Plants that repel flies and gnats
Plants That Repel Bugs: 7 Indoor and Outdoor Varieties
By Alexia Dellner
Published May 30, 2020
The sun is shining, you’ve got a glass of rosé in your hand and you’re breaking in that outdoor furniture for the first time this season. Everything is pretty wonderful except for one teeny-tiny little thing. Make that 12 little things—a swarm of mosquitoes buzzing around your head. Not to mention the gnats. And are those ants? While you could pick up some insect spray, there are more natural—and far prettier—alternatives out there. Here, seven beautiful plants that repel bugs just by existing.
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1. Lavender
Bees love this flower’s pleasant scent, but most other bugs including gnats, fleas, mosquitoes and moths will stay clear of it (hence why many people hang dried lavender in their closets). Plant a row of these purple blooms by a windowsill or doorway to keep the bugs out and enjoy having the earthy fragrance waft through your home.
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2. Rosemary
Looking for an indoor plant that repels bugs? Your favorite roast chicken topping is also great at keeping cockroaches and mosquitoes out of your home. Folks who live in a hot, dry climates can also plant this fragrant herb outside to help keep slugs and snails away. (Just make sure it’s within easy access of your kitchen—you’re going to want to reach for it come dinnertime.)
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3. Chrysanthemums
When it comes to plants that repel ants, these ornamental blooms are top of the class. In fact, a compound in chrysanthemums called pyrethrin is so effective at keeping bugs away that it’s used in many commercial insect sprays. Plant these guys anywhere you want to add a pop of color and also ward off ticks, beetles, roaches, silverfish and mosquitoes.
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4. Lemongrass
You may already be familiar with citronella’s pest-repelling powers (we like these citronella candles).
But did you know this magical oil is found in one of your favorite Thai recipe ingredients—lemongrass? You’ll love this plant’s fresh, citrusy scent (try adding some in your next coconut curry) but mosquitoes won’t.
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5. Marigolds
French marigolds are especially good at deterring whiteflies and killing nematodes, while Mexican marigolds will help keep rabbits away from your other plants. But both varieties can be sprinkled over salad for a peppery kick.
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6. Basil
Pesto-maker, Caprese salad topper and…mosquito repellent? Yep, this fragrant green herb is toxic to mosquito larvae and will also deter the carrot fly, asparagus beetles and whiteflies. While you can definitely grow your basil plant indoors, keep in mind that it needs six to eight hours of full sunlight per day.
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7. Garlic
This pungent plant deters mosquitoes, root maggots, beetles and vampires.
(Just kidding.) And then when you’re ready, you can harvest the garlic plant and use it in cooking.
7 Plants That Repel Flies
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From basil to a Venus flytrap…
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While we can bask in the sunshine, enjoy picnics and relax in the comfort of our own gardens during spring and summer, it's also the season when more flies and other insects enter the home, which can be incredibly annoying.
But good news: there are several plants that repel flies.
To help you out, Thejoyofplants.co.uk has shared seven houseplants that deter flies and keep bugs at bay, from basil to a Venus flytrap. So rather than reaching for the bug spray or insect repellent, incorporate these plants into your home for a more eco-friendly way to keep pest outs.
1
Basil
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If you want to keep those pesky flies and mosquitoes away then try keeping basil in your home. The herb has been used for pest control since ancient times, due to its strong aroma and oil. As a bonus, it also makes for a tasty garnish.
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Lavender
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Lavender is a good natural choice for keeping bugs at bay. Not only does the herb smell amazing but it also repels flies, beetles and even fleas.
This is due to the lavender oil. And if that wasn’t enough, the plant looks great as a table decoration, and is a great plant for the bedroom as it's a great natural sleep aid.
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3
Rosemary
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You may just think of rosemary as a wonderful ingredient to dishes, but the herb is also great for repelling bugs. Its intense fragrance will ward off irritating gnats and midges. It's best to keep an entire rosemary plant in your kitchen – close at hand for cooking but also useful for keeping insects out of your house.
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Lemon balm
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What makes lemon balm so effective as an insect repellent is its high levels of a compound called citronellal. So rather than using toxic chemical repellents, just place a lemon balm plant in your home to repel insects.
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5
Sage
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Sage's strong smell and oil both act in repelling mosquitoes and flies. Keep a sage plant in your home, and then take cuttings and burn them once the leaves are dried out. This is particularly good for when you're entertaining alfresco too.
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6
Common marigold
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The scent of common marigold deters flies, gnats, mosquitoes and midges, so there's no need to buy mosquito spray when you have this natural, bright and beautiful insect repellent.
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7
Carnivorous plants
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One of the more obvious ways to banish flies is to buy a Venus flytrap, or Dionaea.
Carnivorous plants lure the insects in with scent or colour, then catch and eat them. It might sound a little gross but it works.
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Plants repellent against flies and mosquitoes
Many flowers and plants are natural repellents - repellers, and even exterminators of insects - and as such have been known to mankind for centuries.
If you want mosquitoes and flies to fly around your site a mile away - read on.
Repellent plants
All repellent plants can be conventionally divided into two broad categories: protectors of the garden from pests and defenders of man and his home from flies and blood-sucking arthropods - mosquitoes, mosquitoes, fleas or ticks. nine0003
We will definitely talk about what plants stand as a human shield in the way of the Colorado potato beetle and other eaters of lush greenery in the following articles. This text is about human protective plants.
Let's divide green "defenders" into two conditional categories to make it easier to plan plantings: essential oil crops and flowers. Efironoses are often planted compactly on a small piece of land - in the so-called "pharmaceutical garden" with medicinal plants. And very in vain. It is much more rational to distribute them throughout the garden in the form of border, framing or mixed plantings.
