It’s hard to enjoy your outdoor space with mosquitoes buzzing around. These pests are notorious for biting you and leaving behind itchy, red bumps. It’s important to find ways to deter mosquitoes, and taking advantage of the scents they hate can help. We’ve made a list of ten scents that drive mosquitoes crazy.
1. Herbs
You may like adding herbs to your dishes, but mosquitoes aren’t fans of herbs. Mint, rosemary, basil, and thyme are a few herbs that mosquitoes don’t like. If you have a garden, incorporating these herbs can help to deter mosquitoes. They do well when planted in containers and can be grown indoors as well.
2. Fruit & Vegetables
Fruit and vegetables are great to have in the kitchen. They can also help to keep mosquitoes from bugging you. Crushed garlic has a strong scent that mosquitoes dislike. These pests don’t like the citrusy fragrance of oranges. Grapefruit has a citrusy scent that can repel these pests too. This scent comes from the nootkatone found in grapefruit. Nootkatone is said to help kill and repel mosquitoes.
3. Flowers
If you’re looking to spruce up your yard and keep mosquitoes away, flowers can help. Consider adding marigolds, lantana, and bee balm to your garden. You won’t catch mosquitoes stopping to smell these flowers anytime soon. Not only do some flowers help with your mosquito problem, they can also attract beneficial insects like bees, ladybugs, and butterflies.
4. Citronella & Lemongrass
In addition to herbs and flowers, there are other plants that can repel mosquitoes. Citronella and lemongrass can minimize the presence of mosquitoes. These plants are closely related, and lemongrass actually contains citronella oil. Mosquitoes dislike the citrusy scent of the plants.
5. Vanilla Extract
If you enjoy baking, you’re probably familiar with vanilla extract. It is used in many recipes, but it can also help keep mosquitoes away. These pests don’t like the smell of pure vanilla extract. It’s important to note that the vanilla extract has to be pure without any additives. If the extract contains sugar, it can attract bugs instead of repelling them.
6. Smoke
Mosquitoes don’t like flying near smoke. They find the scent to be strong and unpleasant. Smoke can make it harder for pests to breathe and fly. The smoke from a grill or campfire can help to keep mosquitoes away. If you want to make this repellent stronger, you can add herbs that are known to repel mosquitoes to your campfire.
7. Apple Cider Vinegar
Vinegar is a staple in many pantries and can be used for cooking and cleaning. This ingredient has a strong scent that is said to help repel a variety of bugs. Mosquitoes aren’t fond of apple cider vinegar’s smell because it can irritate their receptors. Some believe vinegar can also help to relieve the symptoms of a mosquito bite.
8. Dryer Sheets
Dryer sheets help to make your clothes softer and give them a pleasant scent. They may also be able to help repel mosquitoes. Many dryer sheets contain linalool, which is found in several plants. Mosquitoes prefer to avoid linalool’s scent, which is often described as floral and citrusy.
9. Coffee Grounds
Coffee grounds have a strong scent that not everyone enjoys including mosquitoes. It is believed that coffee grounds can help to prevent mosquito larvae. Mosquitoes are less likely to lay eggs in water that has coffee grounds in it. If these pests can’t find a spot to lay eggs, then they will be less likely to settle down in your yard.
10. Essential Oils
Herbs, flowers, and other plants rely on their fragrance to keep pests from bugging them. Essential oils can be extracted from these plants, and these oils can help fight mosquitoes. When correctly combined, essential oils can effectively control pests. This is why they can be found in certain mosquito repellents. Our Natural Insect Repellent contains plant essential oils, like citronella, lemongrass, and clove oil, to help repel mosquitoes, ticks, and flies.
Mosquitoes are pesky bugs that can make it difficult to spend time outside. Thankfully, there are things that can help to repel these pests. If you’re dealing with mosquitoes or other bugs, we have your back! For a more environmentally and family-friendly solution, check out our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products.