My family and I love spending time in the backyard and on our back porch — even in the hottest months of the year. As much as we love eating meals outside and soaking up the nature of the suburbs of Alabama, there’s one thing we could do without: bugs and insects that bite. They seem to be the worst in the late summer and early fall, when the humidity is high and the sun is bright.
We do try to keep the mosquitoes at bay with spray as well as citronella and tiki torches. In fact, my husband frequently jokes that our home looks like it’s going up in smoke because of all the tabletop and yard tiki torches I have burning! I must say that burning citronella is one of the few things I’ve found that actually repels the swarms during the intense heat of summertime. Still, we don’t particularly enjoy the powerful scent of citronella — and oftentimes it’s tough to choose between copious amounts of torch smoke or mosquito bites.
The Simple $3 Trick That Keeps Mosquitoes Away
Then I came across this brilliant DIY mosquito repellent on Apartment Therapy, written by CEO and founder Maxwell Ryan himself. He first saw it working its magic at a hotel in Mexico, but this technique has actually been used for centuries to ward off mosquitoes and other biting insects. It requires just two cheap everyday items — rosemary and a Sterno can — and I knew I had to try this simple technique when I read about it.
A neighbor with a flourishing rosemary plant was willing to share all the rosemary I needed for this project. In fact, she told me that she had actually planted many herbs in the hope that they would ward off mosquitoes in her yard! She also said that one time while doing yard work on a particularly buggy day, she rubbed a few lemon balm sprigs on her skin and was pleasantly surprised that the mosquitoes stopped biting — apparently they were deterred by the lemon balm. She encouraged me to take a few sprigs of lemon balm as well to toss in with the rosemary.
After clipping herbs and arranging them over a small Sterno flame, I proceeded to light the $3 Sterno can. At first, I was concerned that the sprigs might catch fire and go up in smoke as soon as I lit it, but all my fears over a small out-of-control fire were assuaged as the herbs gently and calmly burned and smoldered.
The rosemary and lemon balm created a wonderfully simple and naturally fragranced smoke that actually smelled incredible. Additionally, the small setup created a crackling ambiance while burning. But the best part of this experiment? I didn’t see a single mosquito on my back porch while the herbs were burning!
Not only do I now love this particular all-natural bug repellent for back-porch suppers, but I also plan to place a few smaller bowls out for a rustic tablescape when entertaining for larger groups. I’ve actually planted two rosemary plants in my yard so that I can cut sprigs to ward off insects as needed!