Plants Repel Mosquitoes is one of the common search terms. Why actually people are searching for mosquitos repellent plants? The reason is very common you prefer to repel mosquitoes naturally from your home without using other methods. What we mean by other methods is mosquito coils, sprays, vaporizers, or any burners.
Numerous researches have claimed that most methods we use to repel mosquitoes are harmful to our health. So here are four plants that have the ability to repel mosquitos that we believe you can survive and add beauty to your home.
You might think do plants really repel mosquitoes. Yes, researches have proven that. But please note that some plants mention here not directly cause mosquitos to go away, essential oils or chopped leaves are the most effective.
01. Basil
To repel mosquitoes by growing basil comparatively best choice you can make. According to the researches, it can emit aroma naturally. Therefore, you do not need to crush leaves or spray them like some other plants. Especially basil is toxic to mosquito larvae. Then you can grow these plants that repel mosquitoes near the indoor ponds or any water gathered area in the house where mosquitos have a chance to lay eggs.
Not only basil can use as a mosquito repellent, but it also has the ability to repel hornworms. So it often plants near vegetables like tomatoes, radish. Please remember that some basil varieties attract insects like katydids and Japanese beetles.
All the basil types not equally effective use as a mosquito repellent plant. The following are some most effective types of basil for repelling mosquitoes.
Lemon/Lime Basil is one of the common types of plants repel mosquitoes. According to research done by mixing extract of Sweet Basil and extract of Lemon Balm find that it can affect repel mosquitoes or even kill a mosquito. Therefore, it is very effective as a mosquito repellent.
Another effective mosquito repellent basil type is Holy Basil. Which is commonly known as Tulsi. Same as mention above its aroma cause to reduce the laying eggs inside your home. We can plant them in our balcony or make liquid to use as a spray. Thai Basil is recognized for its’ cinnamon scent & narrow leaves. Thai basil has a high potential to repel mosquitos and some other insects because it has a harsh smell.
Apart from growing, you can cut some basil leaves where keep those leaves to repel the mosquitos? Or else you can burn few dry leaves especially lime basil. When drying keep remember that not to dry in sunlight use any other darker place to dry out.
Grow Basil
Basil grown is not much difficult it needs 6pH-7pH, moist soil, and 6-8 hours daily sunlight. Remember that most basil types need warm growing temperatures and good drainage
02. Peppermint
Minty smell or fragrances are unpleasant to mosquitoes. Peppermint is known as a hybrid version of watermint & spearmint. This peppermint plant fast-growing and need damp, well-drained soil. It grows up to 1ft – 3ft. It also an irritant to larvae. We can also crushing leaves and rub them on the skin.
According to the research done on the Larvicidal and mosquito repellent action of peppermint (Mentha piperita) oil has shown that Peppermint oil can repel and kill the larvae of against different mosquitoes species. Peppermint plant/oil does not only have greatly work on repelling mosquitoes. It also helps to relieve discomfort from itchy mosquito bites.
03. Marigolds
Marigolds work very effectively to control diseases and harmful insects from you garden. Gardeners know this well by experience. Why marigold can be used as a mosquito repellent plant? It contains pyrethrum, which can use as an insecticide to instantly many pets including, flies, mosquitoes, ants. We can grow near the windows, balcony areas in which mosquitoes normally enter into your home.
This type of method is very easy for you because it is not much hard to grow.
Some people believe smell of this plant repel mosquitoes away. Researches suggest α–Cadinol acute toxic against larvae of the three mosquito vectors.
Main composition of marigold as follows Alpha-cadinol (18.3%), betaeudesmol (14.5%) and tau-muurolol (13.0%) compared to alpha-pinene (47.8%), 1, 8-cineole (25.9%), linalool (8.4%) and linalyl acetate (4.3%) in myrtle.
04. Catnip | Catmint
Catnip or Catmint is a well suited grate plant you must try out. Why This plant this much effective, In 2001, Lowa State University, done research on catnip essential oil. Finally, they discovered that the nepetalactone is ten times effective than DEET, which most mosquito repellent products use.
We all know that cats are love to stay around these plants. This may be one cause that plants protect and aroma help to repel mosquitoes and other bugs. They have use Aedes aegypti (yellow fever mosquitoes) for this research. They further mention this should work for all the other mosquitoes types.
What are the other plants which people love to grow as mosquito repellent plants?
