Mosquito Repelling Plants & The Benefits of Professional Landscape Design
Designing you landscape in Charlotte County with mosquito repelling plants will have some effect in repelling mosquitoes from areas of your home and garden. If you are new to the area, you will quickly learn that summer rains and seasonal tides can create lots and lots of mosquitoes! Beautiful Boundaries is here to help you design a landscape that helps reduce mosquitoes in your own lawns, as well as help to repel the ones flying into your property.
Here are five of the most effective mosquito repelling plants which are easy to grow in most regions of the US:
1. Citronella
The most common natural ingredient used in formulating mosquito repellents. The distinctive citronella aroma is a strong smell which masks other attractants to mosquitoes, making it harder for them to find you. Although citronella is used in many forms, such as scented candles, torches and citronella ‘scented’ plants, the living plant is more effective because it has a stronger smell.
2. Horsemint
An adaptable perennial plant which repels mosquitoes much the same as citronella. It gives off a strong incense-like odor which confuses mosquitoes by masking the smell of its usual hosts.
3. Marigolds
Commonly grown as ornamental border plants, marigolds are hardy annual plants which have a distinctive smell which mosquitoes, and some gardeners, find particularly offensive. Marigolds contain Pyrethrum, a compound used in many insect repellents.
4. Ageratum
Also known as Flossflowers, Ageratum emits a smell which mosquito’s find particularly offensive. Ageratum secretes coumarin, which is widely used in commercial mosquito repellents.
5. Catnip
A natural mosquito repellent. In August 2010, entomologists at Iowa State University reported to the American Chemical Society that catnip is ten times more effective than DEET, the chemical found in most commercial insect repellents. According to Iowa State researcher Chris Peterson, the reason for its effectiveness is still unknown.
Free Landscape Design Consultation
Beautiful Boundaries is proud to offer all new clients considering our landscape design services a free consultation including mosquito repelling plants. At Beautiful Boundaries Our Reputation is Growing! We work in Charlotte County Florida and surrounding counties. Our office is located in Punta Gorda so we look forward to working with you!
