Mosquitoes are the bane of many an outdoor adventurer. You don’t have to go any further than out your door to run the risk of encountering one (or several). If you don’t want to have mosquitoes around your property, some garden plants could help you drive them away.

 Marigolds are small, pretty flowers that can be yellow to burnt orange in color. They’re a popular garden flower, both for their bright color and their ability to repel various undesirable insects including cabbage worms and mosquitoes. The smell marigolds give off is repellent to mosquitoes. They naturally contain a compound that is used in multiple insect repellants. Add this lovely flower throughout your garden and by windows and doors to discourage mosquitoes from sticking around or coming into your home.

Citronella grass plants are pretty well known as mosquito repellent plants. They contain oil that repels mosquitoes. Just planting it isn’t going to discourage mosquitoes though. The oil has to be released for it to be effective. To that end, crush or press the grass blades. Then you can rub them onto your skin and clothes. Just make sure you do a spot test on a small area of your skin first so you can test for any adverse skin reactions before you apply it all over.

Mint is another plant that smells pleasant to humans but is repellent to mosquitoes and some other pesky bugs. The more powerful the scent, the fewer mosquitoes you’ll find buzzing around. Mint is pretty hardy, so it’s easy to grow and care for. It actually has some invasive tendencies, so keep it in a few pots around your patio and garden if you don’t want it taking over an area. Just make sure you regularly trim it back to keep it from flowering if you want to consume it. Mint leaves tend to become bitter once the plant has flowered.

No one wants to deal with the itchiness that comes from mosquito bites, let alone run the risk of dealing with any of the mosquito-borne illnesses that have occurred in Washington state. Protect yourself and your family by using mosquito repellent during the warmer, wetter months of the year. From sprays with DEET to garden plants, there are enough solutions out there that there’s something that should work for everyone.

Did you miss Proterra Pest Control’s first list of three garden plants that mosquitoes don’t like? Click here to check it out.