It’s mosquito season, and if you haven’t been keeping up with the news, you should know that there are mosquitoes in Fresno and Clovis that carry West Nile virus and St. Louis Encephalitis.
Most people that are infected with West Nile and St. Louis Encephalitis have no symptoms, but it can fatally affect the central nervous system. There are no vaccines for humans for either virus.
So keeping mosquitoes away from your home should be a priority. Luckily, there are ways you can do that with your landscape. Certain fragrant plants repel mosquitoes, so lining your yard with these plants may help keep mosquitoes away from your home.
Lavender
Lavender smells amazing. It can help keep mosquitoes away if planted near your home. It’s drought-resistant and does really well in warm climates. It also needs full sun and good drainage. To get the full effects of this plant, crush the leaves up and rub it on your skin.
Citronella
Citronella grass is usually the most effective at keeping mosquitoes away. It is even being used as an ingredient in mosquito repellents. It smells like lemons and does best in large planters. To get the citronella grass that is effective against mosquitoes, make sure you get Cybopogon nardus or Citronella winterianus.
Catnip
Catnip has been found to be 10 times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET. It’s from the mint family and is very easy to take care, but it can become invasive. Be sure to keep up with trimmings so it doesn’t take over your yard. If you don’t like cats, this might not be the plant for you. It contains a chemical called nepetalactone that is a feline attractant and an insect repellant.
Basil
Basil is one of the few plants that have a strong scent without having to crush the leaves. If you place a pot of basil on your outdoor table, it could keep mosquitoes away. Basil essential oil is also toxic to mosquito larvae.
Rosemary
Rosemary is a commonly used herb for cooking and has a woody scent. It does well in hot and dry climates and helps keep mosquitoes away. If you’re roasting smores on your fire in the backyard, throw some rosemary in the fire. The scent will permeate the area through the smoke and keep mosquitoes away from you.
Sage
Sage can be used in the same way as rosemary. Basically, you can have an herb garden to keep mosquitoes away.
Marigolds
Marigolds are a convenient and pretty flower that keep all year. If you want to switch things up, they come in different colors and are easy to grow. They do well in pots or as borders in a vegetable garden, and best of all, they keep mosquitoes away.
Mike’s Evergreen is the right choice for design your landscape to keep mosquitoes away because we are the Valley’s premier outdoor living experts. We work hard to understand your goals and provide quality results that will exceed your expectations. We understand that one of your biggest and most important investments is your home or business. Your objectives, lifestyle, personality, as well as the specific needs of your property are carefully considered to reflect a landscape that will provide beauty, function, and value to your home or property. Mike’s Evergreen offers a complete range of landscape services making your mosquito repelling landscape design will work well with the rest of your yard.
Choose Mike’s Evergreen to design your landscape to repell mosquitoes!
