Mosquito repellent Landscape
In Central Texas one thing is for sure, summer is hot and the mosquitoes are voracious. After a particularly wet winter and spring, you can bet they are bountiful and hungry. If you are as delicious as I am, you get real clever when it comes to pest control and thankfully Mother Nature has some plants that may just save the day.
A Mosquito repellent bed (above) is a great solution to mosquitoes but there is a little confusion as to how this works and which plants to use.
Mexican Mint Merigold
The simple truth is that the real goal here is to throw off your scent so the mosquito can’t detect you. A mosquito can smell a human from about 100 feet away and they are drawn to your breath (Carbon Dioxide), sweat and body odor. In Texas it’s hard not to be sweaty most of the year. Adding a little garden by your patio is a convenient way of having organic mosquito repellent on hand. Plants like garlic, chives, citronella, lemon grass, thyme, oregano can add a distracting scent into the air by just brushing your hands over them.
I keep citronella right outside my back door so the dogs brush against it as they come and go out. We love this plant because it’s such a happy scent. Plants like Rosemary, Lemon Balm, lemon grass, lemon verbena, Celantro and Basil are also useful. Chewing herbs can throw off your scent and burning herbs like Savory Sage can add fragrance along with a recharging of good energy…
Citronella is a super fragrant plant with beautiful lavender, pink flowers that bloom a couple times a year. It needs to be protected in our hardest winter months, but mine does well on my covered back porch.
Herbs of all kinds like celantro, mint and basil can serve as a mosquito repellant. Smells like perfume, laundry detergent and shampoo can attract more pests, but scent yourself with essential oils or plant leaves and you can create a scent of your own.
Above, Rosemary is not only good for cooking, it’s great for mosquitoes too. Plant near your sitting area and rub the stems against you, the kids and the pets for added protection. Below are garlic and chives which also work for the same reason.
The allium and sage families are all beautifully flowering. Below is an onion bloom which spans about 3 to 4 inches across. Herb blooms range from white, yellow, pink blue-ish and purple.
Both edible and medicinal sages are great for mosquito repellant and you can also spray liquid garlic all over your lawn and shrubs for a mosquito repellent. Liquid garlic can be purchased online or at your local nursery and is typically sold to ward off early fungal infections in lawns.
Your goal is to throw off your scent and sometimes it takes a special recipe of herbs. Dried herbs can make great satchels you can set around the space and fresh herbs eaten and or used on the skin are both beneficial and pleasant smelling. Herbs can be used in your hat, your pocket, waistline or socks. The more you move, the more herbaceous scent you omit.
Try a raised bed or pots around your front and back door as well as pots of herbaceous plants near your patio and seating areas. If you’d like more cleaver ideas on how to make your space less mosquito freindly, email me at lisalapaso@gmail.com for a Consultation.
Lisa LaPaso
Lisa’s Landscape and Design
“Saving the Planet One Yard at a Time”