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Do mosquitoes drive you crazy? Do you love spending time outside until you become a feast for these pesky creatures? Keep reading for our list of plants that repel mosquitoes…a simple solution that doesn’t involve chemical-laden sprays!
Mosquitoes are a real problem, not just because they’re annoying and no one likes the itchy bumps they leave behind, but because they carry disease. Zika is the newest threat here in the U.S. and it’s particularly alarming for women who are pregnant or who want to become pregnant, as it causes birth defects.
The first step to reducing mosquitoes is to make sure you don’t have standing water around your home, as they need water to reproduce. This includes rain gutters, outside toys, wagons, dog bowls, etc. Even a bottle cap of water can be a breeding ground for mosquitoes.
The next thing to do is add some mosquito-repelling plants to your landscape and containers. It’s important to note that the mere presence of these plants doesn’t necessarily repel mosquitoes. {There are a lot of claims that they do, but there is no scientific backing to support this idea!}
So now what? To harness the power of these plants, you must actually break the leaves on the plants and rub the oil on your skin in order to truly repel the mosquitoes.
If essential oils are your thing, try THIS recipe for a kid-friendly spray. You can also try making your own essential oils! But whether or not you make your own oils, add these plants to your yard to keep your family safe from the summer mosquitos!
Plants that Repel Mosquitoes
1—Lavender ⇧
Lavender is a beautiful plant with a lovely fragrance. It’s known to bring on calmness and relaxation, and can even help you get to sleep. Lavender oil has also been known to stop the itchiness of bug bites and sunburns. Spraying lavender on your body masks your natural scent and will help keep you free of mosquito bites! You can make your own lavender oil by removing the flowers and allowing them to dry, then boiling them in fractionated coconut oil.
2—Lemon Balm ⇧
Many people enjoy lemon tea from lemon balm leaves and say they have found relief for indigestion, better sleep, and reduced anxiety. You can easily crush the leaves in your hands and rub them over your skin as a natural mosquito repellent.
3—Peppermint ⇧
Not only is peppermint used in tea and in baking, but it is a fantastic repellent for mosquitoes. It’s easy to gently crush some leaves in your hands and rub over your skin or exposed areas where mosquitoes can bite you. Not only can peppermint repel mosquitoes, it can help relieve the itch, as it has a cooling/tingling feeling when applied to the skin.
4—Rosemary ⇧
Rosemary is a great herb to have in your garden as the scent helps repel mice and deer. You can make delicious savory dishes and have the added benefit that using just a few leaves a day gives you all the vitamin A you need. Rosemary can be boiled in fractionated coconut oil and then be sprayed on your body as a natural mosquito repellent.
5—Sage ⇧
Sage isn’t just for cooking anymore! This herb is a little different from the others on our list…you can actually burn some dried sage bundles to help keep the mosquitoes away. We recommend using it in combination with some of the other essential oils mentioned above for total mosquito repelling success!
When you apply natural mosquito repellents on your skin for the first time, make sure you place a small amount on the back of your hand and rub it in. Wait one to two hours to see if the repellent causes irritation. If you have no irritation, you can spray or rub the repellant over the exposed areas to keep the mosquitoes away.
Have you found another natural way to keep the mosquitoes at bay? Tell us in a comment below!
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