Dallas County Living Well Magazine July/August 2016 | Page 48

Plants that Repel Mosquitoes

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By Donna S. Barsky, PharmD
ove being outdoors but sick of those annoying bloodsucking mosquitoes? With West Nile fever on our
doorstep and Zika virus heading for our borders, it’s
no wonder we don’t want to go outside.

Put down the sprays and nets, here are 13 different plants
you can grow that’ll help keep the mosquitoes away.
Bug zappers are also annoying, and leave you sitting
among insect parts. Moreover, you may not be in the mood
for smoky candles or incense. However, this does not mean
you have to be bothered by mosquitoes. Most people
know about citronella, it’s found in many products
that keep bugs away, (beware, there are oils
out there that say citronella scent, but may not
have any citronella in them, only lemongrass
oil), but there are other natural products that
can do the job:
Lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus)
Mosquitoes hate the lemony scent of this
plant. With some patience, you can easily
grow this plant in your garden. You just have
to buy stalks easily available in the market. Lemongrass prefers good drainage and full sun. However,
it’s important to understand that this beautiful tropical plant
does not tolerate freezing temperatures.
Catnip (Nepeta cataria)
For some gardeners, this is a perennial. For others, it’s an
annual plant. Catnip is considered about 10 times more
effective than DEET for repelling mosquitoes. However, this
plant has a tendency to be quite invasive.
If it’s in the garden bed, cats can crush this plant