Grow these plants that repel unwanted insects around your house, use them in a tincture and spray them around, or use their essential oils and you can naturally minimize the bugs in your life. If you haven’t noticed either many of these are herbs that we would find in our spice cupboard. Starting an herb garden that you can harvest year round gives you fresh herbs and a natural bug repellent.
Lemon Grass (CITRONELLA)
Lemon grass contains citronella oil. This is known to repel all sorts of insects but specifically mosquitoes. Note: it also might repel cats. Citronella essential oil can be used in a diy mosquito repellent. During outdoor bbq try burning a wick soaked in citronella oil to ward off mosquitoes. (1) You can also use lemon grass or other lemon herbs like lemon thyme and lemon balm to keep insects at bay and in cooking.
Marigolds
Specifically the mexican marigold repels insects and rabbits.
Lavender
Lavender repels moths, fleas, flies, and mosquitoes. This grows best in sunny dry areas.
Peppermint
Peppermint is a great all around bug repellent. It is one of the most versatile plants that repel unwanted insects. It is used in organic commercial pest control or in mosquito repellents. It is excellent for repelling mosquitoes.
Basil
Basil repels flies and mosquitoes. Not only does basil repel insects but have it in a pot in your house or outside and you have fresh basil all year long.
Oregano
Here is another household herb that is great at repeling insects too. Oregano repels many different types of pests. Here is another reason to get your indoor herb garden started.
Chamomile
Use chamomile to repel most flying insects and then use it in some relaxing tea.
Garlic
Garlic repels many insects including aphids, Japanese beetle, carrot fly, codling moth, snails, root maggots, cabbage looper, Mexican bean beetle, and the peach tree borer. Ok, yeah that’s not really house pests but garlic is also a great to eat!
Plants That Repel Mosquitoes
Keep mosquitoes off naturally!
These are 8 common plants that repel mosquitoes:
CITRONELLA
CATNIP
LAVENDER
BASIL
MINT
LEMON BALM
LEMON THYME
ROSEMARY
Grow these plants in your garden and for some, indoors by the windows. Their scents and oils repel mosquitoes.
We can also snip them up and place them in the house as repellent cum potpourri; smoke a handful with fire to keep mosquitoes at bay for outdoor gatherings; and some of these plants can be crushed and be applied to the skin as repellent or to soothe insect bites.