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The Spanish summer is once more stretching ahead of us, with days made for sunbathing and refreshing dips in the ocean and long, balmy evenings, perfect for catching up outdoors with friends and loved ones. But there is one blight on the horizon that can often make the season a chore: mosquitos.

 

As the temperature rises, these annoying critters seem to appear out of thin air, and as soon as the mercury hits 28 or 29 degrees, they begin to multiply at an alarming rate. Not only can mosquitos cause irritating bites, but these tiny insects can also carry a multitude of diseases.

 

It’s important to protect ourselves against mosquitos, and supermarkets and pharmacies across Spain carry a plethora of sprays, creams and even repellent bracelets to keep them at bay. However, it’s also possible to arm your garden with a number of plants that will drive the pests away and bring the pleasure back to outdoor dining.

 

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Probably the best known of all natural mosquito repellents, the insects can’t stand the strong odour of the citronella plant. As well as keeping your garden clear of buzzing pests, citronella has many other uses, such as for scented moisturiser, essential oils and candles and contains many antiseptic properties.

 

Most people are probably more familiar with its use in pesto rather than against pests, but lemon basil shares the same deep citrus scent as citronella, which will keep mosquitos away. It’s also useful to use on bites to take the sting away and is toxic to larvae, so really helps to keep the mosquito population down.

 

Sage is another plant which carries citronellol, a natural repellent, but to be effective, the leaves of the plant have to be burned since sage only releases this scent when exposed to high temperatures.

 

This citrus variety of geranium gives off an intense scent similar to citronella and lemon that keeps mosquitos and flies away. It can also be used to make repellent oils if mixed with almond oil.

 

This aromatic plant can also help repel various insect species, including mosquitos, thanks to its geraniol content. Once again, the use of this plant can be maximised by burning its leaves, since the smoke it generates will scatter any lingering pests.

 

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