Plants vs. Pests: Top 11 Leafy Bug Repellents
If you’re starting a green lifestyle, one of the biggest surprises you will face is the number of insects that come with it. After all, insects create the biological foundation upon which every land-based ecosystem exists. But that doesn’t mean this foundation must be laid out in your living room.
Aesthetic naturalists often combine plants and insect killers to create an atmosphere of nature-friendliness. In this article, you will learn how to remain environment-friendly while keeping your home insect-free with the help of 11 plants that naturally repel bugs.
Catnip
Catnip can be a decorative plant thanks to its pleasant purple-coloured flowers. It can also be a backyard plant, as well as it grows very well in the wild. Catnip has relaxing qualities and can be used to make bedtime tea. Even if you don’t have time to extract and brew catnip tea, you can still enjoy its mosquito-repelling properties. The plant repels flies and cockroaches as well.
Floss Flower
Also known as Bluemink, the Floss Flower has a spherical petal spread and a deep colour. It can be red, purple, pink, white, or blue. The plants are aesthetically pleasing, and it repels mosquitoes. You can use it on hanging planters on a balcony. Because of its toxic effects, it should not be planted within reach of children or pets.
Of all the insect-repelling plants, floss flowers come closest to the repellents used by conventional pest control providers. They are indiscriminately toxic, albeit to a lesser extent. But as long as they’re out of kids’ and pets’ reach, floss flowers can do a great job at keeping your home mosquito-free.
Lemongrass
Aside from decorative plants that repel insects, there are also functional plants with pest-repellent qualities. Lemongrass can be a great kitchen plant that can flavour your food and keep bugs away. Its oil or extract can be used to protect neutral plants from insects as well.
Lavender
Lavender is one of the most aromatic insect-repelling plants. It doesn’t have a strange or unpleasant odour for humans. The smell of lavender is quite pleasant, yet it repels bugs. Moreover, lavender naturally dries and can be preserved for its decorative value.
Petunias
Petunias are average-maintenance flowers that look best when planted in hanging planters. They can be grown in large quantities and surround a house to create a colourful, floral aesthetic. These plants can also keep outdoor bugs from entering your home, especially when the indoor lighting acts as an insect magnet.
Marigold
Marigold is a bit of a trade option. While it repels mosquitoes, flying pests, and a few types of worms, it attracts some pollinators and aphid-killers. Usually, these insects are beneficial for getting rid of mites and aphids. They attract ladybugs and lacewings that eat plant-destroying insects. Having them in your garden is a no-brainer, but planting marigolds in your lawn or balcony is up to your comfort with beneficial insects.
Lemon Thyme
Lemon Thyme is an herb that you can use for seasoning and flavouring. It has practical use in the kitchen and on your window sill. And if you want to cultivate an indoor herb garden, you can also grow lemon thyme indoors. It acts as a decent mosquito repellent, and its crushed yield acts as a more potent one.
Pitcher Plant
The pitcher plant is unlike the plants with utility other than repelling pests. It exists solely to consume insects. The pitcher plant isn’t a very aesthetic choice, but it is quite effective.
Rosemary
If you’re not tired enough of insects to grow pitcher plants in your backyard, then your time is better spent growing kitchen plants like Rosemary. The plant has seasoning utility and repels mosquitoes and flies.
Basil
Basil, like Rosemary, repels mosquitoes and is used in the kitchen. That’s because it belongs to the Mint family, just like Rosemary. You can grow Basil or Rosemary and have the same level of insect-repelling action. Growing both plants doesn’t increase the pest-repellent effect, but it does widen your herb drawer.
Mint
Just like the mint family plants repel flying insects, the common Mint plant also keeps mosquitoes and flies away. And like Rosemary and Basil, Mint is also used for flavouring, seasoning, and garnishing. It can be grown in a small pot on your window sill or in a planter on your balcony. Mint is quite fragrant, but its smell isn’t unpleasant to most people.
Conclusion
If you want to have house plants or a backyard garden but don’t want to deal with insects that they bring, you can choose plants that repel insects. By growing plants that keep mosquitoes, flies, and other bugs away, you bypass the need for toxic pesticides and can have aesthetic flowers and functional herbs in your space.
