How To Control Canada Thistle In The Garden

Jennifer is an environmentalist from Ohio. She is passionate about advocating for the planet and wildlife through gardening and education.

Mosquitoes in Your Garden

Mosquitoes can make enjoying time in your garden extremely difficult. They are not only irritating, they can also potentially spread diseases to you and your pets. Luckily there are many ways you can discourage mosquitos from taking up residence in your garden and get rid of the ones that are already there. There are many different scents that you can utilize to prevent mosquitos from visiting. For the ones that are not deterred by the deterrents, there are plenty of natural mosquito predators that you can attempt to attract to your yard as extra security against these blood-sucking insects.

Plant Mosquito-Repelling Plants

There are quite a few different plants that you can include in your garden to deter mosquitos. Some of these include catnip, citronella, geraniums, and lemon grass. Mosquitos hate the scent of certain plants and will be less likely to hang around an area where these plants are growing. Simply plant some of these plants as a border around your garden or intersperse them throughout your garden amongst your other plants. In my garden, I have a catnip plant right under my hammock and lots of geraniums (cranesbill) planted all throughout the garden.

For more information on mosquito-repelling plants, check out my other article: 10 Plants to Naturally Repel Mosquitoes From Your Garden

This is my toad house. Look just to the left of the "Hop Inn" sign!

Jennifer Wilber

Build a Toad House

Toads are natural predators of mosquitos and other annoying insects. They can consume over 100 insects, including mosquitos each day. As an added bonus, they also enjoy dining on pesky slugs. To reduce the number of mosquitos in your garden, make your garden a welcoming place to toads. Add a toad house to your garden and be sure to include a water dish for your new toad friends. You can purchase a premade toad house or build your own. You can make a toad house out of almost anything. A lot of people use old flowerpots, laid on their side and buried halfway in the ground. If you have a broken flowerpot, it could be easily repurposed into a toad house. My toad house if made from stones stacked on top of each other to form the shelter.

You should place your toad house in a shady area of your garden near a shrub or other plants with low-hanging leaves. Be sure there is a nearby water source for your new toad friends as well. If there isn't a natural water source, place a shallow dish in the soil and keep it filled with water. I used plastic lids from jars. I put a few pebbles in each for the toads to stand on and I refill them with fresh water whenever they get low.

My bat house, installed on my garage just above my garden.

Jennifer Wilber

Build a Bat House

Like toads, bats are a natural predator of mosquitos. Each bat can eat their body weight in mosquitos in a single night. Install a bat house near your garden to encourage bats to take up residence. You can purchase a pre-made bat house or find plans to build your own online.

You should install your bat house on a freestanding pole or on the side of a building at least 10-15 feet above the ground. Be patient. It may take weeks or months (or even longer) for bats to find your new bat house and decide to move in.

Once bats do move in, you should see a reduction in mosquitos around your garden. Bat guano is also said to be a great natural fertilizer, so having bats around can also help your garden plants to thrive.

Barn swallows eat mosquitos.

Susann Mielke

Put Up Birdhouses and Bird Feeders

Many species of birds are also natural predators of mosquitos, just like toads and bats. Put up birdhouses, bird feeders, and birdbaths to encourage birds to spend time in your garden. While the bats work through the night to rid your garden of mosquitos, birds can take up the day shift.

Some of the best mosquito-catching birds are barn swallows, purple martins, blackpoll warblers, and waterfowl such as ducks and geese.

Use Citronella Candles and Incense

In addition to planting citronella plants and other plants that repel mosquitos, you can also use citronella scented candles or incense while you are sitting or working in your garden. Try to use candles made from eco-friendly materials such as soy or beeswax. Look for all-natural incense, rather than brands that use synthetic fragrances.

Mosquitos lay eggs in standing water.

Santa3 / PixaBay

Remove Standing Water

Mosquitos lay their eggs in standing water, so it is a good idea to regularly remove any standing water around your garden if you don't want to be eaten alive by mosquitos. That isn't to say that you can't keep your birdbaths. Birdbaths are great for attracting birds who will help to keep the mosquito population to a minimum. Just be sure to replace the water in the bird bath ever few days to keep the water fresh for the birds while also preventing mosquito eggs from hatching.

Other sources of standing water to check for include gutters, pet bowls, buckets, poorly draining potted plants, ponds, and pools. If you have a pond or pool in your yard, consider adding a current to help discourage mosquitos from laying their eggs there.

Coffee grounds can be used to deter mosquitoes from your garden.

Claro Cafe

Use Coffee Grounds

Mosquitos dislike the smell of coffee grounds, so your used coffee grounds can be used to repel these annoying insects from your garden. As a bonus, used coffee grounds are also an excellent natural fertilizer for your plants.

Coffee ground may also be used to kill off mosquito eggs in standing water that can't be removed, including standing water in the ground around plants. Some gardeners claim that adding coffee grounds to standing water deprives mosquito eggs and larvae of oxygen, causing them to die off.

Get Rid of Mosquitoes Naturally

Mosquitos can be a quite annoying problem in the garden, but it is possible to deal with these irritating, and potentially deadly, pests without resorting to harmful chemicals. Using scents that drive the insects away and attracting their natural predators to your yard, you can significantly reduce the amount of these annoying bugs in your garden.

This content is accurate and true to the best of the author's knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.

Imogen French from Southwest England on September 02, 2021:

Some great tips and useful information, thank you. I never use chemicals in my garden, I like to let nature do its thing, but there are some pests that drive my patience!

Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NIGERIA. on August 31, 2021:

Thanks.

Miebakagh Fiberesima from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, NIGERIA. on August 31, 2021:

Thanks.