All summer long, I have declared that this year we would savor the urban outdoors! Living in the city we don’t have a large yard, but we do have several porches, patios, balconies and a roof deck to enjoy. I know that summer is quickly coming to a close which is why I don’t want mosquitoes robbing one moment of my remaining summer days and night. My best summer outdoor entertaining tips to pass along include tips on how to prevent mosquitoes from ruining your party. Can you guess my favorite tip in mosquito prevention? Use plants and flowers to naturally repel mosquitoes! Say what? I know! This is exciting news to a girl who would rather not be slathered in chemicals. Keep reading for all the deets—or all the non-DEETs as the case may be. Sorry, couldn’t resist a little mosquito-repelling humor.
Mosquito-Repelling Potagerie
I recently learned from a blog post on One Kings Lane the best types of potted plants to use in your outdoor entertaining space to help keep mosquitoes and bugs away. I’m partnering with One Kings Lane to share this awesome information, and to bring you some stylish ways to decorate your outdoor spaces with easy tips to repel mosquitos in your garden. Not only does One Kings Lane provide beautiful items to decorate our homes, but they also give us great tips on how to decorate our homes to be the spaces we love!
But let’s face it, my outdoor patio….
…and my back porch are only enjoyable if while sipping my wine, mosquitoes aren’t trying to sip on me! You might recall that in the beginning of the summer I blogged about my tiki-sculpture which uses citronella fuel to help prevent mosquitoes. This works great if you are sitting very near the flame, but otherwise the mosquitoes still seem to find me.
Summer Entertaining Tips on How to Prevent Mosquitoes
1. Remove all sources of standing water. We all know to look for standing water in empty garbage can lids, birdbaths, and outdoor dog bowls. But did you know that mosquitoes can lay their eggs in just a bottle cap of water? Eek! After it rains, make sure your gutters are thoroughly drained and walk around the yard emptying any children’s outdoor toys (i.e. sandbox lids, wagons, toy buckets, etc.). Also check any plant saucers, rain-barrel lids, and furniture or grill covers.
2. Keep grass cut, bushes trimmed, and remove piles of lawn cuttings or debris. Mosquitoes like moist, cool areas and will hide in tall grass or bushes during the heat of the day. They also feed on plant nectar when they aren’t feeding on you. Moist piles of lawn cuttings or sticks are breeding grounds for mosquitoes and should be removed . You will reduce your mosquito population if you keep your yard manicured!
3. Wear light clothing and no perfume to outdoor parties. Mosquitoes like dark clothing and good smelling people so throw them off your scent by wearing white and going easy on the smelly stuff. Be warned that they also like perspiration so do wear an unscented deodorant—for all of our sake’s!
4. Use mosquito repelling plants and flowers to beautify your space while repelling mosquitoes. It sounds too good to be true, but it actually helps! You can use rosemary, basil, lemon verbena and mint to ward off mosquitoes. There are many creative ways to incorporate lush potted plants into your outdoor entertainment mosquito repelling repertoire. You may also want to considering planting cascading geranium, catnip, and citronella. Fun fact: Catnip is said to be 10 times more effective than DEET in repelling mosquitoes!
If you are looking for ways to update your outdoor space, be sure to check out my Outdoor Pinterest Board for inspiration which includes some fun outdoor products from One King’s Lane.
Do you have any mosquito preventing tips to share? If so, I’d love to hear them in the comments. A few summers ago Matt actually came down with West Nile virus and it was horrible and scary. It made me much more aware of every single mosquito so please share any natural tips on mosquito prevention that are working for you.
Jacinth says
Hi Beth, nice tips. One tip that I use sometimes to repel mosquitoes – if you are not averse to a little smoke, you may also use dried orange peel instead of those stinky mosquito destroyer coils. Smells better too.
Beth says
Oooo, great tip!
Betsy(@coastal-colors) says
Great tips; thanks for sharing ! We have so many mosquitoes in Georgia!
Beth says
Oh my goodness, yes you do! Screened porches are a must :). We actually seem to be having much more this summer than I remember in previous years. I think it’s because we’ve had a lot more rain this summer.