Some stores and gardeners have long touted the ability of certain plants to ward off mosquitoes simply by planting them in your yard.
The claim is that the presence of plants such as lavender, citronella, catnip, and lemon balm can repel mosquitoes from the area. As much as we would love to report the accuracy of this claim, the science simply just doesn’t support it.
The truth is that certain elements of some specific plants can be used to deter these pests – when prepared in a particular way. Unfortunately, just placing these plants in your yard will not have any noticeable effect on the presence of mosquitoes on your property.
Don’t be too disappointed if you were hoping this idea would solve your mosquito woes. There are still several options available to remove mosquitoes from your outdoor spaces with minimal effort.
Planting certain plants will not repel mosquitoes.
As lovely as it would be to add soothing lavender plants to your yard and reap the benefits of eliminating mosquitoes, it just doesn’t work that way.
Even if you surround your patio area with a ring of citronella plants, little will be accomplished to remove these biting pests.
“But then why are citronella candles and sprays effective,” you ask? The oil within some plants can absolutely be turned into a mosquito deterrent once extracted from the plant and harnessed into an insect repellant.
Certain parts of these plants can be crushed to extract the oils hiding within. However, due to the possibility of adverse skin reactions, we recommend you skip trying out this process and purchase a botanical insect-repellant from the store.
How to actually repel mosquitoes.
So now that you know what doesn’t work, you’re likely wondering what actually does help keep mosquitoes away.
The first and foremost option that you should be aware of is the highly effective mosquito control products that can be professionally applied to your property.
Like us here at Gecko Green, many pest control companies can target known mosquito hot spots in yards and treat them with sprays that have very high success rates of eliminating pest populations.
To learn more about these services, check out our blog answering the 7 most frequently asked questions about mosquito control. No matter where you live, during mosquito season you should always be aware of the “mosquito rules to live by.”
Following these tips help to keep you safe from pesky mosquito bites as well as the dangerous diseases these creatures are capable of passing on:
- Eliminate all sources of standing water on your property.
- For areas of standing water that cannot be removed, add “mosquito dunks” to the water
- Always wear protective clothing outdoors.
- Apply an insect-repellant spray to your body or clothing ( sprays containing DEET are generally the most effective.)
- Consider purchasing other mosquito deterrents like fly zappers, citronella candles, sticky traps, or area sprays.
Read our blog to learn even more about how to control a mosquito problem.
The BEST mosquito solution – Gecko Green Mosquito Control
Don’t let mosquitoes ruin your outdoor fun! When you team up with Gecko Green for mosquito control, your family won’t have to deal with pesky mosquito bites.
Our mosquito control services include a full inspection of your property to find mosquito breeding grounds followed by expertly targeted applications for optimal mosquito control.
We’ll add an extra layer of protection from mosquitoes, so your family can enjoy your own backyard worry-free.
