Plant basil around your home to deter mosquitoes.
Basil makes a tasty and colorful addition to many foods, but the all-purpose herb is also beneficial in your garden. Ward off pests like mosquitoes by planting different varieties of basil around your home. Intermingle it with your flowers and other landscaping or place pots of the herb on your deck or patio; incorporate basil into your vegetable garden too. As the plants release their oils into the air, they repel the buzzing bloodsuckers. Does this Spark an idea?
Lemon Basil
Lemon basil is one variety of the herb that helps keep mosquitoes at bay. Packed with essential oils, this type of basil plant has small leaves and emits a fresh, lemony aroma. The strong scent of lemon basil, like that of other lemony plants such as thyme and citronella, deters mosquitoes. Sit pots of lemon basil around your deck or patio when barbecuing or spending time outdoors to keep away pests.
Cinnamon Basil
Originally from India, cinnamon basil combines a clove-like scent with a spicy perfume reminiscent of the tree bark from which it gets its name. Mosquitoes find the smell unpleasant and will avoid any areas where you plant cinnamon basil. This variety of basil can grow to 30 inches tall, so plant it in areas with plenty of available room like within the landscaping near your home or in your vegetable garden. The leaves can reach 2 inches in size.
Peruvian Basil
Peruvian basil is also known as American duppy basil or mosquito plant. The leaves of this variety of the basil plant, which is native to Peru, are often crushed to release a bitter but sweet aroma that repels mosquitoes. Peruvians traditionally use the basil when cooking, but they also hang sprigs of it in their homes to keep out pests. The plants stay compact at just 12 to 18 inches --- the right size for pots or along the border of your flower garden.
Trimming the Plants
Whatever variety you opt to use to repel mosquitoes, keep your basil plants producing healthy, oil-packed leaves by nipping them back as they grow. About one month after planting it in the pot or ground, use garden shears to trim your basil's stem just above the second set of leaves; continue to do so approximately every 30 days. This prevents the plant from flowering and encourages it to grow vertically, producing large aromatic leaves.
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