How To Repel Bugs & Keep Them Out Of Your Garden

One of the major challenges that gardeners face is keeping pests away. Certain insects will eat away at flowers, thus canceling out all your effort to grow stunning blossoms. While pesticides are a common way to eliminate bugs, these chemicals also have the potential to be harmful to more than pests. In fact, pesticides can cause a host of health problems in people and pets while also damaging the environment. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to preserve your blooms without contributing to these issues.

Here are some tried-and-true natural methods for warding off any bugs and slugs:

Keep your flowers healthy

Weak, unhealthy flowers are an easier target for bugs. So make sure you regularly water your blossoms and check them for signs of bad health. If you spot any discolored or damaged leaves, remove them immediately. Additionally, ensure that the soil your flowers are growing in has adequate nutrients. These efforts will pay off as your blooms will be less vulnerable to an attack by insects.

Make the soil unfriendly to bugs

One of the best ways to ensure that creeping insects stay away from your precious blossoms is to plant a few sharp objects that make your soil dangerous for them. For example, you could crush up eggshells and distribute them into the dirt around your flowers’ roots.

Reach for row covers

By covering your flowers with these lightweight fabric sheets, you can keep out certain insects, such as caterpillars, while also allowing sunlight to pass through. They are best used when flowers are in their early growth stages. As an added bonus, row covers will also protect your blossoms from a light frost.

Concoct your own spray

You can also mix a homemade insect repellant by combining 1 tablespoon of mild dishwashing liquid with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and 1 quart of water. Mist your plants once a week, but be sure to do so after watering. This method will work on nearly any blossom except orchids.

Attract and trap

While beer is safe for humans to consume, HGTV Gardens noted that it can be toxic to insects, snails and slugs. In fact, you can use beer as snail bait by pouring some into a shallow container and placing it in your garden. Once they are attracted to the liquid, they won’t be able to crawl back out.

Have herbs on hand

Did you know that many aromatic herbs repel pests? HGTV Gardens cited mint, fennel and lemongrass as optimal examples, which can keep a variety of insects from potato beetles to aphids away. Though not an herb, SheKnows pointed out that a sprinkle of chili powder around your flowers can deter ants.

Concoct your own spray

You can also mix a homemade insect repellant by combining 1 tablespoon of mild dishwashing liquid with 1 tablespoon of cooking oil, and 1 quart of water. Mist your plants once a week, but be sure to do so after watering. This method will work on nearly any blossom except orchids.

Top 5 Plants And Flowers To Repel Bugs This Summer

Aphids, earwigs, fungus gnats – the list of pests is seemingly endless! It’s incredibly frustrating and disheartening to find your beloved plants to which you’ve tended so lovingly being ravaged by bothersome bugs. Whether it’s your gorgeous rosebush or your enchanting lilies, almost no plant is off-limits.

Fortunately, there’s a miscellany of bug-fighting methods available. Apart from commercially produced pesticides and insecticides, there are a few more organic routes you can take to protect your flora. We love using flowers, herbs and greenery that do the work of warding off bugs for you while being easy on the eyes!

Here is our list of the top five flowers and herbs you can use to repel insects and in your favorite summer food and drink recipes. Useful plants that can be incorporated into cakes and cocktails? We love to see it! (Just make sure you’re using the right soil for edible plants.)

Lavender
Apart from adding a stunning hue of purple to your garden, lavender is also an effective insecticide. While you can spritz your plants with a lavender oil concoction to repel insects, the mere presence of lavender in your garden is enough to deter pesky bugs and funguses. It can also be added to cakes, cookies and even ice cream recipes for a beautiful aromatic flavor.

If you’re searching for inspiration on how to use lavender in arrangements or for a perfect “just because” gift, look no further than our Together At Twilight Bouquet.

Citronella
As you may know from browsing candles at homeware stores, citronella is commonly used as an effective mosquito repellent. While sprays and candles use concentrated citronella oil, the fragrance that the plant naturally produces is enough to keep mosquitoes at bay. The flowers from the citronella geranium can be used to create a refreshingly flavored simple syrup for cocktails.

Rosemary
This delicious herb is also a great mosquito repellent and it also works particularly well as a deterrent against carrot flies and cabbage moths! This herb is ridiculously easy to grow and tend to, making it a convenient plant pest solution. We probably don’t even need to mention that it can be used in almost any recipe from stews to sweet pies!

Basil
Fortunately for us, there are several varieties of this delectable herb and all of them help deter flies and kill mosquito larvae, so feel free to play around with the variety you like most! Again, it goes without saying that this helpful plant is a great addition to both sweet and savory dishes, particularly in Italian pizza, pasta and pesto recipes.

Mint
Mint contains menthol which works to stave off insects, particularly ants. The herb is also antimicrobial and antifungal, meaning it also kills microorganisms like fungi and bacteria. Mint grows like a weed, meaning it needs little attention from you while it works hard. It’s a staple flavor in many recipes from roast lamb to mojitos, so be sure to let it grow in large quantities!

Keeping bugs at bay can be especially tricky during the warmer months, but with some careful planning, your garden will thrive. If you’ve been looking for some additional inspiration this season — or are waiting for pesky pests to simmer down before getting back into your garden — explore summer flowers today.