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You really can’t go anywhere on the internet without coming across lists of the 17 or 25 best mosquito repellent plants, or mosquito repellent plants that are good in the shade, or that are non-toxic to dogs, or whatever. It seems like people just want to talk around mosquito-repellent plants, and never stop thinking: wait a minute, do Do Plants Really Repel Mosquitoes?
No! You don’t! At least not in the way you think. The implication in all of these lists (and in content-free TikToks like the one where someone makes a video of themselves buying a lavender plant) is that simply planting one of these supposedly bug-repellent plants will keep mosquitoes (or other pests) away from your garden. But this notion is mostly wishful thinking.
There is a Grain of truth here: pSome plants do contain oils that may repel mosquitoes, but you would actually need to get the oils between you and the mosquitoes somehow. And that’s easier said than done.
research how this study on malaria vectors in Kenyahas shown that potted plants (including lime basil and lantana) can easily reduce the number of mosquitoes around a bed, but you must completely and completely injure the foliage of the plants surround your bed with it – and even then the effect is not strong enough to keep mosquitoes from biting you; it only reduced their number easily.
There are also studies like This one here shows that chemicals derived from vegetable oils are used in diffusers and candles. can repel mosquitoes somewhat, and sSome vegetable oils can act as mosquito repellents when applied directly to the skin. This study found that citronella, clove, and patchouli oils can work well enough to be effective repellents –defined as working at least two hours—but they must be undiluted to work best. (Other vegetable oils tested didn’t work well enough to really be considered dismissive.)
When we talk about rubbing large amounts of undiluted essential oils onto your skin, I think we’re pretty far from the fantasy of planting a few lavender bushes next to your back deck for a mosquito-free cookout. (Not to mention that essential oils are expensive, can be irritates skin and often evaporates quickly.) If you want to put something on your skin to prevent bug bites, buy one of the herbal bug sprays that are EPA registered and actually effective.
How to keep mosquitoes away from your porch or patio
So if you can’t keep mosquitoes away with lavender or citronella plants, what can you do to make your backyard gatherings less of a mosquito magnet?
First, look around your yard for sources of standing water. This can be bird baths, buckets or flower pots that collect rainwater, children’s pools or other toys or objects. If you can’t stop them from collecting water, the CDC recommends dumping them out and clean them weekly.
You can buy insecticides to kill mosquitoes. larvicides can kill baby mosquitoes in water; They are intended for water that is not intended for drinking and that you can’t just pour out (e.g. a rain barrel or a pool cover that collects water). adulticides Kill adult mosquitoes where they hang out, usually on the underside of plants, under decks, and under patio furniture. Adulticides come in sprays, coils, and misters.
Finally the easiest solution when you have guests want to enjoy a beer on the porch without getting eaten alive: a boxing fan. Mosquitoes are not strong enough fliers to fight the current generated by a fan, and if it’s a hot summer day, you’ll enjoy the breeze yourself. Offer your guests a spritz of DEET upon arrival, and you’ll be far more mosquito-free than if you were hoping a few garden plants would protect you.
