HOMESTEAD HOW-TO

7 Plants to Grow Now for a Mosquito Free Summer

Planting mosquito-repellent varieties around your home helps reduce bites while adding fresh scents to your space. Many of these plants are easy to grow and can thrive in garden beds, pots, or along walkways.

Garlic

Garlic does more than add flavor to your favorite dishes—it also helps keep mosquitoes and garden pests away.

Fennel

Fennel is a fragrant herb with feathery leaves and umbrella-shaped flowers that attract beneficial insects while keeping mosquitoes at a distance.

Thyme

Thyme is a fragrant herb with natural mosquito-repelling properties, particularly when the leaves are crushed to release their essential oils.

Sage

The plant’s natural oils produce a scent that mosquitoes dislike, and burning dried sage leaves can create a mosquito-repelling smoke.

Citronella Grass

Citronella grass is one of the most well-known natural mosquito repellents, often used in candles and sprays.

Peppermint

A refreshing herb that doubles as a natural mosquito repellent. Its strong menthol scent disrupts mosquitoes’ ability to find hosts, reducing the number of bites you get.