Breeding Sites

• The American College of Physicians recommends a combination of habitat control and the use of personal protectants as the most effective means of controlling mosquitoes. Mosquitoes breed in standing water, so removing any potential breeding sites from your yard will keep the population down. Fix dripping outdoor faucets, drain and refill any birdbaths twice a week, turn empty containers or receptacles upside down and drain plant saucers weekly. Ultrasonic devices or bug zappers are not effective, according to the College of Physicians study.
  
  

Mosquito Plants

• No plant will repel mosquitoes just sitting in a pot or the garden, according to plant fragrance specialist Arthur Tucker. Plants must be crushed to release the oils that can repel mosquitoes, says Tucker, of Delaware State College in Dover.
  
  Mosquito plants available commercially are citrosa plants, a hybrid of scented geranium and citronella grass, which produces the oil used in mosquito-repelling candles. Citrosa contains .09 percent citronella. Other garden plants contain more citronella. Lemon balm, for example, has 38 percent citronella, according to Tucker.
  
  

Crushed Leaves

• Crushing the leaves of the citrosa plant and rubbing it on the skin offers some protection against mosquitoes, according to Tucker. Citrosa leaves provided 30 to 40 percent repellancy of the insect-repelling chemical DEET. Crushed lemon thyme rubbed on the skin, however, offered 62 percent of the repellancy of DEET. Tucker recommends patch-testing for allergies before rubbing any crushed plant on the skin.
  
  

Catnip

• Iowa State University Department of Entomology found that an essential oil in catnip is 10 times more effective than DEET. Catnip, Nepeta cataria, can be grown in a sunny spot in the garden, as well as the closely related and more ornamental catmint, Nepeta faasenii. Gardening Author Ann Lovejoy uses catnip and catmint to make mosquito repellents. She mixes the catnip with vinegar, and catmint with crushed rosemary and grapeseed oil, and applies the compounds to the skin.
  
  

Citronella Candles

• The American College of Physicians study showed that lit citronella candles, which are infused with citronella oil, provided some protection against mosquitoes. Participants using the candles had 42 percent fewer bites than those not using them. Regular smoking candles were about half as effective as the citronella candles, the study showed.