Mosquitoes have got to be one of the world’s worst pests. It’s hard to have fun outdoors, like sitting on your patio, when you are slapping those biting mosquitoes. In addition, we all have to contend with the possibility of diseases like the West Nile Virus. There are a few things you can do to protect yourself and your patio area from these buzzing, biting creatures.

The concern these days with mosquito repellents are the chemicals used to create them. Some can be harmful to young children and even pets. Luckily, there are a variety of natural mosquito repellent options that you can try for your patio. Read on for some helpful tips:

1. Add some color to your patio landscaping and plant containers while repelling mosquitoes and bugs at the same time. Plant marigolds! For some reason, these flowers exude a fragrance, while undetectable by humans; it naturally repels mosquitoes and other pests. Geraniums have also been known to deter these pesky critters.

2. Thai lemon grass is a very popular landscaping border grass around patios because of its mosquito repellant nature. The citronella oil used for other mosquito repellant products is derived from Thai lemon grass. You can easily find this grass as your local garden centers.

3. Plant catnip and you will find that your cat loves it and your mosquito population hates it. Catnip contains an essential oil which produces a state of euphoria in felines while repelling the mosquitoes. You can plant it in flower beds or plant containers around the perimeter of your patio. You could even make a catnip tea, and then spray a concentrate of it on your patio and plants.

3. If you have a water garden, think about adding the element of fish. You would need to probably install a small pump though to keep the water oxygenated for the fish. Mosquitoes love water and will breed anywhere water exists, whether in a puddle on the ground or in your water garden. If you had fish, they would eat the mosquito larvae floating in the water thus deterring the growth of the mosquito population.

4. Lemon scented Joy dish soap is an unlikely deterrent to mosquitoes. Take a white plate and add water to it along with a few drops of the Joy dish soap. For some reason, mosquitoes will assemble around the water, drink it and then die quickly.

5. A fairly new product has just been released called mosquito granules and contains a variety of essential oils (like some named above) that fight off mosquitoes. It is not harmful to kids or pets and is made from all natural ingredients. You just sprinkle it in your lawn and the perimeter of your patio, much like you would a fertilizer. Ask your local garden center or pest control business about the product.

There are also a few home remedies for mosquito repellents for your body that might help when relaxing on your patio. Get some unused dryer sheets and rub them on the exposed areas of your body. Not only will you smell good, but the mosquitoes don’t seem to like it. Mosquitoes don’t like garlic either. So you can eat some garlic in your food or make a diluted spray from garlic juice and spray down the immediate area.

Mosquitoes are hardy and becoming more and more resistant to the various chemicals that we try to use to combat them. That is why these natural mosquito repellants are so popular. Not only do they work but they are also safe for you, your family and the environment.