Can these plants naturally repel mosquitoes?

Do you know why we are attractive to mosquitoes? It is a combination of factors. We attract mosquitoes with the carbon dioxide that we exhale and the compounds we perspire. In addition, the warmth of our skin makes us prime targets for mosquitoes to feed on.

While mosquito repellents are commercially available on the market, these chemicals are not always safe for your health or the environment. For a natural alternative, some have suggested using plants to repel mosquitoes. How effective are they?

Plants that repel mosquitoes in your home

Can These Plants Actually Repel Mosquitoes?

Basil

Do you know that the herbs we use for pesto sauce can also be used to keep insects away? Basil is said to naturally give off a mosquito-repelling aroma.

Catnip

Catnip is another mosquito-repelling plant that is said to have nepetalactone, a chemical that is regarded to be more effective than DEET—a typical ingredient found in most insect repellants.

Citronella

Citronella is a typical ingredient in many mosquito-repelling products such as lotions and candles. The scent of citronella is known to mask the scent of mosquito attractants such as carbon dioxide.

Garlic

Mosquitoes stay away from the pungent scent of garlic. Unfortunately, when you rub its juice directly on your skin, it is not only insects that you will keep at bay but everyone else too.

Lavender

Aside from its calming effects, the scent of lavender also has mosquito-repelling properties.

Rosemary

Rosemary works great as a seasoning. Do you know? Its aroma can also repel insects when you toss it in a fire.

However, just how effective are these plants really?

Can these plants actually repel mosquitoes?

Studies have measured the ability of plants to repel mosquitoes. Unfortunately, most of the research shows that plants are not effective as mosquito repellents.

On the contrary, it is the oil within the plants that have mosquito-repelling properties. Therefore, you would have to crush them to extract this active ingredient and rub it on your skin to experience the mosquito repelling effects.

How to effectively control mosquitoes

How to Effectively Control Mosquitoes

Plants are great in your landscape. However, it is more important to focus on other proven methods for mosquito control. These include:

• Get rid of stagnant water. Mosquitoes breed in stagnant water. Therefore, it is important to keep your premises free of stagnant water.
• Use a repellent. There are many types of mosquito repellents available. Look for mosquito repellent products that contain active ingredients like DEET.
• Disrupt the mosquito life cycle. Mosquito species such as the Aedes aegypti can develop from eggs to adults anytime from 4 days to 2 weeks. Each stage has a corresponding control method, each crucial to the success of the pest control.

Mosquito control by Rentokil

For a sustainable solution, Rentoil pest control specialists provide safe, professional targeted treatments to effectively control mosquitoes in your home.

Rentokil provides surveillance, larval and adult control for a complete mosquito management program.

Not only that, the Rentokil In2Care mosquito trap leverages on the typical behaviour of adult female mosquitos to deliver the lavicide that effectively kills both adult mosquitoes and larvae. It uses low-toxicity ingredients in its trap. When the mosquito enters the trap, it is infected. It will lay a batch of eggs in the trap, but these will never develop into adult mosquitoes as they are killed by the larvicide in the water. Furthermore, the infected adult female mosquito will fly out of the trap to spread the larvicide powder to other breeding sites that it visits. It is a highly effective solution that reduces both the adult mosquitoes and larvae population.

We would be glad to provide you with more details on how you can protect your family against mosquitoes. Get in touch with us at (65) 6347 8138 today to learn more.