Using Plants To Ward Off Bad Bugs

There is no way to get around having insects in the garden; however, you can successfully scare the bad bugs away by incorporating useful plants into your landscape.

There is no way to get around having insects in the garden; however, you can successfully scare the bad bugs away by incorporating useful plants into your landscape.

Many plants can serve as bug repellants. A number of herbs, flowers, and even vegetable plants can make ideal repellents for insect pests. Here are some of the more commonly grown:

• Chives and leeks deter the carrot fly and can also improve the overall health of garden plants.
• Garlic helps to repel nasty aphids and Japanese beetles. When planted alongside onions, this plant also deters moles and mice.
• Basil shoos away flies and mosquitoes; try setting some around the porch or other outdoor areas.
• Borage and tomato plants will fend off tomato hornworms, and marigolds ward off a number of harmful insects, including nematodes and Japanese beetles.
• Incorporating some mint and rosemary around the garden will discourage the egg-laying of many insects, such as the cabbage moth.
• To keep ants away, try planting some mint and tansy around the house. Tansy is also good for keeping Japanese beetles and mosquitoes at bay. Spinach is actually a deterrent for slugs, and thyme is good for repelling cabbageworms.
• Pyrethrum painted daisies planted anywhere within the landscape will help with aphids.

​Implementing plants that are labeled as pest-resistant in and around the garden is also a good way to ward off harmful insects. For example, planting resistant varieties of azalea or rhododendron will deter insects that are normally destructive to these shrubs, such as weevils.
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