Are you interested in repelling insects naturally? I’m sharing with you The 10 plants You Will Love that repel insects naturally.

To start with, what is it you want to repel? Mosquitos, flies, moths, ants, spiders, or a variety of other insects?

My biggest concern is always for my vegetable garden. There are so many insects that can invade it and destroy my plants.

Basil

Basil is one of my favorite herbs to grow. I love the smell of it and love using it in recipes! Mosquitos and flies hate basil. Plant it in some planters near the entrance to your home. I usually plant it in my garden near my tomatoes.

You kind make your own basil insect repellant spray.

Catnip

I have catnip in my vegetable garden and I also have some in my mint bed.  Catnip helps repel cabbage looper, squash bugs, ants, mosquitoes, and cockroaches. I have catnip all over my garden. It returns every year and spreads easily. So, if you don’t want it to spread, plant it in pots.

I also love giving my cats catnip as a treat (not to eat). They love it!

Make your own catnip repellent spray. Find the recipe here.

Chives

Chives are perfect for many recipes, but they also repel Japanese beetles, flies, and aphids.

 Chrysanthemums (Mums)

Mums are beautiful plants for any garden, but did you know that they can keep ticks, silverfish, lice, bed bugs, spider mites, Japanese beetles, ants, roaches, root-knot nematodes, and harlequin bugs from becoming a nuisance? I usually plant these in my flower beds in the late summer and fall.

Dill

I love the smell of dill in my garden! It is also great to use for pickling and to make ranch dressing, not to mention to use in many other delicious recipes. Dill also repels aphids, spider mites, cabbage loopers, squash bugs, and tomato hornworms. I usually plant it near my tomatoes & cucumbers.

Lavender

Lavender is one of my favorite herbs because of its scent.  Apparently insects do not feel the same way.  Lavender helps repel mosquitos, ants, flies, and fleas.  

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is another great mosquito appellant. It is an ornamental grass and also great in recipes. Like basil, it has multiple uses. Plant lemongrass in pots or in your flower bed near your patio to help repel mosquitos.

Mint

Mint repels flies, ants and mosquitos.   It is a very aggressive plant and will take over a garden, so it’s best to plant it in pots.  I actually have a bed of mint on one side of my house, but I have nothing else in that bed.  Set up pots of mint on your patio and near your entrances to your home.
You can make your own mint repellent spray when you follow this recipe.

Oregano

Along with many other herbs, Oregano is another herb that I grown in my garden. Luckily, it is also a great at repeling mosquitos.

Petunias

Petunias are beautiful, yet delicate flowers.  For my area, I can usually only grow them in the Spring or Fall.  Our Summers are too hard on Petunias.  Petunias are great for repelling aphids, asparagus beetles, leafhoppers, squash bugs, and tomato hornworms away. I’m going to try to plant them in my garden this year with my tomatoes and squash to see if they will repel squash bugs and hornworms. 

Conclusion

I hope that you are inspired to plant some of these plants in your yard or garden to help repel insects.

Check out my post, How to Start a Garden for Beginners if you are new to gardening.

Shopping