These 8 Flowers Are What Mosquitoes Fear Most - Keep 1 Pot at Home and Save on Mosquito Coils and Insect Repellent

As soon as summer comes, mosquitoes buzz around your ears, and it is truly unbearably annoying. Lighting mosquito coils only stuns them, and within a few hours they are bouncing around again; insect repellent has a strong smell that fumigates the mosquitoes and knocks you out too. Better to keep a few pots of flowers at home. These 8 flowers are what mosquitoes fear most. Keep 1 pot and save on mosquito coils and insect repellent entirely!

1. Mosquito Repellent Geranium

Mosquito repellent geranium is also known as scented geranium (Pelargonium graveolens), and because it can also repel mosquitoes, everyone calls it mosquito repellent geranium. Its scent contains citronellal, which becomes stronger when the temperature exceeds 15 degrees. It not only repels mosquitoes but also purifies the air at home. For a room of about 15 sq m, placing at most 2 pots is enough.

Propagation and Care of Mosquito Repellent Geranium

Mosquito repellent geranium is very easy to propagate from cuttings, and it is not too late to plant it now! Cut branches 5-8 cm long. To ensure the survival rate, you can cut several and propagate them together. Find a few plastic cups, poke a few holes in the bottom (for drainage and airflow), and fill them with moist sandy soil or coir soil. Insert the branches into the soil, one per cup, place them in a shady spot away from direct sun, mist with water daily to keep them moist, and after about 7-15 days when roots have formed, you can repot them together with the soil. Mosquito repellent geranium can be grown indoors or outdoors; just avoid high heat and direct sun. Water when the soil is dry. Because of its fast metabolism, the leaves tend to turn yellow and wither, but after removing them, new ones will keep growing.

2. Night-Blooming Jasmine

Many mosquitoes come out at night, which is absolutely maddening. Quickly keep a pot of night-blooming jasmine (Cestrum nocturnum) and let them lose their sense of direction at night! Night-blooming jasmine has a heavy fragrance, especially stronger at night, and can drive away mosquitoes that are active at night. However, Huahua still recommends keeping it in the living room or on the balcony; placing it in the bedroom may affect sleep.

Propagation and Care of Night-Blooming Jasmine

Besides sowing seeds, night-blooming jasmine can also be propagated directly from cuttings, which is faster and more convenient! Cut 1-year-old branches into small sections 6-12 cm long and remove the leaves to preserve nutrients. Soak the branches in rooting water, or insert them into acidic leaf mold soil, coir soil, or cinder soil. Place them in a shady spot, mist with water daily, and keep the air and soil moist; they will root in about 2-3 weeks. Night-blooming jasmine likes hot and humid environments and can bloom from May to October. This heat- and moisture-tolerant flower is easiest to keep alive in summer; as long as you water it thoroughly every 1-2 days, it will grow vigorously!

3. Venus Flytrap

This big shot eats both mosquitoes and flies. Do not be fooled by its resemblance to a mung bean sprout; its two “toothed mouths” are extremely fierce against mosquitoes and insects. Once a mosquito or insect crawls onto the Venus flytrap's pod, its mouth immediately closes, trapping the insect, and then it secretes digestive fluid to digest the small insect and absorb it as its own nutrients. Although the Venus flytrap can catch flies, mosquitoes, and small black flies, it is rather passive and needs the insects to come to it, so you can plant more of them to increase the killing power! The Venus flytrap is harmless to humans.

Sowing and Care of Venus Flytrap

The Venus flytrap can be sown directly. Prepare a transparent disposable lunch box, poke a few holes in the lid for airflow, put some moist chopped sphagnum moss in the box, and sprinkle the seeds inside. After sowing, place it in a shady spot away from direct sun, keep the moss moist, and it will sprout in less than a week. The Venus flytrap likes moisture; usually keep it in a cool indoor spot, preferably planted in sphagnum moss, mist with water every 1-2 days, and it will quickly grow small “pods.” Hyacinth.

4. Sundew

Although the sundew (Drosera) is small, it can be called a true “mosquito nemesis.” As soon as a mosquito smells it, it comes to throw itself into the net, and the sundew kills mosquitoes quickly, ruthlessly, and accurately! The sundew is quite effective against mosquitoes and fungus gnats, and occasionally it also catches larger insects. It is best to remove large insects by hand, otherwise it has trouble digesting them, and they also affect its appearance.

