Natural Mosquito Repellents | Mosquitoes become human enemies. Not only the bite makes the skin become bumpy, itchy, and reddish, mosquitoes can also cause various diseases, such as dengue fever (dengue hemorrhagic fever) and malaria.
This month, fox5dc.com said that DC ranked 3rd in the US with the worst mosquito problem. Nothing ruins a nice summer day like a mosquito bite.
It turns out that Washington D.C. is the third-highest city in the nation for mosquito calls, according to a survey released by Terminix on World Mosquito Day.
Dallas topped Terminix's list for the second straight year while New York City ranked No. 2 on the list. D.C. was followed by Houston and Los Angeles to round out the Top 5.
“It's just constant,” said Damien Sanchez, owner of Mosquito Squad in Sterling, Virginia. The business services an average of 500 calls a day.
“This has been the most challenging year for mosquito control that I have had in the last 10 years,” added Sanchez. This year's rain hampered control efforts and helped the population explode.
To get rid of it, people often use drugs made from chemicals that have the potential to have a bad impact on health. Now, why don't you try other alternatives to using mosquito repellent plants at home?
It turns out that there are various plants that have proven effective in repelling mosquitoes. Most insect-repelling plants do so with their natural fragrances, which keep annoying mosquitoes away and introduce wonderful scents throughout your garden.
Place these plants in areas where guests will be often such as by a seating area or a doorway. Anything? The following are plants that can help repel mosquitoes in your home.
RELATED: Alternative Mosquito Repellants
Natural Mosquito Repellents on Your Garden
1. Lavender
Lavender flowers are purple and have a very fragrant aroma. Although the aroma is much preferred by humans, for mosquitoes the aroma of lavender is the most avoided aroma.
Because lavender contains substances linalool and linalyl acetate, which are two substances that are not very liked by mosquitoes. Crushed lavender flowers produce a fragrance and oil that can repel mosquitoes.
An animal study on hairless mice found lavender oil to be effective at repelling adult mosquitoes. Lavender has analgesic, antifungal, and antiseptic qualities.
This means that in addition to preventing mosquito bites, it can calm and soothe the skin. You can put lavender plants in a pot near a window or door so that no mosquitoes enter the house.
2. Catnip
Catnip or Nepeta cataria is a plant that is often used to stimulate cats to be more active. After contact with this plant, your cat may show increasingly active behavioral changes. However, this does not apply to mosquitoes. Because catnip is a plant that is feared by mosquitoes.
The study found that the content of essential oils in catnip, known as nepetalactone, is known to be effective in repelling mosquitoes rather than the drug DEET (Diethyl-meta-toluamide), which is a chemical element that has the potential to have adverse health effects.
This plant can grow tall, so if you want to plant it in your home garden, you should plant it in an area that will not block the view.
3. Lemongrass
Lemongrass is not only used as a food or beverage flavoring. This plant can also be used as a mosquito repellent.
Therefore, it is not surprising that aromatherapy candles or mosquito repellent lotions often use lemongrass as the main ingredient.
Lemongrass can thrive in various climates and soil types. This is what makes lemongrass a plant that is easy to find and maintain at home.
Although lemongrass is not suitable for planting in pots, you can outsmart it by planting it under a window around the house. This is done so that mosquitoes do not enter the house.
4. Lemon Balm
Just like lemongrass, lemon balm also contains effective citronellal compounds to repel mosquitoes. The aroma of orange from lemon leaves is also one of the fragrances that mosquitoes don't like.
Even so, you should be careful if you want to plant these leaves in your home garden. Because the plant has an invasive characteristic or has rapid growth.
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