Easy To Grow Mosquito Repellent Indoor Plants
Mosquitoes may be found year-round, regardless of the season. They are annoying, but some of them are dangerous as well. You never know which mosquito bite will get your report positive for Dengue or Malaria or any other serious disease. So, what’s the solution? Well, there are a lot of chemical ointments and sprays that people use to ward off mosquitoes, but such chemical sprays infect the air and skin. Now, what to do? Mosquito repellent indoor plants are here to help you! Mother nature is our genuine saviour, and she has given us mosquito repellant plants to keep the pesky insects at bay.
Photo by Karolina Grabowska from Pexels
Many people tend to get allergic reactions to the chemical mosquitoes repellents available in the superstores, which is why these mosquito repellent plants seem like a great option.
As each of these mosquito repellent indoor plants keeps growing and blessing us with its other therapeutic/medicinal/ Feng Shui plants, it keeps a check on the deadly mosquitoes.
To help you navigate the wonders of nature, we’ve compiled a list of mosquito repellent plants that you can bring into your house some of them are air-purifying too and say goodbye to the buzzing creatures forever!
Mosquito Repellent Indoor Plants
Citronella- Most Effective Mosquito Repellent Indoor Plants
This plant is the most well-known mosquito repellent plant because the compounds in its leaves are a common ingredient in commercial insect repellent products.
It has a pleasant lemon like citrusy smell and is very powerful at driving away mosquitoes—the strong scent from citronella masks other attractants (like the smell of carbon dioxide).
Citronella is a low-maintenance plant, meaning you’ll be able to repel mosquitoes with little work at all.
Care Tips For Citronella
- Give these mosquito repellent indoor plants as much direct sun as possible. It would be best to give citronella plants six or more hours of direct sunlight.
- Allow the top inch or so of your indoor citronella geranium’s soil to dry out before watering it again. Do not allow the soil to dry out completely.
- Be sure to use a good well-draining potting mix
- Protect these plants from frost.
- If stems stretch out, weaken, and tend to fall over, just prune them.
Basil- Magical Mosquito Repellent Indoor Plants
Basil is sacred and already a great herb to have as a fresh herb in the kitchen, and now you can consider a pest repellent. It is a popular anti-mosquito indoor plant.
This fragrant plant is enemies of the mosquitoes, and they will never enter a place where the basil resides. You can rub the leaves on the skin to make it more effective.
You could also make a concoction from these mosquito repellent plants using a couple of liquids to make an insect repellent spray. Place pots of basil by your doors and effectively keep away house flies and mosquitoes.
Care Tips For Basil
- This herb doesn’t tolerate dry conditions very well, but you also don’t want to drown the roots. Damp, well-draining soil is the key.
- These mosquito repellent indoor plants prefer a warm environment. Therefore they may not be the best indoor houseplant if you have a cold house during the winters.
- Keep the Basil plant in moderate light and water it daily.
- While growing basil indoors is simple, the plants’ rapid growth may require repotting on a regular basis.
Lemon Balm- Citrus Scented Mosquito Repellent Indoor Plants
It is another citrus-scented plant that is a pleasant addition to your indoor plant collection and one that will deter mosquitoes, too. These mosquito repellent indoor plants are frequently used to help reduce stress, alleviate stomach trouble, and more.
Remember that lemon balm is an invasive species and can take over your garden bed if planted there, so better to keep it in a pot.
Likewise famously known as Horsemint, it can fend the bugs and mosquitoes off because of its solid smell. You won’t lose butterflies and birds because of these mosquito repellent indoor plants.
Care Tips For Lemon Balm
- A sunny windowsill is most appropriate, but it won’t require the high levels of light that basil like, making it an easier plant to manage.
- pinch out any floral buds that start to form to keep your plants in leafy form. the leaves will lose their strong aroma after flowering and its effectiveness as mosquito repellent decreases.
- If you allow it to grow, Lemon balm can get quite large. Harvesting a few leaves to dry for tea is another way you can use this plant.
- While these mosquito repellent indoor plants do not require additional feeding beyond their soil’s nutrition. You can treat it with a mild liquid fertilizer every few weeks to encourage growth.
- These mosquito repellent indoor plants can recover easily from wilt (created by thirst) but will quickly die or bolt if watered too much.
Catnip- Zero Maintenance Mosquito Repellent Indoor Plants
Catnip is widely used in herbal teas and is also a great mosquito repellent. Nepetalactone is one of the primary ingredients in Catnip, which was seen as much more effective than even DEET, as indicated by many researchers.
These mosquito repellent indoor plants are likewise a decent non-toxic substitute to generally used synthetic sprays.
Also, cats love them and it’s safe for cats. You should always try to keep pet-safe plants if you have furry babies at home.
Care Tips For Catnip
- Give your mosquito repellent plants as much sunlight as possible. Too little sunlight results in slow production and new growth.
- Plant your catnip in an 8 inch wide by 8 inch deep planter. Avoid fragile materials like clay in case your cat gets into the pot and knocks it over.
3. Pot in quick-draining soil to discourage root rot. If the soil holds too much water it will degrade root.
4. Keep your catnip plant from flowering by cutting off any blossoming stems. This will make the plant grow bigger. Leaf picking keeps the plant healthy.
Rosemary- Most Versatile Mosquito Repellent Indoor Plants
Rosemary is another kitchen herb that’s a favorite of many accomplished chefs. And like most herbs, You can plant rosemary indoors or outdoors.
One of the effective plants that keep mosquitoes away is rosemary plants. These mosquito repellent indoor plants are fragrant plants.
Along with mosquitoes the woody smell also keeps the cabbage moths, mosquitoes, and carrot flies off from your house.
Care Tips For Rosemary
- It prefers full sun. Try to give at least six hours of direct sunlight on most days. A south-facing window is best for indoor growth.
- A well-draining loamy soil is best for rosemary. It is difficult to tolerate heavy clay and wet soils well.
- Rosemary have good drought tolerance once they are mature. You can underwater them but never overwater them.
- Allow a few inches of soil to dry out between watering and then water so that the soil is uniformly moist but not soggy.
- These mosquito repellent plants are not heavy feeders. Mixing compost into the potting mix at the time of planting will give a good start.
Placement Of Mosquito Repellent Indoor Plants
- You’ll have to keep your mosquito repellent plants in the best spots.You also need to take care of the right amount of light or temperatures your mosquito repellent indoor plants require. Along with that, you will want to keep these plants in areas where mosquitoes are most likely to be making an entry into your home.
- Having a gracious lavender plant in an empty spare bedroom won’t do much good against mosquitoes coming into the kitchen downstairs.
- Keep your mosquito repellent plants near busy entrances to stop them from buzzing in as you and your family come and go. Bedrooms, dining hall and common living areas are the next placement spots to keep them out of the room.
Conclusion
Most insect-repelling plants can ward off insects because of their natural aromas, which keep pesky mosquitoes at bay while also adding lovely odors to your landscape. If you don’t want to use chemical insect sprays on yourself or your garden, you may cultivate some of these mosquito repellent plants to help repel mosquitoes organically. Plant these mosquito repellent plants near a dining area or a doorway in high-traffic places.