Plants that Repel Bugs

I ran into a man at the garden center the other day, his cart full of heirloom plants and organic potting soil. It did my heart good, until I saw him pick up a can of Sevin Dust and put it in his cart too. Why bother with heirlooms and organics if you’re just going to throw a pesticide on top of it?

Rather than spray pesticides, maybe try a more natural approach to repelling the bugs that are bugging you or your vegetables. A large number of plants contain fragrances and oils that serve as a deterrent for certain pests (not just bugs).

Mosquito Repelling Plants

• Ageratum—a flowering annual that can tolerate part shade. Small blue, pink, or white “fluffy” daisy-like flowers.

• Basil—an annual herb, rich in essential oils, tannins, organic acids, and mineral salts.

• Bee Balm—a flowering perennial. Mosquitos don’t like the plant oils.

• Cedar (trees)

• Lavender—a flowering perennial that also repels house flies, fleas, and moths, but is best used as an essential oil. That said, these bugs don’t like the smell or oils in the plant. The more you plant, the more effective it is, so plant a hedge of lavender. (Also, bees love lavender.)

• Lemon Balm—a perennial herb. Mosquitos don’t like the natural oils or the smell.

• Lemon Grass—a perennial herb. Mosquitos and flies dislike the smell and the natural oils. Plant a larger quantity to be more effective. These, if unattended, will grow like medium-sized mounds of (decorative) grass. You can cut them back each season, as well as harvest the lemon grass stalks for soups, stir-fries, or rice dishes.

• Marigolds—a flowering annual that contains essential oils, bitter compounds, carotene, organic acids, flavonoids, etc. The smell is offensive to mosquitos, aphids, and rabbits. The more you plant, the more effective it is. 

• Mint—a perennial, culinary herb. It’s an aggressive grower and will take over if not contained.

• Mugwort—a perennial grass (most famously used in the distilling of absinthe). Its natural oils emit a distinctive smell that mosquitos, flies, moths, and mice dislike.

• Nepeta—aka Catmint, a perennial similar to Catnip. Contains nepetalactone, which is 10 times stronger than DEET. Plus, the bees love Catmint. Like anything in the mint family, it’ll take over if not contained.

• Oregano—a perennial herb that repels mosquitos, cabbage butterflies, and cucumber beetles.


A note on Citronella Geraniums / Mosquito Plant / scented Geraniums: studies actually show that these plants do nothing to repel mosquitos (although they may repel leafhoppers). They are a genetically modified cross-breed of a scented Geranium and Chinese Citronella grass wherein the Citronella content is extremely low (like 0.9%) and therefor ineffective.

Fly Repelling Plants

• Basil—an annual culinary herb.

• Bay—tree whose leaves are used for culinary purposes.

• Lavender—a perennial, flowering herb.

• Mugwort—a perennial grass.

• Rosemary—an evergreen / perennial herb.


Moth Repelling Plants

• Lavender—a perennial, flowering herb.

• Mugwort—a perennial grass.


Plants that Repel Vegetable Pests

• Alliums—flowering forms of onions and garlics. Repels slugs, cabbage worms, carrot flies, and aphids.

• Chives—a perennial herb. Repels carrot flies, aphids, and Japanese beetles.

• Chrysanthemums—an herbaceous perennial, usually grown as a hardy flowering annual (which means it’ll act like a perennial if it doesn’t get too cold). Contains a chemical called pyrethrum. Repels roaches, ticks, fleas, bed bugs, spider mites, Japanese beetles, and ants.

• Dill—a biennial culinary and flowering herb (only lasts two years). Repels tomato hornworm, aphids, spider mites, cabbage loopers, and squash bugs.

• Fennel—a short-lived perennial (usually grown as an annual) culinary and medicinal herb. The strong smell repels aphids, slugs, and snails.

• Geraniums—flowering annual (they’re actually a tender perennial, but hard freezes will kill them off so most people grow them as annuals). Repels leafhoppers.

• Lemon Thyme—an evergreen / perennial herb. Repels tomato hornworms, cabbage loopers, cabbage maggots, corn earworms, white flies.

• Marigolds—a flowering annual. Repels aphids and small animals (like rabbits).

• Nasturtiums—an herbaceous perennial (usually grown as a flowering annual). Repels white flies, aphids, beetles, and squash bugs. (The cabbage looper likes to lay its eggs on it though.)

• Parsley—an annual herb. Repels asparagus beetles.

• Petunias—a flowering annual. Petunias don’t really repel insects, but they trap them with their sticky stamens, which eventually kill the insects. Helps to kill aphids, asparagus beetles, and tomato hornworms.

• Rosemary—an evergreen/ perennial herb. Repels most vegetable pests.


Plants That Repel Ants

Take this section with a grain of salt. People suggest stronger smelling flowers and herbs will disrupt the ants smelling sensors and routine, but unless you plant a large amount, you may not see any results.

The noted exceptions appear to be Pennyroyal, Tansy, and Chrysanthemums. All appear to have good track records as ant deterrents.

• Basil—an annual, culinary herb.

• Chrysanthemums—a flowering perennial.

• Eucalyptus—tree or shrub.

• Garlic—a perennial vegetable (most usually grown as an annual & harvested).

• Lavender—a perennial herb.

• Marigolds—a flowering annual.

• Mint—Mint, along with other strong smelling herbs, destroys the ants’ smelling capabilities.

• Pennyroyal—a perennial herb in the mint family. (Not something to include in the edible garden, Pennyroyal can be dangerous to the liver.)

• Pitcher Plants—Carnivorous plant. These actually trap insects and drown them. They need a sunny area that stays moist.

• Sage—a perennial, culinary herb.

• Tansy—a flowering perennial that can be invasive. Grows up to 4 ft tall.

• Thyme—a perennial herb.