Every Summer we have the same annoyance to deal with: BUGS! To be fair, bugs are important for Nature but they are also annoying when they accidentally find their way into your house or when you are grilling and they just won´t leave your food alone. But if you don´t want to use Chemie to get rid of them what can you do? Here are seven Plants, that keep Bugs and especially Spiders away!
So what plants keep Spiders and Bugs away? There are a few Plants, that help but here are the seven most effective plants that are also easy to get by. Peppermint and most other mint varieties, Basil, Lavender, Citronella, Chrysanthemums, Marigolds, and Petunias.
Peppermint
Most of the various mint varieties are very helpful in keeping spiders away.
In fact, some other bugs such as ants, mosquitoes and some kinds of beetles, stay away from strong-smelling mint variants.
Peppermint, though, is the most effective, especially against spiders.
Peppermint will grow beautifully on soil that drains well. They can thrive in pots by the window sill in your kitchen or out in the garden.
When peppermint is let loose in a wide open space, it can go wild and grow fast and freely. Make sure to plant the herb around the house if you want to discourage spiders from taking up residence nearby or entering your home.
The strong smell of the herb can be made even stronger by clipping or cutting a few leaves and stems.
So if you plan on grilling outside or if you see some unwanted bugs around just cut some Peppermint and the smell will drive the Bugs away.
Since peppermint and other mint varieties can be used in cooking, you might like to keep some in the kitchen in pots.
Basil
This very popular herb is often used in pasta dishes and salads. You will immediately notice the strong smell from basil leaves in a dish.
This is the same strong smell that can keep spiders, flies, and ants away. Even mosquitoes will veer away from basil plants.
There are a few varieties of basil plants and most of these are a great help in keeping spiders and other insects away.
Aside from its very fine insect repellant properties, basil is also great as a taste enhancer for dishes that use tomatoes and peppers.
The leaves can also be used for pesto sauce which is a great alternative to tomato sauce for pasta.
The plant loves warm temperatures and will readily grow in a large pot. You can put it in indoors as long as it gets 4 to 5 hours of sunlight every day.
You can also bring out your pots of basil if they cannot get their sunlight indoors. It does not thrive in cold weather and needs its soil kept moist but not watered too much.
Please take note that while it is safe to eat fresh basil, once it is processed into an insect repellant spray, it is best not to spray it on the skin or anywhere on the face. Some natural ingredients that are mixed into it might not be good for the skin.
Lavender
Lavender is well known for its calming properties due to the particular smell that it has.
While people like the smell, a lot of insects are repulsed by it. Aside from spiders, flies and mosquitoes dislike the strong smell from the flowers as well.
It is a bit difficult to grow lavender in pots but they thrive well in well-drained soil in garden plots.
The beautiful color of the flowers and soothing, calming smell can be a great help with the scenery as well as in masking any strong smell in the kitchen or any other place in the house.
Citronella
Citronella and lemongrass look very much alike but each has its own particular smell.
Some citronella sport curly tendrils of grass at the bottom of the plant, near the soil while lemongrass usually has straight and tall fronds with a fold near the ends. Lemongrass does not have the curly leaves at the bottom.
While citronella is popular as a mosquito repellant, it also works to discourage the presence of other bugs and insects such as spiders and flies.
For the most part, citronella is rarely used in cooking while lemongrass is commonly used in many Asian dishes featuring meats.
Chrysanthemums
Aside from herbs, what plants keep spiders away? Chrysanthemums look great and can be used as a natural insect repellant.
It is the actual flowers that contain pyrethrum, also named pyrethrins, which is the active ingredient in some insect repellants or insecticides.
Since it is the flowers that repel spiders, flies and other insects the plant should be encouraged to bloom always. To do this, once the flower wilts and turns brown on the stem, pluck it to encourage flowering.
Do not throw away the dead flower because this contains some seeds which can be planted. Mums bloom according to the season, so make the most out of the warm summer and spring months.
Please note that research has shown that pyrethrum or pyrethrins can be carcinogenic for humans. It is best to avoid contact with the chemical.
The flowers are mainly harmless, though, so go ahead and plant these around the garden to discourage spiders and other insects from going near your home.
Marigolds
Marigolds have a smell that repulses different kinds of insects as well as rabbits that might visit your garden.
It is not just the flowers that are repulsive to spiders and some other pests but the roots of the marigold plant can supposedly repel nematodes.
Farmers are well aware of the marigold’s effective insect repellant properties so they plant them in between vegetable plots.
This is especially true for tomatoes and other similar plants. Like the chrysanthemum, marigold seeds are in the flowers and can be harvested once the flower has browned. The seeds can be found in the center.
Petunias
Also called “nature’s insecticide”, petunias come in a variety of bright and attractive colors.
They are relatively easy to grow and thrive well in sunny spots. They can be grown in pots or on the ground near vegetable plots.
They work well with peppers, beans and tomatoes.
Making The Most Out of The Plants
The plants listed above work really well against spiders and bugs on their own but you can make the most out of them with these little tricks.
To make their scent stronger, you can cut or crush a few of the basil leaves whenever you pass by.
You can do this with peppermint leaves as well.
Instead of throwing the leaves away, you can also rub the leaves in areas which you often see undesirable insects.
Be careful when rubbing fresh leaves in some areas since the green from the leaves might stick to wood and other surfaces.
Even dried flowers can be utilized until they are too dry to produce their scent. Hang the wilted flowers in doorways or windows to prevent spiders from entering your home.
If the plants are outside, you can collect the wilted flowers and spread their seeds where you want them to grow.
Both herbs and flowers can be made into an insect repellant by making them into essential oils.
The oils can be sprayed in and around the house. You can also add the herbs or flowers into alcohol to make a concoction which you can spray around the house.
