During the summer, mosquitoes, flies, and spiders often find their way into homes. While you can always reach for insect repellent, do you really want to spray that stuff around your living space? Especially in sensitive areas like the kitchen, using repellents might not be the best option.
Instead, bring into your home some harmless garden plants that insects can’t stand. It will add some color to your space, help keep bugs at bay, and in some cases, even provide fresh herbs for cooking. Check out our list below to see which plants you should keep in the house to keep pests out.
1. Lavender
Repel moths, fleas, flies, and mosquitoes with the fragrant and beautiful lavender plant. You don’t need to resort to toxic chemicals for pest control – lavender’s lovely scent is a natural bug deterrent.
2. Peppermint
While it might smell refreshing to you, insects can’t stand the scent of peppermint. Keep peppermint in pots (as it can become invasive in a garden) to repel mosquitoes, spiders, and other pests.
3. Lemongrass
Citronella candles in the summer help keep bugs away. That familiar citrus-like smell comes from lemongrass. Try planting one of these pretty grasses for a perpetual citronella “candle” that never goes out.
4. Agastache cana (mosquito plant)
With tall stems and little purple flowers, the Agastache cana looks a bit like a lavender plant from afar. And like lavender, the smell of this plant is something that mosquitos can’t stand.
5. Basil
This versatile kitchen herb not only enhances dishes like pizza and salad but also emits scents and oils that repel insects. Keeping a basil plant indoors ensures a steady supply of fresh basil for your culinary creations.
6. Rosemary
A wonderful herb for cooking, rosemary is also an excellent choice for repelling bugs. Having rosemary on hand means you’ll always have fresh sprigs for your meals and drinks while keeping insects away.
7. Lemon balm
Lemon balm’s citrus smell keeps bugs away. Like the mint plant, however, it should be kept in a pot so it doesn’t spread. Bonus: Lemon balm makes a tasty tea.
8. Marigolds
These gorgeous flowers look so pretty potted in the home or out in the garden — and they’re an insect repellent. They contain the chemical pyrethrum, which is used widely in insect repellents.
