Whether you’re having a cool picnic, or taking a nocturnal walk, these outdoor activities are often troubled by pesky insects. What to do with your garden or balcony when mosquitoes or wasps attack?
Discover eight all-natural “insecticides” thanks to these gorgeous plants.
Edible Plants | Decorative Plants
Edible plants
In addition to being delicious, the strong odor of these plants will have a repulsive effect against mosquitoes and wasps.
Lemon Balm
This herb has a lemony fragrance that drives away mosquitoes.
It’s always best to plant it on your balcony or terrace. You can plant their seeds in early spring. Try not to over-water it as root rot can occur. To diversify your garden, try its different varieties, All Gold or Aurea. For a stronger scent, you can toss a few of its stems on a hot grill. If you want to use it in your cooking, try pairing it with tarragon to spice up lamb or fish marinades.
Southernwood
Part of the Artemisia family, Southernwood is often used as a condiment. Its scent repels wasps and mosquitoes alike.
You can harvest it and turn it into a dried bunch of flowers. Spread it across your apartment or house to avoid insects.
Woodruff
Also known as Galium Odoratum, Woodruff is well-known for its diuretic, tonic and digestive properties. It will also drive away stingers once planted in your garden. Similar to Southernwood, you can harvest it to put inside your home.
Alliums
Thanks to its unpleasant odors, Alliums such as garlic, chives and onions also have a strong repulsive property. For maximum effect, you can rub them against the skin, or simply arrange them around a table outdoor.
Decorative plants
Beautiful plants, natural insecticides.
Geranium
Cranesbills, specifically Geraniums, have a variety of scents (enough to suit anyone’s preferences). Mainly comprised rosy or lemony smells, wasps and mosquitoes try to avoid cranesbills. It’s always best to plant your Geranium on your balcony or terrace, far from any regularly used room.
Pyrethrum Powder
Known as a botanical and natural insecticide, the term “Purethrum” mainly refers to the powdered extracted from dried Chrysanthemums. Its main property is that of attacking the nervous system of any insect. Female mosquitoes are inhibited and unable to sting.
Nicotiana
Commonly referred to as tobacco plants, Nicotiana plants emits a strong scent with the distinctive feature of being stronger in the evening. There’s pretty much nothing better to push away mosquitoes on a summer night. This vivacious plant can be cultivated in a flowerpot, a garden, or flower box. Its generous bloom allows an abundant flowering all summer long.
Lavender
We close our list with probably the most well-known plant on this list. Versatile and decorative, lavender may attract pollinators, but its peculiar scent will be distasteful for stingers.
Which other “natural insecticides” have you found effective?