Mosquitoes are repelled by a variety of scents, including:
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Eucalyptus: According to Melanie Rose from Nationwide Pest Control, eucalyptus is one of the most hated smells among mosquitoes. This is because it produces chemicals that mosquitoes dont like, namely linalool and geraniol.
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Marigolds: Marigolds are actually one of the most effective scents that deter mosquitoes. They emit insecticides that are toxic to mosquitoes.
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Citronella: Citronella is an essential oil made from lemongrass. It is a common ingredient in many insect repellents because it works so well.
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Lavender: Mosquitoes can't stand the smell of lavender. You can burn a lavender-scented candle to make your air more pleasant while making it intolerable to these biting pests.
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Peppermint: The smell of peppermint is also a deterrent to mosquitoes.
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Rosemary: A strong smell of rosemary will likely keep mosquitoes away. Crushing up some rosemary leaves in your garden should be enough to keep the mosquitoes out.
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Grapefruit: Mosquitoes hate the smell of grapefruit.
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Basil: Mosquitoes also don't like the smell of basil.
In addition, a small study published in the journal iScience found that the smell of coconut may help keep mosquitoes away. The study looked at whether different scented soaps made people more or less attractive to mosquitoes and found that the interplay of scents between human bodies and the products they used proved to be much more complicated.
