How to Deal With Mosquitos in the Garden

Wondering how to deal with mosquitos in your garden? I know how annoying these little pests can be, and I've got tips and tricks to help!

While not usually a very pervasive issue here in the Sonoran Desert lowlands, a wet winter or bountiful monsoon has the potential to bring about (small) hoards of the bloodsuckers even here.

Both a nuisance and a disease vector, sometimes you'll need to find ways of dealing with mosquitos organically in your garden.

Appeal to Birds for Mosquito Protection

Many species of birds will eat mosquitoes. Birds usually eat. Both adults and larval stage is of mosquitoes.

To many gardeners, birds are only seen as pests who eat their fruit. From a more holistic perspective, however, birds are truly great pest prevention in their own right.

Entice birds into your garden by providing shrubs or hedgerows, feeders, bird baths, and bird houses.

Be sure not to spray any nasty chemicals in your garden, so that your birds can eat your pest problems safely.

Wear a Mosquito Head Net

Mosquito head nets are a great inexpensive option for keeping your face and neck. Totally safe from this nuisance.

Grab yourself a hat, because the hat brim will keep the mosquito net away from your face and prevent the mosquitoes from poking through it.

I like to wear a large hat with a circular sturdy brim to extend my mosquito head net out away from my face. I find this provides fantastic protection.

Plant Lemongrass for Mosquitos

Lemongrass contains the citronella compound, which is often used to repel mosquitoes.

Some folks apply lemongrass oil, or spray lemongrass oil around their garden. Frequent re-application as necessary, however, so this may not be the best choice.

Others say that simply growing lemongrass around your property is enough to ward off mosquitoes. Others will tell you this is not effective, however.

I'd suggest you give it a shot, and if lemongrass works for your mosquito problem we'd love to hear about it in the comment section below!

In Tucson we plant lemongrass outdoors April through early-June, after frosts are gone but before it gets TOO hot to easily establish. I have seen some gardeners have success establishing it later in the summer too, but I expect the failure rate is higher.

In addition to the possible mosquito protection, the lemongrass makes an awesome tropical ornamental, and is fantastic for tea.

This one may have a permanent home in your tea garden, and if you find that it does ward off some mosquitoes – all the better!

Burn Citronella to Ward Them Off

Another option is to burn citronella candles. These can be effective around the garden or on a deck or patio, but run out quick and require a constant open flame.

Use caution when lighting citronella candles in the desert, where open flames pose additional risk near dry vegetation.

Grow Your Own Citronella

An alternative to citronella candles is to keep citronella plants around your garden.

These plants contain most of the effectiveness of citronella candles, without the open flame and short lifespan!

Check your local garden center for potted citronella plants, which are easier to move around your property where necessary than citronella planted in the ground.

Both citronella geranium and citronella grass can also be grown from seed.

Looking for ways to control other garden pests naturally? Check out the full guide here.