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] |
![]() | 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]