The pool, picnics and parks are synonymous with summer but so are mosquitos. The bloodsuckers not only bug you and your family, but they spread disease like West Nile Virus and heartworm. Keeping the bloodsuckers at bay without coating yourself with stinky repellant may be as easy as planting a few flowers and herbs in the yard.
FOX 26 Houston Reporter Ruben Dominguez hit the nursery to find out safe and natural ways to take the bite out of summer. He says the summer showers and heat make summer the “mosquito apocalypse.”
Just like citronella candles that many use on outdoor tables, mosquitos don’t like the scent of citronella plants either, also known as scented geranium.
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“So you can have this on your patio, plant in your landscape, and it will help repel mosquitoes,” Jennifer Kotecki of Cornelius Nursery told Dominguez. “They don’t like the strong, fragrant scent that’s quite like lemon.”
She also recommends herbs that can do double duty, keeping away mosquitos in the yard and adding flavors to dinner plates. Mosquitos don’t like the scent of rosemary and basil. Planted onions, garlic and chives release odors that mosquitos don’t like either, according to Orkin.
Lemongrass or citronella grass, bee balm, catnip and lavender also have strong scents that mosquitos want to stay away from, according to Kotecki and Orkin. Rub blossoms and leaves between hands to release more scent.
“We have French marigolds,” Kotecki suggested if you are looking for flowering plants. “Mosquitoes hate the scent of marigolds. So that’s a lovely one to mix in.”
Kotecki recommends putting incense sticks like Skeeter Screen in plants surrounding the patio. Scents from burring the active ingredients, lemongrass and geranium oil, repel the insects.
“It will last up to 4 hours. So put it in a vase, put it in a container combination,” she said. “I would add these on each side of your patio, and they will burn up to 4 hours and cover that that whole area and have a fly-free zone.”
Always get rid of standing water around your yard where mosquitoes lay eggs. But birdbaths and rain barrels depend on standing water. Kotecki said, drop Mosquito Dunks into the containers. The active ingredient is a bacillus that is naturally occurring in soil, according to the Washington Department of Health.
“And that donut is just going to disintegrate over time,” Kotecki said. “Once the mosquito larva hatch, they’ll eat that, and they will die. This is safe for children, pets, other birds and wildlife. It only harms mosquitos.”
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Essential oils in different dilutions can also ward off the bugs, according to studies published in the National Library of Medicine. The oils need to be applied more frequently than chemical repellents, and it could irritate sensitive skin.
Citronella essential oil, patchouli and clove essential oil repel the pests, according to one study. Another study suggested that peppermint oil, geranium oil and thyme oil to ward off bites.
The EPA recognizes several repellents for the skin with essential oils as the active ingredient. The agency found catnip oil, oil of citronella and oil of lemon eucalyptus effective.