Denton County Living Well Magazine July/August 2016 | Page 40

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