I don’t know about you but I HATE bugs! They just freak me out! It really doesn’t matter what kind of bug- roaches, silverfish, spiders, mosquitos, fleas, beetles…. You name it and I HATE it! Especially bed bugs! I’ve never experienced bed bugs before but I was watching 20/20 awhile back and they were doing some kind of expose on bed bugs in hotels and I’ve been freaked out ever since! The mere thought of them makes my skin crawl!!!!
Since we had such a mild winter (here in Georgia anyway)
everyone is saying how horrible the bugs are going to be this summer because
nothing died off during the winter. So
now I’m super freaked out and have been looking into natural remedies or
repellents for those nasty creepy crawlers and stingy sneaky fliers. Last year I just had a bottle of Raid handy…
but this year I have the little man and I really don’t want to be spraying
chemicals around him.
After a little research I realized there are some EXTREMELY simple plants that you can put around the house to repel all those nasty insects! The nice thing about these is they can be planted in pots and moved around (which is extremely beneficial since we’re about to move) or they can be planted directly in your yard—and they’re even pretty!!
SO, here are the top 8 plants that every house should have to ward off pests:
Mint
It not only smells nice but it keeps away ants and mice! Crush some to release the fragrance and it'll run off any strays that come your way.
Add some Bay Leaves to the mixture and you’ll get rid of
gruesome roaches too!
Then add in some Lemongrass to keep away those flying pesksy
mosquitos and bees!
Basil
Yummy and keeps those annoying flies at bay!!
Geraniums
They not only add a boost of color but they keep out
Japanese beetles!
Now, I read about 2 plants that seem to be SUPER-PLANTS!
These are a must this year:
1.
Catnip!
Yep, that stuff that makes your cat act all
crazy…. Supposedly wards off a long list of bugs including mosquitos and
flies.
2. Pyrethrum Chrysanthemums- AKA: Mums specifically the ones
that look like Daisies!
These are the be all end all of pests! According to wiki.answers these cute little
flowers repel: Roaches, fleas, ticks, bedbugs, lice, silverfish, ants, and so
much more!
So, I am headed to Home Depot and buying up some of these to
plant in pots around the house and hopefully we’ll have a bug free summer!
Do you have any GREEN
bug repelling tips and tricks?
cedar essential oil repels scorpions (my friend had an infestation in her house last year!) and ticks, and I'm not sure what else. I had all the other oils that is supposed to ward off bugs, they work on fleas and mosquito, but did not work on ticks. I wish I had had the cedar, we went to MO and ticks were crawling on me - I'm stilling freaking out about it!
ReplyDeleteBugs are eating my garden plants already! Thanks for the tips!
ReplyDelete--Katie
Well I'm all for anything that repels ticks, flies and mosquitoes!! Thanks for the info!
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this list! I'm definitely going to plant some of those to try and keep the bugs at bay!
ReplyDeleteThanks for linking to a Round Tuit!
Hope you have a fabulous week!
Jill @ Creating my way to Success
http://www.jembellish.blogspot.com/
What a great list! I love that lemongrass repels mosquitoes- I'm going to have to plant some in my back yard!
ReplyDeletei wrote down all those suggestions! i just heard that about catnip, who knew? great post.
ReplyDeleteWow, great info! Thanks for sharing. I'd love for you to share at my Pinteresting Party if you have a moment. :)
ReplyDeletePlant garlic around your roses to keep off the aphids ;)
ReplyDeleteThese suggestions don't repel the good bugs, do they?
ReplyDeleteI would love for you to share this on my linky party!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.igottatrythat.com/p/blog-hop-linky-colde.html
Thanks, Marcie
Just an FYI..MINT LEAF IS TOXIC TO DOGS.
DeleteInteresting! I want to try this now!
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. I might just have to plant some of these :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! I love all those plants. I will be planting some. I also have another organic pest repel. Diatomaceous Earth Food Grade.
ReplyDeleteMy son was bitten by a Brown Recluse last week and I was told by the Orkin man that 6 or 7 Hedge apples in your garage or basement will run them out of the area. Haven't tried it yet though.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great tips. I will have to plant some of these to ward off pests. Thanks for sharing at Showcase Your Talent Thursday!
ReplyDeleteGreat to know! I can hear my cats pleading with m to plant some nip! Thanks so much for linking up at I Gotta Create! <3 Christina
ReplyDeleteHej, I have to remember this! Pinning :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for tips )
Thanks for sharing this list. Now if I can keep our goat dog Willow from eating them, it will be perfect. Thanks for sharing on Tout It Tuesday!
ReplyDeleteLove this, such great info! I'd love for you to link up to my first ever linky party, Ta-Da Tuesday :) check it out HERE ! <3 from your newest follower, I'd be delighted if you'd follow back!
ReplyDeleteso do you crush them or just put them around the house and in the garden...either way I am stocking up too...my cat brought us a mouse last night and we invested in raid ant traps two nights ago...
ReplyDeletebe careful if you're allergic to bees though! we have a ton of catnip and basil and the bees looooove them, but we have to keep the kids away! :)
ReplyDeleteOkay, so I am totally on the way to the store tomorrow to stock up on the mums!! I have mint and basil already. We had a very mild winter in Texas too so huge bugs here as well. This is a great list I will be featuring it at our party tomorrow morning. Stop by and grab a button if you would like. Thanks for sharing with us at Link It UP Thursday.
ReplyDeleteGreat list. I am going to plant the catnip around our deck and make both humans and felines happy.
