To get rid of insects and bugs, you don’t always have to resort to chemical means. We show you plants that keep the pesky insects away in a natural way.
Plant your own insect repellent
They’re everywhere: pesky mosquitoes that ruin your garden party, aphids that infest your tomatoes, and slugs that attack your lettuce. The list could go on and on. Many garden and patio owners eventually get fed up and reach for the chemical mace: sprays, chemical traps and slug poison. These cost a lot of money and often harm the environment and people. Often they also drive away or destroy useful insects.
It is enough to pay attention to the right planting in your garden or on the balcony. There are countless herbs and plants that act as natural insect repellents. This is due to the essential oils they contain. The smell keeps the unwelcome guests away.
These herbs repel vermin
- Basil: must not be missing in any kitchen. It not only tastes wonderful with salads and pasta, but also keeps flies out of the kitchen. Just put a basil plant on the window sill – and success will soon follow. By the way, a pot on the table is also supposed to help against annoying wasps, and some people swear by basil on the bedside table to drive away mosquitoes.
- Mint: Especially ants avoid this fresh smelling plant and also adjacent plants. Mice and rats keep away at all. But be careful, better to plant only in pots, otherwise they can overgrow the whole garden.
- Savory: The herb – placed at regular intervals between the threatened plants – effectively keeps aphids away.
- Sage: Sage drives away many pests such as cabbage white butterflies, caterpillars, slugs, and also aphids from the garden and patio. Especially snails do not like the tart aroma of this herb. This is due to the thujone it contains and its menthol-like odor, which does not appeal to pests.
- Mediterranean Herbs: Some Mediterranean herbs, such as rosemary, oregano and thyme, release fragrances that deter many pests, such as aphids.
These plants are also effective against insects
- Lavender: the intense scent of the plant attracts bees and butterflies, but successfully deters pests. This is due to the essential oils that have a repellent effect on some vermin. That’s why lavender is also popular to plant next to rose bushes.
- Pelargonium: This extremely low-maintenance balcony plant beats mosquitoes and wasps in particular to flight with its lemony scent.
- Tomatoes: Tomatoes effectively keep mosquitoes away from terraces and balconies with their intense scent.
