Sensible Sustainability - Repelliing Pests
Repelling Pests from Your Home Garden
An endless struggle within the realm of gardening is keeping away bugs, insects, and animals that want to eat your precious crop.
An easy way to naturally get rid of these pests is by planting the right herbs, flowers, and other plants that will repel them. These plants help to naturally repel pests such as ants, mosquitoes, and many other pests when you’re outside.
Plants that repel pests:
Basil – mosquitoes, gnats, house-flies
Lavender – flies, fleas, mosquitoes, caterpillars, moths
Lemongrass – mosquitoes
Mint – mosquitoes
Rosemary – most insects
Bay leaves – most egg-laying flies
Dill – aphids, spider mites, cabbage loopers, tomato hornworms, squash bugs
Petunias – aphids, tomato hornworms, asparagus beetles, leafhoppers, squash bugs
Fennel – slugs and snails, aphids
Thyme – whiteflies, ants, maggots, corn earworms, cabbage loopers, and tomato hornworms
Alliums – slugs, flies, aphids, cabbage worms
Chrysanthemums – nematodes, spider mites, harlequin bugs, Japanese beetles, lice and fleas
Marigolds – mosquitoes, aphids, and sometimes even rabbits!
Nasturtiums – squash bugs, beetles, or whiteflies
Onions – cucumber beetles and carrot maggot flies
Calamint – cabbage worms and cabbage loopers
Garlic – Japanese beetles, aphids spider mites, ants, caterpillars
Catnip – flea beetles
Tansy – Japanese beetles
Borage – hornworms, cabbage worms
Tomatoes – asparagus beetle (plant near asparagus)
Citronella plant – mosquitoes
Keeping deer out of the garden can be a lot of work and costly. The most effective way is to continue to switch up your efforts, as deer are skittish to new things.
Deterring deer from your lawn and garden:
Build a tall fence
Let a pet protect your yard
Motion activated sprinklers, lights, windmills, chimes and other garden items that move or make noise
Plant strongly scented herbs (asparagus, horseradish, garlic, lavender, chives, thyme, safe, mint, ginger, rosemary, parsley), prickly plants (zucchini and squash), and furry varieties (fuzzy lamb’s ear)
Plant your garden close to your home
Plant their favorite foods near the edge of your yard to distract them from the garden. Examples include roses, azaleas, pansies, tulips, hydrangea, lettuce, fruit trees, and berry bushes
Use homemade repellents, such as hanging fabric softener or bars of soap from trees and plants or placing garlic-soaked rags in your garden
Wrap your seedlings for protection
Make a scarecrow
Purchase deer-repellent sprays
If these tactics don’t work. You can try using organic and natural insecticides.
Natural Insecticides for Your Vegetable Garden:
Hot-pepper spray
Canola oil
Garlic spray