Its summer time! Which means it’s time to be out with friends and family to enjoy outdoors. But you are not alone. It’s party time for summer bugs and mosquitoes as well. These little annoying pests can take the fun out of outdoor activities. Don’t get your bug spray out just yet. We have a natural solution for you to keep these biters away from you and your loved ones. Why not plant something that keeps these bugs away while also making your space fragrant, pretty and chemical free at the same time.
Let’s find out what plants can you place in your outdoor or indoor spaces to keep these bugs away from your home and patio.
You can even grow these herbs indoors with Watex Pixel Countertop Garden and create a natural bug repellent while having your own herb garden at an arms distance.
1.) Lavender: You probably know this gorgeous purple flower plant for its soothing fragrance and calming properties. But did you know why your lavender plant is never eaten by bugs? It’s because the scent also works as a mosquito repellent! Bugs hate the smell and it also keeps moths and flies away as well. So now, your benefits of a lavender plant are multifold, use it for tea, for bug repellent, as a natural air diffuser or just place some dried flowers in your wardrobe in a sachet, for a gentle fragrance in your clothes which will keep the bugs away from you while also giving you a natural perfume.
2.) Peppermint: You would love to have this fresh herb in your garden and not just for its flavor in the cocktails and salads but also for its bug repelling properties. Also, if you get bitten by a bug, mint essential oil or just rubbing a mint leave might help soothe bug bites. Be careful to grow it in a container as mint tend to spread wide.
3.) Marigolds: These gorgeous orange flowers are not just beautiful to look at but they also repel insects. Marigolds contain Pyrethrum, an ingredient that is commonly found in insect repellents in the market and that aroma is repulsive to bugs. While we love that heady fragrance, bugs might not be a fan of it and hence annual sturdy plant might be a good idea to keep around you. Why get those chemical repellents with the same ingredient in it when you can do it better with the natural source!
4.) Basil: Another flavor bomb in your kitchen that also works as a bug repellent. The strong aroma that is loved by all humans is the very smell that drives these bugs away. An easy to grow, you can place it in indoors or outdoors and use it for your drinks and pesto while also keeping your home bug free.
5.) Citronella: This green bushy plant has a fragrance that is loved by many companies for their perfumes as well as commercial repellents. The strong pungent smell of this plant keeps the bugs at a distance. Place some of around your home in planters for a fragrant fresh summery feel and keep the bugs away at the same time. No need to get those candles when you can have the real deal.
While these are just a few of the many plants (Rosemary, Citronella Geranium, Foss Flower, Lemon Balm, Catnip) that can be used for keeping the bugs away this summer. We also need to make sure from our end to keep these bugs away by doing simple things and practicing bug control.
Few things we can do are:
1.) Not letting water collect and become stagnant. Mosquitoes can lay hundreds of eggs in very little water.
2.) Keeping your surroundings clean and keep the trash closed and not let food sit out for long time.
Let’s keep practice mosquito control and grow these plants to keep these bugs away and also the dangerous diseases that come with it. Why use artificial when we have such natural multipurpose beneficial plants to make our surroundings green and bug free?!