11 Herbs That Naturally Repel Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are small insects that feed on blood. This makes them dangerous because they can transmit serious diseases like malaria, dengue, and yellow fever, among others things. Their bites are uncomfortable because they cause a small bump and an itchy allergic reaction that lasts for hours, leaving you wondering how to repel mosquitoes and get them out of your life.
They generally reproduce in standing water and other unhealthy environments that might be near your home.
This is why it’s important to take extra hygiene measures and keep insect repellent on hand. It’s one of the safest ways to keep these potentially dangerous bugs away from our loved ones.
There are many different ways to repel mosquitoes. You can get a repellent at the store, but we recommend not using these because they contain chemicals that can be harmful to the environment and your health.
The good news is that there are several natural solutions to repel mosquitoes with the added bonus of a fresh aroma and cleansing power. Do you want to learn more?
1. Repel mosquitoes with garlic
Garlic’s strong fragrance comes from the sulfurous compounds it produces. It’s a great way to repel mosquitoes and keep them far away from your home.
Directions
- Crush a clove of raw garlic and place it near where insects enter.
2. Cinnamon
This spice has an absolutely delicious aroma, but mosquitoes hate it.
Directions
- Add a little cinnamon to some hot water and place in a container near the living room.
You might like: The Hidden Benefits of Cinnamon Tea
3. Basil
Keeping this plant near the entrance of your home will keep many insects from getting inside.
The smell is very unpleasant to them, so they’ll stay away.
Directions
- Put a small basil plant near the entrance to your home or near the corners inside.
- You can also put the dried leaves in rooms to repel insects.
4. Thyme
The seeds of the thyme plant are useful for repelling these pesky bugs that invade our homes and gardens.
Directions
- Burn a few thyme seeds and let the fragrance spread throughout your home.
5. Mint
The refreshing fragrance of this herb is extremely unpleasant to these tiny insects. Thanks to that, you can use it to help protect your skin from their bites and prevent them from swarming near our homes.
Directions
- Keep it planted in your garden. Have another in a pot in your kitchen.
- Use the dried leaves in smaller spaces, like bedrooms.
6. Cloves
The smoke from burning cloves is one of the best natural insect repellents.
Directions
- Place a few cloves on a small plate and burn them to release their strong aroma.
- Tie several together with a string and place them near the front door.
7. Rosemary
For centuries, human beings have been using both the leaves and the essential oil of this plant as an ingredient in natural medicines. Its properties not only improve bodily health, they can also be used in various ways around the home.
Directions
- To protect your skin from mosquitoes, apply a little essential oil to exposed areas.
- To use as repellent for the home, burn a few of the dried leaves or make a concentrated tea.
8. Citronella
This herb is known for its delicious lemon scent, which most insects find quite unpleasant.
Directions
- Place a few sprigs of the herb in the corners of the rooms where you want to repel mosquitoes.
- You can also make a tea with the leaves, letting the fragrance spread throughout every area of your home.
9. Black pepper
The strong, spicy fragrance will keep pesky mosquitoes from trying to enter your home.
Directions
- Crush some black peppercorns and place them in the corners of rooms.
10. Eucalyptus
The scent of eucalyptus leaves will immediately repel mosquitoes and other bothersome insects.
Directions
- Burn several eucalyptus leaves and let the smoke dissipate throughout your home.
- If you like, boil several leaves in a saucepan with water and the vapors will keep bugs at bay.
Read more: 8 Secret Medicinal Uses for VapoRub
11. Bay leaves
Bay leaves have a gentle, pleasant aroma, but mosquitoes and other insects hate it. To take advantage of its insect repellent properties, try this trick.
Directions
- Crush several bay leaves and sprinkle them around areas where insects tend to gather.
Now that you know a few home remedies to repel mosquitoes, don’t wait to try them out the next time these or insects try to invade your home.
All cited sources were thoroughly reviewed by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, currency, and validity. The bibliography of this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.
- Stjernberg, Louise & Berglund, Johan. (2000). Garlic as an Insect Repellent. JAMA : the journal of the American Medical Association. 284. 831. 10.1001/jama.284.7.831.
- Med Vet Entomol. 2005 Mar;19(1):84-9. A double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial of garlic as a mosquito repellant: a preliminary study. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15752181
- Parasites & Vectors. (2017). Evaluation of active ingredients and larvicidal activity of clove and cinnamon essential oils against Anopheles gambiae (sensu lato). https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s13071-017-2355-6
- Malaria Journal. (2011). Natural products for the control of malaria. https://malariajournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/supplements/volume-10-supplement-1
- J Am Mosq Control Assoc. 2002 Dec;18(4):348-51. Repellent activities of essential oils and monoterpenes against Culex pipiens pallens. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12542193
- Begum, Sabira & Sara, Sara & Ayub, Anjum & Tariq, Rajput & Siddiqui, Bina. (2014). Mosquito Repellent Activity and Toxicity of Flower Buds (Cloves) of Syzygium aromaticum Linn.. 10.13140/RG.2.1.5003.0964.
- Malar J. 2019; 18: 436. Published online 2019 Dec 21. Effectiveness of plant-based repellents against different Anopheles species: a systematic review. doi: 10.1186/s12936-019-3064-8
- Parasit Vectors. 2016; 9: 238. Published online 2016 Apr 26. The larvicidal effects of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) and piperine against insecticide resistant and susceptible strains of Anopheles malaria vector mosquitoes. doi: 10.1186/s13071-016-1521-6
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Mosquitoes, Ticks & Other Arthropods. https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/yellowbook/2020/noninfectious-health-risks/mosquitoes-ticks-and-other-arthropods
- Rani, Nandini & Wany, Aakanksha & Vidyarthi, Ambarish & Pandey, D M. (2013). Study of Citronella leaf based herbal mosquito repellents using natural binders. Current Research in Microbiology and Biotechnology. 1. 98-103.