Do you sometimes feel like an insect magnet? Does it seem that insects wait for you to exit your front door and shadow you every moment you spend on your porch or gardentending to your flowers or shrubs? Enjoy your time outdoors by having plants that naturally act as an insect repellent.
Here are some you may want to consider getting:
1. Chrysanthemum
Chrysanthemums can force roaches, fleas, bedbugs, and many other insects away from your home and yard. They do this because they possess pyrethrum. It’s a substance that is effective in eliminating both flying and jumping insects. Some companies use it for making sprays, shampoos, and aerosol bombs.
2. Allium
The allium family of plants is generally regarded as natural-growing insecticides or insect repellent. Aphids, cabbage worms, and slugs are among the insects that will avoid your yard if you plant alliums. Planting alliums close to crops like cabbage, broccoli, tomatoes, and carrots will help protect against garden insects. Examples of alliums range from small plants like garlic chives to the six-foot-tall Allium Giganteum.
3. Marigolds
Aphids, mosquitos, and animals as large as rabbits only need to catch a whiff of the scent from marigolds to know they are not welcome in your yard or garden.
Source: ShutterstockMarigolds are great for planting around the borders of a flowerbed because they repel insects that feed on plants. They also aid the growth of some plant types. Marigolds love the sun and are most fit to grow as annuals in most parts of the United States.
4. Lemongrass
You may be familiar with candles and other products made with Lemongrass. But did you know they work to ward off mosquitos, too?
Lemongrass contains Citronella, an oil responsible for its ability to repel insects. An important thing to keep in mind is that Lemongrass is the name of a group of plants. It does not identify a particular type of plant. Lemongrass grows year-round in South Florida. But your best bet is to grow it as an annual if you live in other locations.
5. Basil
You can plant basil near the doors or your home or in outdoor areas of your property to eliminate the nuisance that can be caused by mosquitoes and flies. You can also add basil leaves to boiling water and vodka to make an insect repellent spray.
6. Lavender
People have used lavender for centuries to add a pleasing aroma to their clothes, drawers, and other parts of the home. But while humans love the smell of lavender, the flies, mosquitoes, and fleas you wish to rid from your home hate the smell of the plant.
Source: ShutterstockLavender bouquets in your home will keep insects away. You can also place lavender around your garden strategically to keep the areas where you and your family relax pest-free.
7. Petunias
Petunias are another plant that is a popular natural pesticide. These plants require minimal maintenance to grow. You can use them to repel some insects, including leafhoppers, squash bugs, and tomato bookworms. Petunias are great for planting in garden beds and hanging baskets. They can also live in containers placed close to other plants that are an attraction for insects.
8. Geraniums
Geraniums repel leafhoppers and a variety of other insects. Pelargonium citrosum is a specific type of geranium often referred to as the mosquito repellent plant. Geraniums are fast-growing plants that like dry climates and plenty of sunshine. The fragrance produced by the plant will have insects traveling in a direction away from a geranium.
9. Mint
Mint is a mosquito repellent whose fast-spreading nature makes it more suitable for them to grow in pots than planted in the ground. You can extract aromatic oils from the plant and add to other ingredients to make a repellent for mosquitos. You can also place a container filled with mint cuttings in areas of your yard that you wish to keep insect-free.
10. Rosemary
Rosemary is excellent for repelling insects that may cause harm to vegetables. You can grow some in containers, then place them on your patio.
Source: ShutterstockAs an alternative, you may grow them as part of an herb garden, or plant them in beds that have been landscaped to accommodate their growth. The plant itself and any cuttings you take from it will repel insects that linger around your home or garden.
11. Sage
Sage is similar to Rosemary. They can both thrive in landscaped beds or live in containers on your patio. Sage, on the other hand, is an excellent insect repellent, particularly when you’re outdoors roasting hotdogs in your backyard or sleeping in a tent at your favorite campground. You only need to toss a little sage into your fire, and the scented smoke will become deterrent enough for you to enjoy your night without insect visitors.
12. Catnip
You may have already guessed by its name that the catnip herb is a favorite snack of cats.
Cats like catnip because they are attracted to nepetalactone, a chemical you can find in catnips. It is responsible for the plant’s ability to ward off cockroaches, flies, ticks, and other insects.
13. Floss Flowers
Floss flowers contain a chemical commonly used to make insect repellents known as coumarin. Mosquitos, in particular, find the smell of these flowers particularly unpleasant.
Floss flowers bloom in blue, pink, and white during the fall or summer months. They also make great additions to flower beds and rock gardens.
14. Lemon Thyme
Lemon Thyme is a great repellent for mosquitos and can thrive in a variety of environments. Your lemon thyme will need a bit of sun to grow to its fullest potential. But will be at home in a rock garden, herb garden, or as a front border to your garden. You need to bruise the leaves of lemon thyme before they release the chemicals that are able to repel mosquitos.
15. Pitcher Plants
Pitcher plants are a group of carnivorous plants that use their color, fragrance, and nectar to attract insects to its leaf or “pitcher.” Once the insect is in the pitcher, it finds the surface of the pitcher slippery and filled with hairs facing downward. The insect then falls into a pool of water located within the plant and is left to either drown or die from exhaustion. Insects that are commonly devoured by pitcher plants include flies, beetles, bees, wasps, ants, and snails.
The insects that hover around your home can become more than a minor nuisance when you want to enjoy your porch or yard with family and friends.
Many homeowners wish these insects gone but do not want to treat their yard with chemical substances to eliminate them. Fortunately, there are many plants that offers double-duty functions. You don’t just get beautiful pants that improve the style of your home. You also get a natural insect repellent that is safe for everyone in the family.
