Every year, it’s the same ritual: insects of all kinds invade the garden and the terrace as soon as the mercury rises above 15°C. Between the infernal mosquitoes, the unwanted cockroaches and chiggers, and the unbearable flies and gnats, life outside can quickly become hell, and enjoying sunny days, an impossible mission. And if, to scare away these unwelcome critters, you take out of the cupboards one of these 12 unusual ingredients, particularly effective in repelling insects?
Plants that repel insects
To dislodge these intruderit is also possible to use plants. Insects, especially mosquitoes, hate the smell of certain plants, and won’t stay around long if you plant the following varieties in the garden :
- geranium
- lemon basil
- Lemon balm
- lemon thyme
- Petunias
- Mint
- Lemongrass
- Lavender
What attracts insects to the garden?
Conversely, some plants can attract insects, often enticed by the smell of certain wildflowers. A stagnant water point will also attract many mosquitoes: they love humidity. However, you don’t need to completely sterilize your green space to scare away these little beasts. Because insects are very useful in the garden. Some hunt aphidscaterpillars, weevils, while others protect plants diseases or contribute to their development.
How to make an insect repellent?
However, if you want to chase away some particularly annoying undesirables, the best thing is to use natural solutions, which will scare them away rather than kill them. Many ingredients are the bane of insects! Find out 12 for use in the garden in our slideshow above.
You can also make your own homemade repellentby mixing, in a spray bottle, a little cider vinegar or white vinegar with one of the water.