There are a lot of chemical and technological methods to getting rid of mosquitos in Atlanta, but did you know that with a little strategic garden planning you can turn your yard into a mosquito-repelling zone? Here are just a few of the plants that mosquitos really seem to hate.
Chrysanthemum Flowers
Chrysanthemums and Marigolds often get planted near sensitive vegetables like tomatoes, because of their strong bug repelling properties. There’s a compound in these flowers called Pyrethrum that chases bugs (of all kinds) away and protects your plants. But it also will protect you if you’re sitting nearby these beautiful flowers. This compound also happens to be a primary ingredient in our organic pesticides. They’re safe for plants and animals, but a great mosquito deterrent
Lavender
Lavender plants are hardy, and part of the reason that they survive so well is that a lot of critters in the animal--and insect--kingdoms steer clear of the plants. And as much as we humans love the scent of lavender in our soaps and shampoos, it’s been hypothesized that mosquitos can’t stand the smell--more than that, it actually makes it harder for mosquitos to smell anything at all, including you!
Citronella
This one should come as no surprise as citronella is a major ingredient in many mosquito repellants, especially candles. The scent of citronella grass, which can be planted in either a planter or as a ground cover, can send bugs fleeing. Citronella can grow to be 5-6 feet tall, so you may want to keep it strategically placed around the yard, but it’s definitely a potent mosquito repellant.
Catnip
A member of the mint family, catnip grows and grows and can become quite unwieldy if left unattended (some people consider it a weed) but it is a strong natural mosquito defeater. In fact, a study showed that catnip is as much as ten times as effective at combating mosquitos as DEET, the chemical used in most repellants.
Rosemary
An herb that you can use not just to chase the bugs away but to liven up your kitchen, rosemary is a plant recommended by the New York Botanical Garden as being anti-bug. It also keeps away some types of moths and flies. And it’s delicious.
Mint
Easy to grow, lovely to smell, and hated by mosquitos. A good rule of thumb with most garden plants is that the stronger the smell, the better they are at repelling bugs, even ants in this case. Mint likes to spread, so maybe keep it in a container or a planter box.
Garlic
Alas, garlic breath won’t do anything to send the bugs scurrying away, and neither will the garlic residue on your hands from cooking. But what will chase those bugs away is the presence of both growing garlic, and the hanging cloves of garlic left to dry in the sun.
Sage
If all else fails, sage is a different kind of bug repellant. It doesn’t bother bugs while it’s on the bush, but if you add the branches of this aromatic plant to fire, the smell will send the bugs packing (and burning sage smells wonderful.)
Conclusion
Having these plants in strategic places around your yard can do a lot to deter mosquitoes. However, if you’d like to kick your mosquito repellant up a few notches, contact us for a free yard evaluation so you can rid your yard of mosquitoes safely and naturally with our automatic mosquito system or our mosquito spraying services.