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The Daily Insight

What plants keep insects away

Author

Rachel Hunter

Published Mar 24, 2026

Lavender. Lavender. … Basil. While we all love the smell of basil, mosquitoes, moths, and flies are not fans. … Thyme. … Mint. … Lemongrass. … Alliums. … Chrysanthemums. … Petunias.

What plants naturally keep bugs away?

Make A Stink: Many aromatic herbs, like yarrow, citronella, mint, fennel, catnip, basil, and lemongrass are natural deterrents for garden pests from aphids to potato beetles. As an added bonus, some of these herbs also attract the predators that keep pests under control.

What plants keep flies and mosquitoes away?

  • Mint. Many repellents contain essential mint oil. …
  • Sage. This herb has a reputation for getting rid of ants, flies, and mosquitoes. …
  • Petunias. These colorful annuals keep aphids, certain beetles, leaf hoppers, and squash bugs away. …
  • Marigolds. …
  • Rosemary. …
  • Lavender. …
  • Basil.

What plants drive away pests?

  • Citronella grass.
  • Lemongrass.
  • Marigolds.
  • Chrysanthemums.
  • Petunias.

What flower keeps insects away?

Lavender is a favorite among many beneficial insects and also repels fleas and moths. Marigolds – The marigold is probably the most well-known plant for repelling insects. French marigolds repel whiteflies and kill bad nematodes.

Do bugs not like lavender?

Lavender. They love the flowers, but other bugs stay away. Lavender has a pleasant scent that comes from the essential oils in the leaves of the plant, but the bugs hate it. Hang some dried lavender in your closet and you won’t have to worry about moths eating your clothes.

What smells do bugs hate?

Plus, most bugs hate the smell of citrus essential oils (such as, sweet orange, lemon, grapefruit, & bergamot). Ants, cockroaches, gnats, head lice, moths, silverfish, spiders, ticks, and weevils all detest scent of sweet orange essential oil.

What kind of plants keep roaches away?

Cockroaches: Several of these fragrant plants will help discourage cockroaches from entering your home, including chrysanthemums, catnip, peppermint, and lavender. Fleas and bedbugs: These itchy insects hate lemongrass, lavender, citronella plants, catnip, and chrysanthemums.

Which plant keeps spiders away?

The unmistakable scent of mint is a great insect repellent, and can be very effective at preventing spiders from making your premises their home. There are plenty of mint varieties that work well to repel insects, but peppermint is considered the most potent choice.

What smells do mosquitoes hate?
  • Citronella.
  • Clove.
  • Cedarwood.
  • Lavender.
  • Eucalyptus.
  • Peppermint.
  • Rosemary.
  • Lemongrass.
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What smell do flies hate the most?

Cinnamon – use cinnamon as an air freshner, as flies hate the smell! Lavender, eucalyptus, peppermint and lemongrass essential oils – Not only will spraying these oils around the house create a beautiful aroma, but they will also deter those pesky flies too.

What plants repel black flies?

Herbs like basil, coriander, and anise planted in a garden are thought to repel pests. Plant them in the borders of your yard, or line your porch with flower boxes filled with these plants. Garlic plants may work, as well.

Do lavender plants repel mosquitoes?

Lavender. Lavender can repel flying insects like mosquitos, moths, and flies. The flower’s perfume is well-known, and while it will scent the air, the most effective way to use it for pest control is to rub the plant on your skin to release its oils.

Do marigolds deter pests?

Marigolds emit a strong odour that will repel greenfly and blackfly. Grow sage with carrots or plants in the cabbage family to ward off pests. Both have strong scents that drive away each other’s pests.

Do marigolds repel animals?

They Don’t Work. In reality, marigolds don’t repel rabbits, deer or any other animals from gardens, said horticultural experts at Iowa State University and Texas A&M University. Rabbits may actually eat marigolds while deer simply ignore them.

What plants keep bugs out of vegetables?

  • Marigolds. Marigolds are great for helping repel aphids and mosquitoes, as well as small animals like rabbits. …
  • Petunias. …
  • Geraniums. …
  • Lemongrass. …
  • Rosemary. …
  • Chrysanthemums. …
  • Pitcher plants. …
  • Alliums.

How do I stop bugs from eating my vegetables?

