Plants That Bug Bugs

From grilling to gardening, summer is a primetime to enjoy your backyard. However, with the warmer and wetter weather comes mosquitoes, ants and other pests. Luckily, there is an easy, natural solution to ward off those insects and spruce up your backyard at the same time - plants. From USA Today, here’s a list of common plants, herbs and flowers you can plant to make summer more pleasant.

Marigolds: Bright and beautiful, these flowers repel mosquitoes and other bugs with their smell. They also contain a natural compound used in insect repellents.

Basil: Put a potted basil plant near your picnic table, and the strong smell helps keep flies and mosquitos away.

Lemon Grass: Growing up to 4 feet tall, this decorative grass contains citronella, a common ingredient in mosquito repellent. It tolerates heat, but not frost, so plant in a pot and bring inside as temperatures cool.

Petunias: Pretty with a vivid color, these flowers ward off aphids, tomato hornworms and squash bugs with their licorice-like scent. However, they can attract slugs and caterpillars.

Mint: This tasty herb is detested by ants and mice. It’s best to keep it in a pot because it can spread quickly in a garden.

With these plants sprinkled throughout your garden, you’ll enjoy not only a pretty backyard, but a less buggy summer season, too.

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Categories: Hobbies and Travel , Your Home
Tags: Kansas City , Lawrence , Topeka , Wichita