We live in the northeast and 15 minutes from a major river that runs through our state. On top of that, our city is located down in the valley with mountains surrounding it on all sides. Every year, we’re bombarded with millions of pesky mosquitoes!
For the past few years we’ve dealt with horrible mosquito bites from early May through the end of October every year. Even though we keep our property cleaned-up, free of standing water & trash…those dang insects just keep’on coming.
Last year we fought back and used a combination of things to keep those nasty mosquitoes at-bay. Early in the spring season, my husband sprayed the entire property (twice) with chemicals. I wasn’t fond of him using the chemicals, but we had to get a grip on the problem.
We followed that up by planting mosquito-repelling garden plants all around our property with several of them being planted in portable pots. Why portable pots? We like to hang out by our swimming pool and entertain on our deck. so by having some of the plants in portable pots, I can easily move them around as I need them.
For those of you who are looking to combat the problem naturally, I highly recommend that you plant these 3 easy to grow mosquito-repelling plants!
1. Citronella – It’s the most common and often times you’ll find outdoor insect-repelling sprays, torches, lanterns and candles containing citronella oil. You can grow it directly in the ground or in portable gardening pots.
2. Marigolds – Marigolds are flowering plants and they’re a great way to add some color to your flower gardens and surrounding landscape. They’re a great plant to line your veggie garden with, since they will help to repel bugs that tend to eat your plants. They can be planted into the ground or in portable flower pots.
3. Catnip – Yes, this is the same catnip that your feline friends love and it’s a natural mosquito repellent. You can crush the leaves and run them directly onto your skin for protection too. If you’re a cat owner, you may want to refrain from using catnip on your property.
Besides the three listed above, there are others that you can plant to help repel mosquitoes, naturally! With that said, these are the three that I’ve been using for the past 2 years and have had great results with them.
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I did not know about these plants. They sound like a great investment. I love how you can dry out the leaves to use them that way too. Thanks for the information.
I have used marigolds successfully in my vegetable garden but did not know of the benefits of catnip and citronella plants. We have not been bothered too much by mosquitos where I live but I would so much rather try natural methods when possible.
I grow marigolds not just for mosquitoes, but they also seem to deter some garden pests too. It seems rabbits detest them or avoid them. I also grow catnip. Tons of catnip! I harvest it in the fall for our kitties and pull some throughout the spring and summer for them. It grows really well here and is all over.
I make a DIY bug spray to keep bugs off me while gardening outside. I also recently purchased citronella oil to add to my spray. I was wondering if the citronella plant is drought tolerant? For instance, if you travel is it a problem? Do they have to be watered daily? I try to invest in low-maintenance plants because life gets busy. lol
I water mine once a week if it doesn’t rain. So, IMHO…nope you don’t need to water it daily. You can dry it out in the fall (the leaves) and crush them down and make outdoor potpourri with them for the spring season.
Seems low-maintenance enough to keep up with then! 🙂 And, that’s a great idea about drying the leaves! Thanks!
Every year I put a big pot with citronella on my deck near my sliding glass door. I also have marigolds, basil and lavender on my deck, all mosquito repelling plants!
We’ve been lucky this year and haven’t had bad mosquito problems. I like citronella and do have catnip.
This was really interesting to read thank you for posting this one. I love it when I learn something new. I had no idea there were plants that repelled mosquitoes especially catnip that is amazing.
I like these ideas. Mosquito’s are such a pain and they itch terribly. I am all for keeping them away naturally.. No chemicals just lovely plants. i dont know what catnip looks like but I do the other two. Thank You for sharing this Awesome post..