Mosquito Repellent Plants & Tips

    With a hot summer in full swing, who would rather be inside because they fear being eaten alive outside? Me..Me..Me! It’s the mosquitos that are the problem. So why can’t mosquitos suck fat instead of blood? Not meant to be I guess. I bring you some tips & some plant choices to help with the problem.

Info & Tips:

~ Mosquitos prefer blood type O. Not that there is anything you can do, but it’s interesting to know. We secrete a substance that lets them know before they bite. Creepy.

~ Drinking just one beer significantly increases your risk of being bitten. Good time to switch to blender drinks! Woo hoo.

~ Female mosquitos are the ones that bite & they know if you are expecting & will bite you twice as often. The full moon also increases activity by 500x!

~ They prefer the smell of feet (yuck) so keep your socks & shoes on or wash with a deodorant soap & sport those sandals.

~ They prefer dark clothing, black being the most attractive for them with red a close second. Yellow, green, light khaki were the least attractive to the buggers.

~ The can reproduce in a week in as little a quarter-inch of water. So empty standing water & refresh your bird baths regularly.

So now for the plants...  Planting in closer proximity to your seating areas is ideal. Let’s start with the annuals in most areas:

~ Citronella – Probably the most recognized natural mosquito repellant. It is a grass that can get 5 feet tall. Plant in the back of a border or make a bushy border all its own.

~ Marigolds & Ageratum. Two common bedding plants serve this other worthwhile purpose. Marigolds do best when planted in beds & not planters. The color combo of the two together is ideal.

The perennials include:

~ Horsemint. This is a Monarda variety or Bee Balm, very beautiful & a hummingbird magnet as well. As with all the plants, the strong smell is key.

~ Catnip. Found to have 10x more effectiveness than deet, some folks rub themselves with the plant. Yes, it will drive cats to do the same craziness so beware. Very pretty perennial.

    See this cool link below with the full info on the plants & other interesting info. So happy planting! Check for the next blog on attracting bats to your yard. A teaser: one brown bat can consume up to 600 mosquitoes an hour!!

http://eartheasy.com/blog/2011/04/5-easy-to-grow-mosquito-repelling-plants/