can generally handle donating a handful of leaves from time to time to the cause (and it makes a nice lemony tea…).
Habitat Prevention
One of the most important things we can do to help control the mosquito population is to not give them any place to live—this works best when you can get your neighbors to join in. Go through your yard and eliminate any place water can stand. All it takes is a scant half-inch of water sitting more than 24 hours and a mosquito can find it and lay eggs.
Check under decks for old saucers that could collect rain water; check splash guards under downspouts to make sure they don’t have anywhere water can puddle; don’t let water stand in birdbaths more than a day without hitting with the garden hose. Note to my neighbor—please check the plastic pool in your backyard that you put out for the kids!
Check saucers under plants and don’t let water stand in them either. Add mosquito ”dunks” to ponds, pools, or standing water in creeks. These won’t harm fish but will kill mosquito larvae.
Encourage Beneficial Wildlife
Encourage birds to visit your yard by planting bird-friendly shrubs and flowers, hanging bird feeders, bird houses, and keeping bird baths filled with fresh water. Remember to hit the birdbath with fresh water from your hose daily to disrupt any mosquito egg laying.
Did you know that one bat can eat thousands of mosquitoes in a single evening? This fact alone is a great reason to appreciate them when they flutter and swoop overhead. Consider hanging one or more “bat houses” to encourage them to hang out. You’ll be happy. The bats will be happy. But the mosquitoes won’t be.
Need help selecting mosquito-unfriendly plants? Come see us! We’re here to answer all your questions!
Thank you for the info on mosquito plantings. We’re new to the area and this was very helpful.
Patricia–welcome to the area–and to The Great Big Greenhouse!