Mosquitoes are everywhere. They can enter your home or stay outside. If you love gardening, you can stay among your plants for hours. This can be challenging if there are mosquitoes everywhere. There’s no problem with the male skeeters. They just feed on your flowers. It’s the female mosquitoes you should be worried about. Working in your garden will be more pleasant if you use repellents.
Using Modern Repellents
You can spray yourself with personal repellents. Foggers are also available on the market. This product can cover your yard for many hours. A sprayer can protect your yard for weeks. These insects are also attracted to standing water. You can also purchase a mosquito dunk into your pond and fountain. This can remove skeeters in your garden and free you from bites while you work.
Natural Mosquito Repellents
Below are natural mosquito repellents you can use natural plants to repel mosquitoes while you work in your garden. Placing repellent plants along your work area can deter mosquitoes. You can place citronella torches and candles on the porch as well.
Applying garlic oil around your yard can protect against mosquitoes for six weeks. On your lawn, you can have mosquito protection for up to two weeks. You can spray the garlic oil on plants at dusk when their pores are open. This will give them long-lasting protection.
Plants That Repel Mosquitoes
Below are some of the mosquito repelling plants you can have in your garden:
- Horsemint
This is also known as beebalm. It is a perennial plant that has the same effect as citronella. Horsemint has a strong smell that can mask your scent. If you have your pets around you when you garden, they can benefit from this plant as well.
- Catnip
This plant is a natural mosquito repellent. It is even more effective than DEET-based repellents. It may be acting as an irritant to mosquitoes. These insects may not even like the smell.
- Citronella
The aroma of this plant masks your smell and other attractants. It is harder for skeeters to find you when you have citronella around you as you work on your garden.
- Ageratum
These plants are also known as flossflowers. It gives an offensive smell to mosquitoes. It emits coumarin, which is a strong ingredient in many repellents.
- Marigolds
These are common ornamental border plants. They are hardy annual plants that emit an offensive smell. Marigolds contain pyrethrum, which is a common ingredient in mosquito repellents. You can also plant marigolds beside your tomato plants so your tomatoes could be free from pests.
Prevention
Mosquitoes like bright lights and water. You can prevent mosquitoes from flying around your garden.
You can throw away standing water around your garden. These insects can breed in just 14 days in an old birdbath, flower pot or gutter. If you have a pond, you can add guppies and mosquito fish. You can also add a fountain or waterfall to keep the water moving.
Keeping the air conditioner on and installing screens can keep the mosquitoes from entering your home. You can also use repellents on your clothes and gear before you go on a camping trip. Spraying repellents on your feet, ankles, wrists, and lower legs can also help.
Wear light-colored clothing, especially when you are outside. Loose-fitting, thicker clothes can give you more protection from mosquito bites. Staying indoors at dawn and dusk can reduce your exposure to the bites. Making yourself less appealing by not drinking beer. People with type O blood are also appealing to mosquitoes. Eating more garlic can also repel these insects.
You can repel mosquitoes while you are working on your garden. All you need to do is be vigilant about it. Protecting yourself and your family from bites can prevent discomfort and diseases. It can also encourage you to do more work in your garden.