With spring and summer just around the corner, it’s easy to start daydreaming about how nice it will be to get outside more often again and have fun right in your own backyard. But while we often remember the nice aspects of spending time outside, it’s easy to forget about the not-so-pleasant things like annoying insects.
If you’ve had problems with mosquitoes and other bugs in your yard, spring is actually a good time of year to do something about it. While you’re thinking of things you want to do with your yard and garden this year, remember that many plants and flowers naturally repel insects. By choosing the right plants, you’d have a way to add beauty to your yard while naturally keeping annoying insects away at the same time. Like this idea? Here are a few plants to look for.
Petunias
Not only do petunias come in a wide variety of beautiful colors, they’re actually classified as a type of carnivorous plant. While petunias are much more attractive than a Venus flytrap, they actually have small hairs on them that help them trap bugs like aphids, leafhoppers, asparagus bugs, and more. Best of all, petunias work equally well when planted into the ground or in containers and hanging baskets, so you can easily place them anywhere you need them to be, as long as they’ll be able to get plenty of sunlight.
Basil
Want to keep mosquitoes and house flies under control? Maybe getting some basil plants would do the trick. While basil isn’t the only herb to drive bugs away, it’s one of the few herbs that don’t need to be crushed up to be effective. You can grow it by planting it in the ground or keep it in smaller containers to be placed where they’d do the most good. Best of all, you can always use some of the leaves for cooking and add some extra flavor to your meals.
Lavender
Lavender is certainly an herb with a lot of benefits. While many humans love the smell of lavender and love the calming benefits it offers, bugs like mosquitoes, flies, fleas, and moths don’t feel the same way. In fact, you can even use a lavender extract to make a mosquito natural repellent to spray on your skin.
Mums and Marigolds
Mums and marigolds have a reputation for being fall flowers, but it’s best to start planting them in the spring for best results. They’ll look great all summer long and will thrive into the fall months, but in the meantime, marigolds will drive away aphids and mosquitoes and mums will repel roaches, ants, silverfish, fleas, and more.
Rosemary
Rosemary is another herb that’s delicious, but repellant to insects. If you have a vegetable garden and want to avoid problems with bugs, try keeping rosemary planted nearby.
