Those pesky mosquitoes arrive with the arrival of spring. Here is a list of deet-free mosquito repellent plants to make mosquito control more natural rather than using chemical insect repellent to avoid mosquito bites.
The West Nile Virus and the Zika virus are linked through the mosquito bite and the diseases they spread.
Ocimum americanum basil
Some mosquito repellents extract the essential oils and use them as a spray. When growing close, it also works well as a repellant.
Monarda, often known as bee balm, is a stunning flowering plant that draws hummingbirds and, of course, bees. When the leaves are crushed and the fragrant oils are released, it is also quite effective when used as a mosquito repellent.
Tree of Cadaga
By merely being planted in an area where insects are undesirable, eucalyptus torelliana can serve as a mosquito repellent. Mosquitoes are deterred by the tree’s aroma by creating a physical barrier.
Nepeta faassenii, often known as catmint, is excellent at repelling mosquitoes. It is even more effective at warding off bugs than over-the-counter bug sprays. To produce a spray, simply snip the petals off and boil them. Continue reading
Catnip
An efficient mosquito repellant is nepeta cataria. Nepetalactone, one of its key active components, was recently discovered to be 10X stronger than even DEET. It is a beneficial non-toxic substitute for conventional chemical sprays. More…
cedars species thuja
One of the active ingredients in many insect repellent solutions used to keep bugs, mosquitoes, and other pest insects away is cedar oil. More…
You can grow cloves (Syzygium aromaticum), a natural mosquito repellent plant, in your yard or use the oil extracted from cloves to quickly ward off mosquitoes. Recipe…
Fluff Flower Agaricus
Ageratum secretes coumarin, which is widely used in the production of insect repellents. The overpowering scent and odor repel mosquitoes. Rich soil is necessary for growing effectively in either partial or full sun. More…
Mosquitoes can be repelled naturally with garlic (Allium sativum). You can utilize it by chopping garlic and scattering it all around your outdoor living spaces. Another option is to make a yard spray. Garlic can even be combined with pure fragrant oils to make a body spray that keeps mosquitoes away. More…
Lavender
Angustifolia Lavandula
Although lavender oil has a pleasant perfume that many people prefer, mosquitoes do not like the scent that lavender emits, thus it repels them. To deter mosquitoes, it can be cultivated in gardens, turned into oil, applied topically, or blended with other oils. More…
Melissa officinalis, or lemon balm
One of the many uses for lemon balm, a member of the mint family, is as a herbal tea flavour. By chopping up some leaves, you may quickly make a mosquito repellent by applying it on your exposed skin. For simple access when you need them, grow them in the garden. More…
Citrus Grass
Citronella, a naturally occurring oil that deters insects, is present in Cymbopogon citrate. In Southeast Asia, lemon grass is used to flavor foods like chicken. It is employed as an anti-inflammatory drug in India. Due to its excellent aroma, lemongrass is frequently used in perfumes and other products. More…
Lemon-Flavor Geranium
Your environment can be enhanced with pelargonium crispum to give you access to a natural mosquito deterrent. The leaves smell strongly like lemon when they are crushed. To deter insects, scatter the crushed leaves over your living space. More…
Lemon thyme (Thymus vulgaris) naturally deters mosquitoes. Their citrus scent tends to repel mosquitoes. To keep these dangerous insects at bay, crush some of the plant’s components and rub them over the body. Before applying to bigger portions of the body, make sure your skin can tolerate the oil. More…
You can use the perennial plant Lemon Verbena, Aloysia triphylla, to keep mosquitoes away from your garden, entryway, and windows. It smells strongly like fresh lemons. Additionally, the body can be treated with the plant’s oils to keep off insects. More…
Marigold of Mexico (Tagetes lucida)
Both people and mosquitoes dislike the smell of marigolds. It can be grown in your yard with well-drained soil, or the flowers can be clipped off and kept around the home to deter mosquitoes. More…
Natural eucalyptus oil deters a variety of insects, including mosquitoes, sandflies, ticks, midges, stable flies, and more. Formulas are designed to be kind to skin. More…
Onion Nodding
A. Cernuum Allium
Allium cernuum juices can be obtained by blending or crushing the plant. This juice can be administered straight to the skin and is quite effective at keeping mosquitoes away. The allium cernuum has no known side effects and is not an irritant. Details…
Typically planted in gardens, mint is used to flavor tea. However, mint also keeps mosquitoes away, so you may use it to produce your own repellent. All varieties of mint, both wild and domesticated, have fragrant qualities that make them repellent to insects. More…