Keeping your garden free from any kind of debris is the simplest thing you can do to ensure that it stays pest free. Some pests feed and thrive on debris and for most of them it makes for a good hiding place. You should also remove the weeds frequently as they too provide good hiding spots for garden pests.

How do I keep bugs and animals out of my garden?

  1. Try Crop Rotation Every Year. …
  2. Attract Spiders to Your Garden. …
  3. Grow Catnip for Stinkbugs. …
  4. Introduce Ladybugs to Eat Aphids & Other Pests. …
  5. Plant Extra Parsley, Dill and Cilantro for Pest Eaters.

What does vinegar do to bugs?

Vinegar is one of the best ingredients to make a pest control spray. It is effective in repelling ants, mosquitoes, fruit flies, and many others. Creating a mix is quite simple and is considered safe for humans and pets. Acidity of the vinegar is potent enough to kill many pests.

What smell do spiders hate?

You can take advantage of a spider’s strong sense of smell by using scents that will repel them, such as vinegar, mint, catnip, cayenne pepper, citrus, marigold, and chestnut. Below you’ll find scents that spiders are repelled by and the best technique to use them.

What smell deters bed bugs?

This is why bed bugs, as well as other insects and arachnids, also hate the following scents: mint, cinnamon, basil and citrus. (All of these contain linalool in them.) Sprinkling lavender oil or spraying lavender scent in areas where bed bugs are hiding is useful, but not too powerful on its own.

Does mint plant repel bugs?

The pungent nature of mint deters bugs from making your home their home. Pests like ants, mosquitos, and mice will avoid mint plants whenever possible, and it can also help with other menaces like roaches, spiders, and flies.

Does rosemary repel roaches?

Rosemary can repel and kill cockroaches according to a 2016 study. The study tested effects of five essential oils cockroaches. Rosemary oil was found to be an effective repellent and toxin. Cockroaches placed in direct contact with rosemary oil died as did cockroaches fumigated with rosemary oil.

Does peppermint keep insects away?

Peppermint Oil In fact, peppermint keeps most pests away, including aphids, beetles, caterpillars, fleas, flies, lice, mice and moths. … If you’re diluting the oil, mix 10 drops of peppermint essential oil and 16 oz. of water, then transfer to a spray bottle.

What Bugs does Lavender keep away?

Lavender has a strong scent that repels moths, flies, fleas, and mosquitoes. Use it fresh or dry some of the flowers to hang around the house or put in with your clothing to keep bugs out.

Do lavender plants repel spiders?

Whether in plant form or as an essential oil, lavender (Lavandula, USDA plant hardiness zones 5-9) is a completely natural spider repellent useful for indoors or outdoors. … Potted lavender plants kept on porches, indoors or near doorways can also help keep spiders away.

Does mint really repel spiders?

The reason peppermint oils seem to work great as a spider repellent spray is one of the reasons why people like mint: the smell. The overwhelming smell of mint (as well as other strong scent natural oils for spiders) will cause almost all spiders to run the other way.

What plants keep rats away?

  • Marigolds (Rosmarinus officinalis)
  • Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis)
  • Peppermint (Mentha piperita)
  • Lavender (Lavandula)
  • Onions (Allium sepa)
  • Grape Hyacinth (Muscari asparagaceae)
  • Garlic (Allium sativum)
  • Daffodils.

Does lavender repel roaches?

Lavender. Cockroaches hate the smell of lavender, and that is good news for you. … Lavender essential oils work well for this purpose; you can dilute the oil and place it in a spray bottle, then spray surfaces where cockroaches have been a problem.

Do houseplants attract cockroaches?

Do houseplants attract roaches? In short, houseplants don’t typically attract cockroaches. However, if you use leftover food as fertilizer or create high humidity conditions in your houseplants, it can invite cockroaches as they are attracted to food, moisture, and dark cracks where they can lay eggs.

How do I keep mosquitoes out of my yard naturally?

  1. Remove Excess Vegetation. …
  2. Stock Ponds or Marshes. …
  3. Reduce Standing Water. …
  4. Attract Mosquito Eating Animals. …
  5. Plant Mosquito Repellent Plants. …
  6. Watch What You Wear. …
  7. Choose a Safer Spray for Extra Control.