Nature’s Bug Repellant

There’s nothing quite like the sense of joy and accomplishment that comes along with maintaining a healthy lawn and garden. It’s a therapeutic experience that yields fresh herbs and vegetables that are unmatched in nutrients and taste. But if you’ve spent even a little time working on that green thumb, you know there’s one element of gardening we could all do without: non-beneficial bugs. An infestation can make even the healthiest of gardens go from “top notch” to “topsoil” in a matter of weeks. By the end of this post, our hope is to better inform you on how to deal with garden pests typically found in Camas, Vancouver, and Washougal, Washington, in a natural, simple way.

Problems with Poison

When times get desperate, a good majority of people resort to insecticides and other kinds of poisons to eliminate insects.

While these methods are effective, they tend to be anything but gentle with our garden areas. So, if insecticides eliminate bugs, but also our plants, what’s an effective bug deterrent that won’t decimate our gardens? The answer is simple; to save our plants, we need plants. Well, not just any plants.

Herbs

There’s a large variety of herbs that serve as natural insect deterrents. Planted strategically, these multi-talented plants can eliminate your bug problem dead in its tracks. Here’s just a few that could benefit anyone with an insect issue:

Basil

1. Basil is a natural deterrent to house flies and mosquitos.
2. Plant basil in pots to hang around your outdoor relaxation spaces.
3. Apart from being an effective insect repellant, it tastes great as well!

Lavender

1. Repels moths, flies, fleas, and mosquitos.
2. Place lavender bouquets around your house to deter unwanted pests.
3. Lavender oil can also be extracted from the flowers which nourish the skin and improves sleep.

Rosemary

1. Gets rid of mosquitos and a variety of insects harmful to garden vegetables.
2. Plant rosemary in herb gardens, vegetable gardens, or on your patio.
3. Rosemary can even be boiled in water to create a potent and all-natural mosquito repellant!

      For a simple and effective recipe click here!

Ornamental Flowers

Herbs aren’t the only effective natural bug repellant out there. A surprising number of ornamental flowers do the trick just as well, if not better. Here are just a few options that’ll take care of your pesky insect problem:

Allium

1. Repels slugs, aphids, carrot flies, cabbage worms, rabbits, and even deer.
2. Alliums are very low maintenance and can thrive in almost any kind of soil.
3. Plant in or around your vegetable garden.

Chrysanthemum

1. Deters roaches, ants, ticks, silverfish, lice, fleas, and bed bugs.
2. The active ingredient in chrysanthemums which make them such effective insect repellants (pyrethrum) is used in potent insecticides.

Marigold

1. Repels aphids, mosquitos, and rabbits.
2. Plant around or in flower beds.
3. Marigolds don’t just keep the bugs at bay, they help spur the growth of plants around it as well.

Those who take pride in their garden know how important it is to keep its environment as natural and self-sufficient as possible.

The use of poisons like pesticides and insecticides disrupt the natural balance of your garden and harm the insects that are beneficial to your plants.

If you have any questions regarding the health of your garden, or would like some assistance in planting, please give Urban Eden Landscaping a call at 360-567-6399, contact us here, or fill out a free estimate request form online.