Hawaiian weed
Pineapple scent in Matricaria matricarioides. The weed can be used fresh or dried to make a unique tea. The buds of Matricaria matricariodes can be used to give salads a unique twist. More…
Dispatch Plant
Nepenthes alatait, which resembles a Venus Fly Trap, is actually a carnivorous plant. However, this tiny beauty devours insects. Put this in your yard and watch it grow, that’s all. More…
WormwoodArtemisia is a potent natural repellent of insects. To properly keep these terrible insects away, crush up wormwood leaves and scatter them over your outdoor living spaces. More…
You can reduce mosquito populations by planting rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) in your garden. It can also be added to a variety of lotions and formulations to serve as a topical mosquito repellent. Recipe…
In most places, snowbrush, also known as Ceonothus velutinus, is regarded as a weed, yet it can be used in your landscaping to deter mosquitoes. More…
Sweet Fern, also known as Comptonia peregrina, is a versatile natural herb. Put some Sweetfern onto a fire to ward off mosquitoes by keeping the little critters away from the fire and the area around it. Additionally functional as an essential oil spray. More…
TansyTanacetum vulgarehelps enhance blood and saliva flow and is utilized for a number of health issues. Around your home, tansy can be utilized as a pest repellent. More…
Melaleuca Tea Tree
We have long used tea tree oil on both ourselves and our animals. The aroma works wonders on bug and environmental irritants and is too potent for any bugs to approach. It is wonderful and organic! but hazardous, so exercise caution. More…
Native cultures employed the vanilla leaf (Achlys triphylla) as a bug deterrent. To start, crush and rub plants like vanilla leaves that repel mosquitoes on your skin. More…
untamed bergamot
In order to use Mondarda fistulosa as a mosquito repellent, the plant must first be diluted with water because it can irritate skin. In order to check for allergic responses, you should also test a little bit of the plant on your skin beforehand. More…
rock root
Collinsonia canadensis is a tall plant related to mint—in fact, they both belong to the same family. It is simple to grow and, when crushed and cooked, can be used to ward against mosquitoes. More…
NOTE: Always empty the saucer after watering plants in pots with saucers. Never let standing water become a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Citronella
One of the most well-known plants for repelling mosquitoes is the citronella plant, commonly known as the mosquito plant. In fact, citronella is probably one of the components in any candle that claims to keep mosquitoes away.
The citronella plant, as its name suggests, smells like lemons and is simple to grow in any yard or plant pot.
The citronella plant is a sun-loving perennial ‘clumping’ grass that can reach heights of up to 5 or 6 feet (about 2 meters). It does not tolerate frost, therefore if you reside in a region with chilly winters, you should put it in pots and bring them indoors over the winter.
The best varieties of citronella plants to purchase if you want to deter mosquitoes are Cybopogon nardus or Citronella winterianus.
When applied topically, citronella essential oil offers exceptionally excellent defense against insects and mosquitoes, making it one of the most powerful all-natural mosquito repellents.
The fact that citronella oil alone evaporates quite quickly is one thing you should take into account. But according to a study in the Journal of Vector Ecology, combining citronella with vanillin boosted the mosquito-repelling power of the mixture for up to 8 hours1. This indicates that it is equally efficient as DEET, the most widely used chemical ingredient in insect repellents, as an insect repellent.
Another investigation shown that citronella retained its insect-repellent qualities on garments for up to 30 days when combined with gelatin-arabic gum microcapsules2.
Citronella is therefore one of the best natural plants you can use to repel mosquitoes, and this is supported by scientific studies. It is also one of the most effective natural insect repellents. Furthermore, citronella works just as well as chemical-based repellents to keep mosquitoes away while having none of the negative side effects.
Here are some tips for using your citronella plant to keep mosquitoes away:
To ward off mosquitoes, rub all exposed body parts with a few softened citronella leaves that you have between your palms.
You can also prevent mosquitoes from entering your home by placing fresh leaves on window sills.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a clumping, dark green herb that can reach heights of 3-6 feet (1-2 meters) and has a pungent lemon aroma.
Lemongrass works well as a mosquito repellant because it also includes citronella oil. Mosquitoes will stay away thanks to its potent lemon aroma.
