Ditch sprays and candles – three plants banish mosquitoes from gardens

If you’re getting stressed with mosquitoes, it turns out that sprays and candles aren’t the best way to banish them – and there’s something you can put in your garden to get rid naturally.

We’re all trying to be a little more environmentally-friendly these days, and it turns out three plants can banish pesky mosquitoes, meaning you can host events in your garden without fear of getting bitten again and again by the menaces.

Gardener and TikTok user Joan Calderón, known on social media as @‌jardineriacalderon, shared a solution that’s much better than the methods you may be using right now. According to Calderón, it’s time to forget about sprays and candles, as he claims they “are useless”.

He shared you should be looking at planting three “essential plants” to create a natural and effective barrier against mosquitoes.

If you have these plants in your garden, it means that pesky mosquitoes are way more likely to be repelled, meaning you’ll actually be able to enjoy your outdoor space to its fullest.

Citronella, or lemon-scented geranium

The gardener describes it as “the ultimate plant for repelling mosquitoes”, highlighting its popularity and effectiveness as a natural repellent.

Lavender

As well as its pleasant scent, which adds a “touch of luxury”, Calderón claims it is “a fairly effective natural biological repellent” for keeping insects at bay.

Marigolds

This flower, as the expert explains, “contains a small amount of pyrethrin, which insects avoid at all costs”. This natural compound is the reason for its effectiveness as a repellent.

Other tips to avoid bites

In addition to his botanical recommendations, Calderón urged people to “avoid puddles and standing water” in the garden. This measure is crucial to prevent mosquitoes from finding places to breed and multiply.

There are also other home remedies that can complement these natural solutions. ‘Home coach’ Pedro Caballero points out that using “lemon with cloves” is an alternative which “also helps to repel mosquitoes and bees,” thus providing another natural barrier against insects.

Joan also shared there are other plants that can be used as insecticides of the natural variety.

Pyrethrin

This is a natural product extracted from white Chrysanthemum flowers, which have been used as insecticides for over a century. It works against a very wide range of insect pests. The main active principles of Pyrethrum flowers are known as Pyrethrins. Pyrethrin is a fast-acting poison which disrupts the nervous system and causes paralysis of the insect, while at the same time being non-toxic to warm-blooded animals.

Annona trees

These are grown for fruit in Vietnam. The most useful for making botanical insecticides is custard apple or binh bat (Annona muricata). The botanical insecticide is contained in the unripe fruits, leaves, roots, and especially seeds. It works as a stomach poison, contact poison and repellent. It is said to be effective against leafhoppers and caterpillars.

Neem

The main active ingredient is azadiractin, which is said to be effective on 200 types of insects, mites and nematodes. These include caterpillars, thrips and whiteflies. It has low toxicity to mammals, including people. It is also biodegradable and loses its effectiveness when exposed to direct sunlight.

Marigolds

Marigolds can also have a repellent effect on insects and nematodes. Dried marigolds, when incorporated into soil, have been found to improve the overall health of young plants. Fresh marigold tea also repels caterpillars on cabbage, but only for a few hours.

Chilli, or chilli pepper

The ripe fruits and seeds contain insecticidal compounds, and they can control aphids and caterpillars. Highly concentrated chilli solution has been known to produce similar results to synthetic insecticides.