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The same applies to repellant flowers, which have a place not only in flowerbeds, but also in locations where you and your guests spend a lot of time - around gazebos, summer kitchens, outdoor toilets, next to the veranda, swimming pool.
Essential oil plants that repel mosquitoes and flies
We must say right away that the list given here is not complete and is limited to plants that are easy to grow, and their repellent effect has been confirmed by scientists. When you finish reading, share your opinion about plants that repel mosquitoes and flies in the comments. nine0003
Basil. The most famous garden ethereal against flies and mosquitoes. The plant repels arthropods with a smell, and itching at the site of the bite can be removed if you knead and attach a leaf.
Mint and Melissa. Known plants from mosquitoes. Choose varieties with a more pronounced menthol flavor.
Rosemary. Grow this spicy herb under the windows of the house and closer to the summer kitchen. Essential oils of rosemary will scare away those mosquitoes that have passed the cordon of mint. nine0003
Agastache or anise lofant. A powerful mosquito repellant, a regular in any European garden or front garden, not widely used in our gardens. A perennial plant that does not require complex care.
Anise. Not only effectively disperses flies and mosquitoes, but also attracts beneficial pollinating insects to the garden.
Lemongrass. One of the most effective live mosquito repellants on earth. The plant is thermophilic and is grown only in a pot culture, but in summer it can be put on a veranda or terrace in a container. Seeds are rarely on sale, but we have them. nine0003
Thyme, also known as thyme. Perennial essential oil and beautiful groundcover. Mosquitoes fear him like the plague. To enhance the effect, you can rub a few shoots of thyme in your palms.
Fennel. Rocker planting plants can completely protect the summer kitchen, porch or terrace from flies. At the end of the season, the seeds can be harvested and used as a spice.
Railing. A beautiful plant with purple leaves, it is included in the vast majority of Japanese dishes, gives a spicy taste to salads, and is used in sushi. And once again and forever scares away flies. nine0003
Rue. An undeservedly forgotten spice and flavor for liqueurs, salads and desserts. In medieval engravings and paintings depicting court sessions, a bouquet of rue is always placed next to the judge. Do you know why? Because it is the most powerful repeller of fleas and bedbugs. Flies, mosquitoes and even ants are afraid of this plant like fire. A nice bonus is that rue is a frost-resistant perennial that is completely maintenance-free.
Flowers against flies and mosquitoes
Repellent flowers can not only scare away arthropod bloodsuckers, but also decorate the garden, and also effectively disguise such obligatory, but unsightly garden artifacts as a summer toilet and a compost heap.
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Lavender. A wonderful perennial that retains repellent properties both cut and dried. In summer it will scare away flying arthropods, in winter it will scent clothes and bedding in the closet, destroying moths along the way. Lavender angustifolia grows well in the middle lane.
Calendula. Bright and extremely easy to grow, the annual scares away many garden pests and has pronounced repellent properties against mosquitoes.
Geranium. Both garden perennial and pot varieties have been guarding country houses from flies for more than 200 years. This is one of the most trouble-free living repellers of annoying insects. There is no stronger "flycat" among flowering plants. nine0015
Annual marigolds and perennial yarrows also have a pronounced repellent effect against flies and mosquitoes. For masking compost heaps and outbuildings, the indestructible comfrey with large rough leaves and tassels of blue flowers is perfect - all parts of the plant secrete substances that repel flies.
What repellant plants do you use? Please tell us in the comments.
Published: 21 May 2021
Views: 10092
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6 plants that will save you from insects in the country.
Don't give up a weekend in the country because of bad weather and annoying insects. Our experts will help you with the latter.
Despite the weather, I want to spend the last month of summer in the country. So that insects do not interfere with enjoying outdoor recreation, many do a chemical treatment of the site. But it kills not only mosquitoes and midges, but also butterflies and bees. nine0003
Derevo Park specialists offer another solution: plant plants from this list on the site and forget about pests.
Common tansy
Tansy is considered a weed and often grows along roadsides, in fields and lawns. It looks the part: long, almost bare stems, sparse feathery leaves and modest basket-shaped blooms of bright yellow balls.
At the same time, tansy is rich in essential oils and has a lot of useful properties. For example, its aroma repels most insects: mosquitoes, ticks, fleas and flies. nine0003
In landscape design: will look interesting in a field-style flower garden.
Salvia officinalis
This fragrant plant has antiseptic and insecticidal effects. A perennial subshrub with branched stems and oblong leaves is adorned with blue-violet flowers that bees and butterflies love but repel mosquitoes.
In landscape design: is quite self-sufficient, it will look good in group plantings or as one of the tiers of a flower garden. It goes well with bulbous - irises, daylilies, tulips, onions. nine0003
Hyssop
Branchy hyssop bushes are decorated with lavender blossoms. The spicy leaves have a pleasant anise flavor. Hyssops are edible and can be an excellent decoration not only for the garden, but also for the dining table. These are excellent honey plants that can get rid of unwanted insects.
Landscaping : low maintenance, ideal for a variety of flower garden styles and can be used as a low hedge.
Lemon melissa
Undemanding perennial. The most ancient of aromatic plants with a delicate lemon aroma, for which it is sometimes called lemon mint. Under natural conditions, lemon balm looks like ornamental nettle with small white-pink flowers. Has an insecticidal effect.
In landscape design: we would plant lemon balm in one of the branches of the ornamental garden or in a separate planter on the terrace.
Double Monarda
A plant from the Lamiaceae family with a bright citrus scent reminiscent of bergamot. Monarda stems are decorated with bright exotic flowers - this is one of the most beautiful plants that repel pests. nine0003
Often used for medicinal, culinary and indoor décor purposes and to create aromatic medleys.
In landscape design: will feel great as a tapeworm, as well as in compositions with astilba, chamomile, delphinium or echinacea.
