While a pest control specialist, such as those at Ace Walco & Sons Termite & Pest Control, should be able to successfully keep most rodents and bugs at bay throughout the year, mosquitoes tend to show up between professional visits to wreak havoc when you want to take advantage of the outdoor elements. In fact leaving the kitchen door open for just an hour can result in uncomfortable bites and itching during fall and summer months. Luckily, a variety of plants can help fight mosquitoes off – here are a few unique ways you can put them to use:
Potpourri
A great way to maximize the performance of your mosquito repelling plants is to turn some of them into potpourri that can be hung around both the interior and exterior of your home. You'll find that the smell of your homemade potpourri lasts for weeks before needing to be replaced. All you need is a few handfuls of leaves and flowers from your favorite plants and some nylon knee-highs. Try some of these fun combination options:
Use a dehydrator to dry out your leaves and flowers, and then lightly crush them before filling your knee-high nylons. Once full, tie the top of each knee-high and hang the potpourri anywhere you see fit. The beautiful colors of the flowers and leaves will gleam right through the nylon material.
Barbecues
When you're outdoors cooking food over the grill, take a few dry leaves and flowers leftover from making potpourri and set them on the top grill of your barbecue. The smoke that emanates from the grill will repel mosquitoes and create an inviting smell (but not to mosquitoes) in the air that should complement whatever it is that you're cooking. The stems from fresh mosquito repelling plants can also be put on the grill if you don't have any dry leaves and flowers to use – but you'll need to use a handful of stems to create a long lasting burn effect.
Centerpieces
Centerpieces made of mosquito repelling plants can be used both indoors and outdoors to keep the critters away. Place large vases of lavender on the dining room table inside and picnic table outdoors, fill small bowls with water and fresh marigold flowers for your end tables, and put bouquets of lemon balm and marigolds on the bedroom dresser. You'll find that your centerpieces work not only work as mosquito repellents, but they'll also enhance the fragrance power of your homemade potpourri satchels.
Window Décor
You can use your plants to enhance interior and exterior décor by putting mini-pots filled with marigolds or basil on your window sills inside, and hanging pots of plants such as lavender and catnip along the outside of each window. Positioned this way, mosquitoes will be more likely to stay away from the cracks in your windows so they don't head indoors. They'll also add a sense of nature to your home's overall design, which helps to keep stress levels low and inspiration high.
Lighting Accessories
Yet another great way to incorporate mosquito repelling plants inside or outside your home is to use the plants as decoration for your light shades. Garlands of basil can be pinned to chandeliers, marigold flowers can be pinned along the bottoms of floor height lamp shades, and dried lavender stems can be pinned to tabletop shades to create a purple waterfall effect. With just a little imagination the options are limitless! Make sure that the techniques you use to attach your plants to shades is not permanent because they'll need to be replaced every couple of weeks.
With the help of these tips and tricks, you should find it comfortable to spend time outside or open a house door any time you want throughout the year without worry of being attacked by those pesky mosquitoes.
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