Repelling Bad Bugs with Plants - Garden Plants as Bug Repellents

By Nikki Phipps

There is no way to get around having insects in the garden; however, you can successfully scare the bad bugs away by incorporating useful plants into your landscape. Many plants can serve as bug repellants.

Japanese beetlesChives and leeks deter the carrot fly and can also improve the overall health of garden plants.

Garlic helps to repel nasty aphids and Japanese beetles. When planted alongside onions, this plant also deters moles and mice.

Basil shoos away flies and mosquitoes; try setting some around the porch or other outdoor areas.

Borage and tomato plants will fend off tomato worms, and marigolds ward off a number of harmful insects including nematodes and Japanese beetles.

Incorporating some mint and rosemary around the garden will discourage the egg-laying of many insects, such as the cabbage moth. To keep ants away, try planting some mint and tansy around the house.

Tansy is also good for keeping Japanese beetles and mosquitoes at bay.

Believe it or not, spinach is actually a deterrent for slugs, and thyme is good for repelling cabbageworms.

Pyrethrum planted anywhere within the landscape will help with aphids.

Implementing plants that are labeled as pest-resistant in and around the garden is also a good way to ward off harmful insects. For example, planting resistant varieties of azalea or rhododendron will deter insects that are normally destructive to these shrubs, such as weevils.

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Gardening Know How
57 Wandle Ave
Bedford, OH 44146