It’s almost that time again—mosquito season. Here are four natural remedies to help lessen the problem:
Eliminate standing water in your yard
Remove empty pots and anything that can hold water. If you set your plants in saucers, go outside after every rain and dump any extra water out. Keep water features, like fountains, clear and running. Keep your gutters free of debris so they don’t form “puddles,” and change the water in your bird bath every two to three days. For larger features, like ponds, use mosquito “dunks.”
Encourage Birds to Hang Around
Birds eat mosquitoes, so make your yard a nice place to hang around—birdbaths and bird feeders will help. Keep in mind that bats can eat a lot of insects, including mosquitoes, so don’t worry about them fluttering overhead. They’re just “feasting”.
Consider Insect Repelling Plants
Plants with strong scents can help repel mosquitoes (and other insects), so consider plants like lavender, lemon thyme, rosemary, basil, lemon grass, lemon balm, bee balm, and even nasturtiums. Just a word of warning, however, bee balm, lemon balm, and regular mints all belong to the same family and can become aggressive spreaders. I’d be inclined to keep them in POTS, rather than in the ground, so they don’t have a chance to spread by sending out runners.
Use Fans
That’s right. Mosquitoes are not very strong flyers and strong breezes can deter them. Setting up a couple of fans on your back deck can not only cool you down a bit, but make it more difficult for mosquitoes to get to you.
Be Mosquito Free And Protect Pollinators This Mosquito Season!
Keep in mind that there are plenty of products out there to kill mosquitoes – but if it can kill a mosquito – it can also kill a butterfly or honeybee so I try to avoid those at all costs.