I love catnip because my cat loves catnip. I also love it because it keeps those dang skeeters at bay. Studies have shown catnip to be 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET (that nasty chemical in most commercial bug repellents). It you wish, you can rub it directly on your skin as a bug deterrent by crushing up the leaves. Catnip tends to get invasive so it should be either trimmed back or cut and dried for your little kitties later! So go ahead, make a few catnip bags for the local animal shelter. Watch where you plant, your cat is going to roll all over this plant and you don’t want your cat damaging the rest of your plants.
Grow lavender around the perimeter of your house to repel bugs. It can grow well inside too by a sunny window. Lavender has a calming effect, smells wonderful, and it’s pretty purple flowers dry nicely for potpourri. Best of all, mosquitoes think its disgusting. {This just shows you how smart they are!}
A favorite among cooks, rosemary is a must-have in the kitchen. For humans, rosemary = bliss. But mosquitoes absolutely hate it. This easy to grow shrub loves well-drained soil and full-sun. Translation: Give me a Mediterranean climate please! But even if you don’t live in the warmest of climates, rosemary can be brought inside during the winter months if you plant it in a container. This herb will look lovely on your patio and keep the pests at a nice distance.
What’s not to love about the crisp and refreshing scent of mint? I don’t know, but mosquitoes don’t like it. Mint is just about the easiest plant to grow. It’s hardy and grows at a rapid pace, so rapid it should be considered highly invasive. You might want to grow this one in pots on your patio. You can pick mint leaves and rub them all over you skin as a natural mosquito repellent and you’ll smell a whole better than if you use all those chemically laden products like OFF or DEET. But when you get get bitten….mint also provides itch relief.
I love using marigold as a border in my garden to repel garden pests. Marigolds act as a wonderful companion plant keeping those aphids away. But I just recently learned how much mosquitoes hate marigolds. Best not to rub on skin.
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