23 Plants That Repel Pests From Garden & Home

One natural way to keep certain pests away from your garden and house is to grow plants that repel them.

These pest-repelling plants can help get rid of bugs, ants, mosquitoes, flies, aphids, and other pests.

Below is a list of plants that repel insects and related pests from your vegetable garden and home.

1. Basil

Basil is among the pest-deterrent plants that keep away mosquitoes and houseflies. It also controls thrips, gnats, whiteflies, spiders, and aphids.

Another perk is that it grows well in a pot.

Purchase basil seeds online.

2. Lavender

Lavender is one of the best flowers for garden pests because it helps keep many harmful insects and related pests away. It repels flies, rodents, fleas, mosquitoes, no-see-ums, caterpillars, scorpions, and moths.

Lavender is also an excellent choice for repelling spiders. The critters do not like its strong scent.

Moreover, lavender adds a splash of color to your garden and a relaxing fragrance to your home.

In addition to growing it in your garden bed or pot, you can tie small bundles of the herb over doorways and near windows to help keep pests out of the house.

Order lavender seeds online.

3. Lemongrass

Lemongrass is a key plant that repels mosquitoes. It is often used in mosquito-repellent candles and oils.

This perennial grass grows well in warm climates. Crush the leaves to release the oil, which you can rub onto your skin to repel mosquitoes.

Purchase lemongrass seeds online.

4. Peppermint

Peppermint is one of the best plants for repelling mosquitoes. It also repels bed bugs, ants, flies, mice, earwigs, and roaches.

However, the peppermint plant grows aggressively, so the best bet is to plant it in a container. Growing it in a container will keep it where you want it and make moving it to a different location easier.

Purchase mint seeds online.

5. Rosemary

If bugs harass your veggies, you may want to plant some rosemary nearby.

Rosemary repels pests such as fruit flies, cabbage moths, lizards, mosquitoes, and carrot flies. It can also be used to make a natural repellent spray.

Add some dried rosemary to boiling water and simmer for 30 minutes to make a homemade spray.

Next, strain it into a container containing equal parts cool water. Finally, store the mixture in a spray bottle in the fridge and use it as needed.

Purchase rosemary seeds online.

6. Bay Leaves

Bay leaves are great at keeping flies, weevils, rats, cockroaches, and moths away.

They also repel earwig insects. Therefore, place the leaves in areas where these critters might show up.

7. Dill

Dill is among the herbs that repel bugs.

It is very successful against garden pests such as aphids, spider mites, cabbage loopers, tomato hornworms, and squash bugs. Therefore, plant it in your vegetable garden as a companion crop.

Order the seeds online.

8. Petunias

Among the plants that repel flies, petunias are just as productive as they are pretty. Moreover, they are easy growers [1].

Companion planting with petunias can also help rid your garden of squash bugs, tomato hornworms, asparagus beetles, aphids, and leafhoppers.

9. Fennel

Suppose you have a problem with slugs and snails attacking your garden; plant fennel in or around it. The plant also repels aphids.

Purchase fennel seeds online.

10. Thyme

This herb keeps away many pests. It repels whiteflies, ants, maggots, stink bugs, corn earworms, cabbage loopers, cutworms, and tomato hornworms.

Add it to your garden to keep cabbage, tomatoes, and other vegetables safe.

Buy thyme seeds online.

11. Chives

Plants in the Allium family are great for repelling slugs, flies, aphids, and cabbage worms.

Chives keep away rabbits, carrot flies, Japanese beetles, and mites. Other natural bug-repellent plants in the allium family include garlic, leeks, and shallots.

12. Chrysanthemums (Mums)

These are excellent flowers to plant around vegetable gardens to help control harlequin bugs, nematodes, spider mites, ticks, Japanese beetles, and even lice and fleas.

Some chrysanthemum flowers contain pyrethrins, which have strong pesticidal properties. Besides, these flowers add a nice pop of color to your yard.

Purchase chrysanthemum seeds online.

13. Marigolds

For organic pest control, marigolds help keep away many garden pests. The flowers give off a scent that repels gnats, mosquitoes, thrips, flies, whiteflies, and sometimes snakes!

Purchase marigold seeds online.

14. Nasturtium

If squash bugs, beetles, flies, whiteflies, or cabbage loopers love your garden, you can plant some nasturtiums nearby.

Nasturtiums release a scent that naturally keeps away many pests.

Purchase nasturtium seeds online.

15. Onions

Onions are also effective at repelling certain harmful insects.

Although they may not keep away every bug like other plants, they do a great job of deterring cucumber beetles, cabbage worms, flea beetles, and carrot rust flies.

Some farmers also plant onions near tomatoes and kale to help keep aphids at bay.

16. Calamint

Calamint is excellent for repelling cabbage worms, loopers, and moth larvae. However, it spreads quickly, so be careful where you plant it.

17. Garlic

Garlic keeps Japanese beetles from your blueberries, roses, and raspberries. It also protects your lettuce from aphids.

It may also repel stink bugs, spider mites, ants, earwigs, and caterpillars.

18. Catnip

Catnip protects eggplants, radishes, and other plants susceptible to flea beetles and potato bugs. It also repels aphids and cucumber beetles.

Buy catnip seeds online.

19. Tansy

Many gardeners plant tansy near their roses to deter Japanese and cucumber beetles. It also gets rid of Colorado potato beetles.

It’s believed to emit a scent that confuses these pests, making it difficult for them to find target plants.

Purchase tansy seeds online.

20. Borage

This herb is most effective against garden pests such as tomato hornworms and cabbage worms. It also makes a lovely addition to your garden and supports your local honeybee population.

Purchase borage seeds online.

21. Castor Bean Plant

Castor oil, derived from castor beans, is effective for getting rid of moles, voles, and possibly armadillos.

However, grow the castor bean plant with caution. The seeds can poison humans and animals if ingested [2].

22. Tomatoes

That’s right; planting tomatoes can help protect other plants in your garden. However, be sure to grow at least one companion plant nearby that will, in turn, protect your tomatoes from pests.

In particular, tomatoes will help protect your asparagus, as the plant’s scent helps to get rid of asparagus beetles.

Since many gardeners plan to grow tomatoes anyway, knowing that they can double as a pest-repellent crop is helpful.

Find a variety of high-quality tomatoes here.

23. Citronella Plant

Mosquitoes hate the smell of the citronella plant. However, planting it in your garden is insufficient to keep mosquitoes away.

Crushing or touching the leaf will release its oils. The scent of the oil is what they hate, preventing them from coming near.

Citronella also deters cats.

Takeaway

This article lists plants that can repel pests. Consider growing them to protect your vegetable garden and home. Many of these plants attract beneficial insects.