ReplyDeleteHi very interesting and I love the idea of NO pesticide, I have a tip to share but is to keep birds again from eating your veggie garden. It's is a full size imitation hawk to protect your crops, farms and gardens from birds and other predators. Effective & affordable.@ hawkbirdscarer.com
ReplyDeleteCaution tape around your garden will keep the birds away too. You can buy it at lowes or some place similar for cheep.
ReplyDeleteRosemary is another great pest repellant... Keep a pot of it by the door and when you go outside rub the plant with your hands and then rub any exposed skin. Will keep mosquitoes and gnats away. I use it all the time when I am outdoors.
ReplyDeletePlant garlic with your roses, and marigolds in your veggie garden.Get a good book on companion planting, and figure out what to grow together for best results!
ReplyDeleteold cd's hung on fishing line tied to two stakes works well for keeping birds and other rodents out of your garden. I've used this for 3 years now.
ReplyDeleteHi Melissa,
ReplyDeleteI just saw this on Pinterest. It caught my eye because I too HATE bugs. My friends make fun of me because of my bug fear. Anyway, I was gardening at my cousins house and pulling weeds around her mint plant and when I lifted the mint there were a bunch of ants. Is there a special type of mint one should use? Just curious. Thanks for the tips!
Denise
Thanks so much for the list! I love being able to fight off bugs in a natural way. I realized I have some of the plants you listed. Now to get lemon grass and catnip.
ReplyDeleteEucalyptus around areas I was told will repel spiders. I don't know if the oil or ground up leaves works better though.
ReplyDeletethyme and bee balm help with mosquitoes
ReplyDeleteThx for tips! Just moved into a home and there is a terrible ant prob!!! I have cats and mom's dog keeps coming over so I want to avoid pesticides!!!
ReplyDeleteCitronella plants help ward off mosquitos!
ReplyDeleteHair from your hair brush in a a old knee hi and hung inside an upside down cup (Plastic or Styrofoam) will keep deer and the likes away from your crops. Rosemary is Awesome to keep bugs away from you and your garden, it works great for me here on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Mint does seem to keep most ants away, however cow ants are not ants they are wasps so they love hanging out in the Mint. I've heard Lavender is also good for gnats and mosquitoes, but have not tried that one yet. If you want to attract Butterflies though try starting a compost pile without a lid. Butterflies really like decaying fruit and veggies. I do have a Citronella plant I got at Lowe's and is working wonderfully, plus side it smells good too! Juniper is another I've heard is good to deter the ugly bugs, but I've not tried it either. Nice to know about the Lemongrass, Geraniums, and Mums those were new ones to me! THNX
ReplyDeleteMarigolds Pawpaw always planted them in his garden they keep several bugs away including FLYS
ReplyDeleteI read that planting dill in between tomato plants repels the tomato hornworm (actually repels the moth that lays the eggs that hatch into those wicked looking things) that DEVOURS tomato plants.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteLavender helps ward off spiders! I plant it around my deck! Smells nice all summer also
ReplyDeleteGlad I checked comments, was wondering about spiders! I'll keep lavender in mind, I HATE spiders. Have an insane fear of them.
ReplyDeleteFree range chickens! They eat bugs (especially spiders and tomato worms and slugs) all day and if you use deep bedding in their coop, they will do the stirring to compost their own poop which you can put on your garden next year. And they are delightful to watch. Plus, they happily give you eggs. Win, win, win! (But they might nibble at your garden if you don't fence them out or stake things too high for them to reach.
ReplyDeleteWell everyone hate pests including me, they freak me out too specially when it comes to bed bugs, those tiny biting insects can make your sleep miserable leaving red spots all over your body.
ReplyDeleteChickens and ducks can be very helpful to when dealing with pests in your garden, a lot of growers use these natural predators to get rid of pests easily.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the info Samantha! Unfortunately I don't think our HOA would be very happy with them.
ReplyDeleteI'm always freaking out about bed bugs! Everytime we stay in a hotel I'm checking to make sure I don't see any signs of them!!
ReplyDeleteMost Recently on Serendipity and Spice: Manic Monday Linky Party 1/28
Why would you want to keep bees and flies from the garden? without them nothing will grow.
ReplyDeleteHi Bill. Thanks for your comment. This post was originally written as a way to repel pests in general- not necessarily for gardeners. It has really taken off with Pinterest and sometimes is not always categorized correctly. My original intent with this post was for people like me, who don't want to get stung or be bothered with flies while sitting on the porch enjoying a glass of tea-- as I continued researching I found other natural pest deterrents and included them in the post. For gardeners, yes, you by all means would want flies and bees in your garden to pollenate your plants.
ReplyDeleteHope you're having a wonderful day! :)
Melissa
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Those are some great tips for keeping away bugs.
ReplyDeleteI had a lot of trouble keeping birds away from my lawn, so I tried everything from tying up old CD's to buying a plastic owl.
Long story short if your interested to find out what i found you can have a quick look here.
http://www.scarecrowvsbirds.com/bird-scarer-reviews/
Thanks so much for sharing!! :)
ReplyDeletechickens eat bugs but not slugs, ducks love slugs.
ReplyDeleteI haven't started our garden yet this year, but the idea of planting garlic with the marigolds and roses sounds like a plan...:-). I have a terrible time with slugs eating marigolds in our garden in British Columbia, Canada and I hope I don't have the same problem in Oklahoma.
ReplyDelete