Natural mosquito repellents in your garden

Mosquitoes become human enemies. Not only does the bite cause the skin to become bumpy, itchy and red, mosquitoes can also cause various diseases, such as dengue (dengue hemorrhagic fever) and malaria.

This month, fox5dc.com said that DC ranked third in the US for the worst mosquito problem. Nothing ruins a nice summer day like a mosquito bite. It turns out that Washington DC is the third city in the country with the most mosquito calls, according to a survey published by Terminix on World Mosquito Day.
Dallas topped the Terminix list for the second year in a row, while New York City ranked second on the list. DC was followed by Houston and Los Angeles to complete the Top 5.
“It’s just constant,” said Damien Sanchez, owner of Mosquito Squad in Sterling, Virginia. The company handles an average of 500 calls a day.
“This has been the most challenging year for mosquito control that I have had in the last 10 years,” added Sánchez. This year’s rain hampered control efforts and helped the population soar.

To get rid of it, people often use medications made from chemicals that have the potential to have a negative impact on health. Now, why not try other alternatives to using mosquito repellent plants at home?

It turns out that there are several plants that have proven effective in repelling mosquitoes. Most insect-repellent plants do so with their natural fragrances, which keep pesky mosquitoes away and introduce wonderful scents throughout your garden. Place these plants in areas where guests will often be, such as a seating area or entryway.

Anything? The following are plants that can help repel mosquitoes in your home.

1. Lavender
Lavender flowers are purple in color and have a very fragrant scent. Although the scent is highly preferred by humans, for mosquitoes the lavender scent is the most avoided scent. Because lavender contains substances linalool and linalyl acetate, which are two substances that mosquitoes do not like very much.
Crushed lavender flowers produce a fragrance and oil that can repel mosquitoes. An animal study on hairless mice found lavender oil to be effective in repelling adult mosquitoes.
Lavender has analgesic, antifungal and antiseptic qualities. This means that in addition to preventing mosquito bites, it can soothe and calm the skin.
You can put lavender plants in a pot near a window or door to keep mosquitoes out of the house.

2. catnip
Catnip or Nepeta cataria is a plant that is often used to encourage cats to be more active. After contact with this plant, your cat may show increasingly active behavior changes. However, this does not apply to mosquitoes. Because catnip is a plant feared by mosquitoes.
The study found that the essential oil content in catnip, known as nepetalactone, is known to be effective in repelling mosquitoes rather than the drug DEET (diethyl-meta-toluamide), which is a chemical that has the potential to have adverse health effects. effects
This plant can grow tall, so if you want to plant it in your home garden, you should plant it in an area that doesn’t block your view.

3. lemongrass
Lemongrass is not only used as a food or drink flavoring. This plant can also be used as a mosquito repellent. Therefore, it is not surprising that aromatherapy candles or mosquito repellent lotions often use lemongrass as the main ingredient. Lemongrass can thrive in various climates and soil types. This is what makes lemongrass an easy plant to find and keep around the house.
Although lemongrass is not suitable for planting in pots, you can get smarter by planting it under a window around the house. This is done so that mosquitoes do not enter the house.

4. Lemon balm
Like lemongrass, lemon balm also contains citronella compounds that are effective at repelling mosquitoes. The orange scent of lemon leaves is also one of the fragrances that mosquitoes dislike. Still, you should be careful if you want to plant these leaves in your home garden. Because the plant has invasive
characteristic, or has rapid growth.