15 Plants That Safely Repel Mosquitos

Ever dreamed of creating an invisible fortress around your outdoor space that keeps the mosquitos away? While nothing seems to keep a determined mosquito from finding its prey, it is possible to create an environment that helps repel them. Quite a few common plants contain natural compounds that mosquitos find offensive and avoid. Most are very ornamental, easy to maintain, and they’re safe around pets, people and wildlife.

Plant them in the landscape around your favorite outdoor spaces or use in containers for the deck, patio, or porch where they can be moved as needed to place closer to areas where people congregate.

Many of these plants are safe to apply to your skin as a short-term repellent, lasting for half hour to an hour. Always test a plant on a small patch of skin before rubbing over larger areas of the body in case there could be sensitivities that might result in an allergic or other adverse skin reaction. Simply crush the leaves in your hand and rub on any exposed skin.

Ageratum (Ageratum houstonianum)	Artemisia (Artemisia species)	Basil (Ocimum basilicum)
Bee Balm (Monarda punctata)	Catnip (Nepeta cataria)	Chocolate Mint (Mentha x piperita)
French Marigold (Tagetes patula)	French Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)	Garlic (Allium sativum)
Lantana (Lantana camara)	Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia)	Lemon Balm (Melissa officinalis)
Lemon Mint (Monarda citriodora)	Pennyroyal (Mentha pulegium)	Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)

Note: Lantana, Marigold and Pennyroyal are known irritants and not recommended for skin application.