Sowing and Care of Sundew

The sundew is similar to the Venus flytrap. Use moist chopped sphagnum moss, sprinkle the seeds, mist with water daily, and just wait for them to sprout. The sundew takes about 20-some days to take shape. Along the way, you can separate individual plants into their own pots or leave them together, whichever you prefer. The “small water droplets” on the sundew are its unique secretion, used to stick to small insects, so be sure not to knock them off. When watering, take care to water into the pot, or spray water upward into the air to increase air humidity.

5. Dalmatian Chrysanthemum

Many flower lovers grow lots of flowers in their yards and on their balconies, which easily attracts mosquitoes and insects, a real headache. Quickly plant Dalmatian chrysanthemum (Tanacetum cinerariifolium). Its pyrethrin is one of the raw materials for mosquito coils and can drive mosquitoes far away! Dalmatian chrysanthemum is very suitable for planting in yards and on balconies to repel mosquitoes and insects. Many botanical gardens plant it on a large scale to prevent too many mosquitoes and insects in summer.

Sowing and Care of Dalmatian Chrysanthemum

Ordinary garden soil can be used to sow Dalmatian chrysanthemum. During this period, keep the potting soil moist; no watering can is needed. Mist with a spray bottle every 1-2 days, and it will sprout in 3-5 days. Dalmatian chrysanthemum is fairly heat- and drought-tolerant. Seedlings can be exposed to light after 2-3 weeks. For normal care, just avoid direct sun, and it will bloom in about 1 month.

6. Fragrant Wood

Fragrant wood (Pistacia weinmannifolia) is a common green potted plant that can be kept at home or in the office. It not only absorbs formaldehyde and purifies the air but also repels mosquitoes. However, 90% of the fragrant wood on the market now is counterfeit pepperwood, so everyone must distinguish them clearly! Fragrant wood also repels insects by its scent, which is similar to citrus peel. Small insects turn and run when they smell it. Some have a weaker scent, so you can keep 2-3 pots at home.

How to Tell Fragrant Wood from Pepperwood

The leaf tip of fragrant wood is a pair of leaves, while pepperwood has only a single leaf. New leaves of fragrant wood are red, while new leaves of pepperwood are green. Only fragrant wood has the mosquito-repellent effect, while pepperwood cannot repel mosquitoes, so everyone must keep their eyes open and not choose the wrong one.

7. Mugwort

Everyone is surely familiar with mugwort (Artemisia argyi). It is a mosquito-repellent herb familiar to ordinary Chinese people. In the 1990s it could be said to be seen everywhere, but now it is becoming less and less common.

Prepare a relatively heat-resistant container, such as a ceramic pot or iron can, put dried mugwort inside, and after lighting it, be careful that the fire is not too big; just let it smolder slowly. Be extremely careful about safety to avoid accidents. Boil fresh mugwort for half an hour, and the scent will spread through the whole house. This can also repel mosquitoes, and it is safe and easy to do. Rub newly picked mugwort with a little water to extract the juice, put it in a small spray bottle, and spray the flowers and plants on the balcony that attract mosquitoes and insects. It not only drives away mosquitoes and insects but also kills insects. Of course, the most direct method is to tie mugwort into a bundle and hang it upside down behind the door or on the wall. The scent can last more than half a year, and after it dries, it can still be used to soak your feet and promote blood circulation.

8. Sedum kamtschaticum

Having said so much about repelling mosquitoes, here is one that “treats” mosquito bites. Sedum kamtschaticum, also known as narrow-leaf sedum, is a very effective anti-itch remedy. Sedum kamtschaticum has medicinal uses. Especially when mosquito bites are unbearably painful and itchy, pick a few leaves, rub them to extract the juice, and apply it to the bitten area. It can quickly relieve itching and pain, working even better than cooling balm or insect repellent.

Propagation and Care of Sedum kamtschaticum

Sedum kamtschaticum can be grown like a weed. Just pinch off a stem and throw it in a water bottle, and it will quickly root. It can also be inserted into soil, and as long as the soil is kept moist, it will grow into a mature plant. Sedum kamtschaticum does not need special care either. Plant it in ordinary garden soil, water when the soil is dry, and usually pinch off a few branches to use; it will keep growing back afterward.