List of pest-repelling plants
This list of pest-repelling plants includes plants used for their ability to repel insects , nematodes , and other pests . They have been used in companion planting as pest control in agricultural and garden situations, and in households.
Certain plants have shown effectiveness as topical repellents for haematophagous insects, such as the use of lemon eucalyptus in PMD , but incomplete research and misunderstood applications can produce variable results.[ 1]
The essential oils of many plants are also well known for their pest-repellent properties. Oils from the families Lamiaceae (mints), Poaceae (true grasses), and Pinaceae (pines) are common haematophagous insect repellents worldwide.[ 1]
Table of pest-repelling plants
Plants that can be planted or used fresh to repel pests include:
Plant
Image
Pests
Artemisias
repels insects,[ 2] including ants , cabbage looper , cabbage maggot , carrot fly , codling moth , flea beetles , whiteflies , the Cabbage White , and the Small White , as well as mice [ 3]
Basil
repels flies , including mosquitoes [ 2] [ 4] the carrot fly, asparagus beetles and whiteflies[ 3]
Borage
repels tomato hornworm and cabbage worms [ 2]
Castor bean
repels moles [ 3]
Catnip
repels ants, flea beetles, aphids , the Japanese beetle , squash bugs , weevils ,[ 2] the Colorado potato beetle , the cabbage looper,[ 3] and cockroaches .[ 4] May attract cats.
Chamomile
repels flying insects[ 4]
Chives
repels carrot fly, Japanese beetle ,[ 2] and aphids[ 3]
Chrysanthemums
repel roaches, ants, the Japanese beetle, ticks , silverfish , lice , fleas , bedbugs , and root-knot nematodes [ 2]
Citronella grass
repels insects, may deter cats[ 5]
Citrosa
proven not to repel mosquitoes[ 6]
Clovers
repel aphids and wireworms [ 3]
Common lantana
repels mosquitoes[ 1]
Coriander
repels aphids, Colorado potato beetle, and spider mites [ 3]
Cosmos
repel the corn earworm
Crown imperial
repel rabbits, mice, moles, voles and ground squirrels[ 7]
Dahlias
repel nematodes [ 2]
Dill
repels aphids, squash bugs, spider mites,[ 2] the cabbage looper, and the Small White[ 3]
Epazote
repels spider mites,[ 8] thrips, aphids, and whitefly[ 9]
Eucalyptus
repels aphids, the cabbage looper, and the Colorado potato beetle[ 3]
Fennel
repels aphids, slugs , and snails [ 3]
Fever tea
repels mosquitoes[ 1]
Four o'clocks
attract and poison the Japanese beetle[ 2]
French marigold
repels whiteflies, kills nematodes [ 2]
Garlic
repels root maggots ,[ 2] cabbage looper, Mexican bean beetle , and peach tree borer .
Geranium
repel leafhoppers , the corn earworm, and the Small White[ 3]
Hyssop
repels the cabbage looper and the Small White[ 3]
Larkspurs
repel aphids[ 3]
Lavender
repels moths , scorpions, water scorpions, fleas, and flies, including mosquitoes[ 4]
Leek
repels carrot fly[ 3]
Lemongrass
repels mosquitoes[ 10]
Lemon balm
repels mosquitoes[ 4]
Lemon thyme
repels mosquitoes[ 4]
Lettuce
repels carrot fly[ 3]
Lime basil
repels mosquitoes[ 1]
Mexican marigold
repels insects and rabbits[ 2]
Myrrh
repels insects[ 5]
Narcissus
repel moles[ 3]
Nasturtiums
repel squash bugs,[ 2] aphids (though there is conflicting information with some sources stating it attracts aphids),[ 11] many beetles, and the cabbage looper[ 3]
Onion
repels rabbits, the cabbage looper, and the Small White[ 3]
Oregano
repellent to many pests[ 3]
Parsley
repels asparagus beetles[ 3]
Peppermint
repels aphids, cabbage looper, flea beetles, squash bugs, whiteflies, and the Small White[ 3]
Petunias
repel aphids, tomato hornworm, asparagus beetles, leafhoppers,[ 2] and squash bugs[ 3]
Pitcher plants
traps and ingests insects
Radish
repels cabbage maggot and cucumber beetles[ 3]
Rosemary
repels cabbage looper, carrot fly, cockroaches and mosquitoes,[ 12] slugs, snails, as well as the Mexican bean beetle[ 3]
Russian sage
repels wasps
Rue
repels cucumber and flea beetles
Sarracenia pitcher plants
are especially proficient at trapping yellowjacket wasps
Spearmint
repels fleas, moths, ants, beetles , rodents,[ 4] aphids, squash bugs, and the cabbage looper[ 3]
Spiny amaranth
repels cutworms
Stone root
repels mosquitoes[ 5]
Summer savory
repels bean beetles [ 3]
Tansy
repels ants, many beetles and flies, squash bugs, cutworms, Small White, and Cabbage White[ 3]
Thyme
repels cabbage looper, cabbage maggot, corn earworm, whiteflies, tomato hornworm, and Small White
Tobacco
repels carrot fly, flea beetles and worms.[ 3]
Tomato
repels asparagus beetles[ 3]
Venus flytrap
ingests insects[ 4]
References
^ a b c d e Maia MF, Moore SJ (March 2011). "Plant-based insect repellents: a review of their efficacy, development and testing" . Malaria Journal . 10 (Suppl 1): S11. doi :10.1186/1475-2875-10-S1-S11 . PMC 3059459 . PMID 21411012 . [1]
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Hummel, K. Use plants for pest control. Archived 2015-02-14 at the Wayback Machine Coles County Yard and Garden. University of Illinois Extension.
^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac "Companion Planting" (PDF) . Cornell Cooperative Extension . Chemung County. May 1999. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 29, 2014.
^ a b c d e f g h Clarke, C. Indoor pest-repellent plants. SFGate: San Francisco Chronicle .
^ a b c Plants help keep mosquitoes away. Colorado State University & Denver County Extension Master Gardener. 2010.
^ "Mosquito Plant, Pelargonium Citrosum - The Citrosa Plant" . 2015-06-08. Retrieved 2016-09-26 .
^ Diana Beresford-Kroeger (2004). A Garden for Life: The Natural Approach to Designing, Planting, and Maintaining a North Temperate Garden . University of Michigan Press. p. 171. ISBN 9780472030125 .
^ Chiasson, H.; Bostanian, N. J.; Vincent, C. (August 2004). "Acaricidal properties of a Chenopodium-based botanical" . Journal of Economic Entomology . 97 (4): 1373– 1377. doi :10.1093/jee/97.4.1373 . ISSN 0022-0493 . PMID 15384350 .
^ Chiasson, H.; Vincent, C.; Bostanian, N. J. (August 2004). "Insecticidal properties of a Chenopodium-based botanical" . Journal of Economic Entomology . 97 (4): 1378– 1383. doi :10.1093/jee/97.4.1378 . ISSN 0022-0493 . PMID 15384351 .
^ "12 plants that repel unwanted insects" . 2014-10-02. Retrieved 2017-10-19 .
^ "Managing Pests in Gardens: Floriculture: Nasturtium—UC IPM" .
^ "5 Herbs That Keep Bugs Away" . YouTube . 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2018-08-04 .[dead YouTube link ]