Catmint
Nepeta faassenii, an oil found in catmint, has been demonstrated in numerous tests to have insect-repelling effects. Catmint possesses qualities that make it a natural mosquito repellent, according to a study published in the journal Parasitology Research3.
Catnip
Catnip and catmint are closely related, and most people think of catnip as a herb that makes cats crazy. Although they are both simple to grow, catnip and catmint have a propensity to take over a garden.
Many people might not know that catnip works well to keep mosquitoes away, though. Additionally, research has demonstrated that catnip possesses insect-repelling qualities. For instance, according to research from Iowa State University, catnip essential oil was 10 times more efficient as an insect repellent than DEET4.
However, if you have cats, you might want to consider growing alternative plants in your garden.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a widely used herb that has a lovely appearance and numerous culinary applications. It thrives both inside and outside. One of the greatest plants for repelling mosquitoes is rosemary (as well as insects and other bugs). One of the plants that deters wasps is this one.
Therefore, to get the most out of rosemary, you should have a pot growing on a windowsill or next to a doorway. This will not only provide color and a great scent to the area, but it will also help keep insects out of the space by blocking their flight.
Basil
Basil may be grown and used as a mosquito repellent and in cooking, similar to how rosemary can. Additionally supported by scientific study is this. For instance, one study found that oils made from turmeric and hairy basil, along with 5% vanillin, effectively repelled three types of mosquitoes for 6 to 8 hours in cage conditions2.
Basil contains anti-inflammatory qualities and can be used to treat mosquito bites in addition to repelling mosquitoes (as I mentioned in my article about the top 15 natural ways to relieve mosquito bites). Basil leaves can be applied directly to the affected area by rubbing them between your fingers or by crushing the leaves in a pestle and mortar and applying the paste to your skin.
Pyrethrum
This plant aids in the prevention of a wide range of insects and pests, such as ticks, aphids, leafhoppers, spider mites, and harlequin bugs, in addition to mosquitoes. Insecticide prepared from dried flower heads of Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium and Chrysanthemum coccineum is known as pyrethrum.
The six esters known as pyretrins, which are active components found in the floral sections termed achenesthe future seeds of Pyrethrum, function as an insect repellent.
Lavender
Due to its relaxing effects and lovely aroma, lavender has a wide range of applications. Additionally, lavender naturally deters mosquitoes. Lavender essential oil is particularly efficient when coupled with other natural oils, according to certain studies5.
Geranium
Geraniums thrive in both indoor and outdoor environments and are prized for their stunning, vivid colors. Mosquitoes and other creatures can be repelled by their aroma. In fact, research on geraniums as a mosquito repellent revealed that it was effective when combined with the oils of lavender and lemon eucalyptus5.
Peppermint
Another plant that deters insects is peppermint. Due to the fact that most insects dislike its potent taste and smell, it is an effective all-purpose insect repellent. According to one study, peppermint oil both kills the larvae of malaria-carrying mosquitoes and works well as a repellent against them6.
Other studies on natural mosquito repellents have revealed the effectiveness of essential oils from the mint family, which are widely used as insect repellents worldwide2.
Rub peppermint leaves on the region where you’ve been bitten by a bug to get the relief you need.
Garlic
Naturally, garlic is well-known for both the health advantages it offers and the strong stench we release after consuming it. Additionally, if we consume too much garlic, it will likely ward off more people than insects!
Fortunately, garlic’s insect-repelling qualities can be experienced without eating it. Few people would like to rub it on their skin to deter insects, especially when there are much better and more pleasant-smelling natural options like citronella.
Garlic has a pungent smell that insects and mosquitoes typically find repulsive, thus it can be effective in warding them off.
Lemon Balm
This also belongs to the mint family and thrives in all environments. Essential oils from the mint family contain insect-repelling qualities, as previously described with peppermint oil.
Marigolds
Marigolds are rarely considered to have any uses other adding color to a garden, but did you know that they also act as a natural insect repellent?
Marigold plants produce flowers that are yellow or orange and have a strong scent. Alpha-terthienyl, a chemical produced by marigolds, has been shown to have insect-repelling properties. The ability of marigold essential oil to deter mosquitoes has also been discovered. 7
Horsemint
This is sometimes referred to as Beebalm, and it has a potent scent that effectively serves as a natural mosquito deterrent. It may be grown in pots and is simple to grow. Therefore, it can deter insects from entering your home when placed next to doors or windows.