Many different insect repellents and attractants are made using the fragrances and oils drawn from natural resources, i.e. plants. While there are plants that do, in fact, keep mosquitoes away and are not only majorly used in the production of insect repellents but are also used in gardens and landscape design, there are also many plants that attract insects such as mosquitoes.
The plants which attract mosquitoes are mainly those which contain nectar as both male and female mosquitoes feed on nectar.
Many plants have flowers for that contain nectar, therefore, you can expect a lot of insects around them such as bees and mosquitoes. Furthermore, nectar-producing flowers emit carbon dioxide, another known mosquito attractant. If you are a lover of flowers and your whole backyard is filled with beautiful flowers, you might experience more mosquitoes around your house and in your backyard then your neighbors and friends.
But nectary plants and flowers are not the only ones that attract mosquitoes. Mosquitoes are drawn to water even more than to nectar as without water they cannot breed and create offspring. Some such watery plants include water lilies, water hyacinths, and water lettuce.
Taro and, to a lesser extent, papyrus plants could be another reason for a sudden mosquito increase.
If you have a lot of plants that do not attract mosquitoes for food but require a lot of watering (or grow in flooded conditions), you might experience an increase in the number of mosquitoes hanging around your backyard.
The reason for this is that frequent watering will create a mosquito-friendly environment. The smallest amount of standing water attracts mosquitoes. Ivy and other ground cover vegetation can hold water as can holes in trees.
Did you know that those plants which attract mosquitoes can be successfully used in landscape architecture and in gardening? By planting them in the furthest corner of your backyard or in the places where people do not go as often, you can divert some mosquitoes away from the places which are used by people.
However, keep in mind that female mosquitoes require blood in order to lay their eggs, so flowers won’t be enough to keep them all away.
Even if you avoid plants with nectar-filled flowers and do not plant water lilies, water lettuce, or water hyacinths, you can still attract mosquitoes to your property without realizing it.
Even if you have a backyard full of mosquito deterring plants, mosquitoes will still be coming into your backyard if you heavily water them or allow standing water to collect. Hence, it is not only essential to know which plants attract mosquitoes and which ones deter them, but it is also essential to know the biology and behavior of mosquitoes to keep them as far from you as possible successfully.
Alternatively, you should choose a mosquito yard treatment method that won’t harm your plants but will be able to banish all mosquitoes for at least a couple of weeks.
Other tips to avoid mosquitoes taking residence in your backyard
The main thing you can do is to limit the amount of standing water you have in your yard.
Do not overwater your yard or plants. Turn over all containers and objects that might collect rainwater or dew when you are not using them including old tires, empty flower pots, pet bowls, and so on.
Ensure that your pond or any other body of water is far enough from your main outdoor living area that the mosquitos attracted to that water source will not bother you due to the distance. Otherwise, you should be various of mosquito larvae and should consider using mosquito pellets for standing water.
On top of that, there are different mosquito repelling methods you can use like using fans and spraying yourself with bug spray to further limit the chance that mosquitoes will come near you and bite you. This will allow you to enjoy your outdoor space even if there are plants that attract mosquitoes in your immediate area.
10 Comments
Mary McCarthy
Just an addition to your information.
I have a jasmine bush that seems to keep a mosquito swarm around it even though there is no standing water in the near vacinity and its not even flowering. So apparently jasmine is a BIG attraction for them, which isn’t at all good for me since 1) I love my jasmine bush and 2) I’ve been trying to do some work on my house, which its planted next to and so I’m practically having to bathe in repellant :0(. Its the rainy season in Florida, summer, so hot, humid and wet. So this thing is attracting them in mass.
Wish there was something I could spray on it to reverse the attraction that wouldn’t harm the bush.
I actually bought two solar bug lamps online that I’d planned on putting out there, but of course, my bad luck genie showed up and took them on a world wide trip, from China to Chicago, then to Thailand… better vacation than I’ve ever had. Probably on the way to France now, by way of Italy.
Karen
Thanks for sharing this information about jasmine, Mary. This is really helpful for me and everybody else to know and keep in mind as we battle the annoying insects know as mosquitoes.
There are some solutions that can be sprayed on shrubbery, bushes and plants in general that fight mosquitoes. Spectracide Triazicide Insect Killer is a good option for example.
And I am sorry to hear about your solar bug lamps. They are definitely having a better vacation than me as well. Hope you get them sooner rather than later so you can start using them and get rid of at least part of the mosquito swarm surrounding your home.
malpass ian
Mary, I also have a jasmine bush in my terrace in hong kong. Yes it appears to attract them, totally agreed, a beautiful soft scent.
I use it to advantage. Place some full buckets around it, then dose with detergent cleaner. Soft content prevent mrs mos from sitting on the water to disperse eggs, detergent, bleach oxidises the protein gell around the eggs, steaming tonight. I have been doing it for years, use buckets uv+chem+frost resistant (not cheap). Mine are lower dia circa 400mm, thousands per year, at night. Try cheaper bucket first. Place it somewhere with a light refection on the water. Shared it to friends in many countries, finding where they hang out is the success. Natural remedies, cheaper than expensive light stuff!
April
Ever since someone planted philodendron around our gazebo there has been swarms of mosquitoes. It says they don’t attract them but they most assuredly do.
Karen
Never thought philodendron would attract mosquitoes. Thanks for the info, April.
malpass ian
See my previous message to Mary. Plus. My home is very close to a forest, with lots of groundcover, we get rain in HK. A few years ago a changed all my lamps (bulbs?) to 7000K LED daylights. Decreased the numbers inside dramatically, mrs mos, the egg producer, does not like sunlight. But Mr mos feeds on grass. Fact. If you have any long grass please cut it so it gets sunshine, Mrs mos only goes for the blood to feed the eggs protein. Seek and destroy causes collateral insect damage (spray things), come to me and reduce your numbers, some collateral, a few moths and hornets unfortunately in my 4 buckets every year. Mosquitoes feed on grass, not enough protein in the grass
Craig Tuss
Do Himalayan Blackberries attract mosquitoes? I imagine of these invasive berries are dense enough they would provide adult mosquitoes with quite good cover and shelter.
InsectCop
The Himalayan Blackberries don’t attract mosquitoes per se. However, since mosquitoes like to hide in bushes, shrubbery, and other similar places during the day, the Blackberries do provide them with a good hiding place and therefore they might be encouraging the mosquitoes to live on your property.
Chester Sansbury
I expect that Triazicide stuff is hazardous to bees and butterflies.
InsectCop
Spectracide Triazicide is in fact harmful to bees as well as fish. However, it is highly efficient against mosquitoes. We recommend you consider all aspects of the product when choosing one, and see which one of the many available ones will be most suited to your particular situation.