5 Plants that keep bugs out of your house

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As spring and summer arrive, so do the unwanted bugs that populate our homes during the warmer seasons.

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It may be time to buy mosquito coils and bug repellent spray. However, what if you didn’t need to buy them this year? What if, instead of buying harsh chemicals with strong smells that require you to leave the room after using them, you bought natural repellents, such as houseplants?

Houseplants don’t have to be just for decoration; they can be very useful for repelling bugs, cleansing the air in your home, making your home smell nicer, and some you can even eat. Here are five houseplants that help repel unwanted bugs.

1. Basil

Basil is mostly known for its culinary utility. Though best used in pesto and Italian dishes, basil is a powerful bug repellent. The powerful aroma helps elevate simple dishes and actually deters bugs.

The plant repels mosquitoes, flies, and even whiteflies. Basil, like many herbs, is quite easy to take care of. Buy a potted basil plant and keep it in the sunniest spot of your kitchen, such as on window sills and by doors.

The plant can be bought in any grocery store or nursery. It’s best to buy the potted plant instead of cut leaves at the store.

2. Chrysanthemums

These beautiful flowers, often featured in wonderful flower bouquets, also help repel bugs, as the flowers produce a strong natural smell. According to Soltech Solutions, an all-natural smell is usually found as the basis for many commercial insecticides.

The plant repels a variety of common household bugs, including roaches, ants, ticks, lice, fleas, and bedbugs.

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3. Lavender

Lavender is known for its calming and soothing properties. In plant form and as an essential oil, lavender promotes relaxation and deters pests, such as moths, fleas, flies, and mosquitoes.

The plant is a full-sun plant that requires full sun exposure. It’s best to keep it in sunny spots around the house.

4. Mint

Mint is an extremely versatile plant. There are 30 different species of mint, including spearmint and peppermint.

The plant repels aphids, black flies, and flea beetles.

Mint plants prefer part shade, though they will still grow in full sun.

5. Rosemary

This strong, woody herb does so much more than bring out the best flavours in your steak. The herb’s fragrance is known to repel mosquitoes, flies, and the cabbage moth.

For strategic repellency, you can hang the plant by windows and doors. You can also burn the leaves, as the smoke gets rid of bugs that are already in the house.

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