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10 Bug-Repelling Plants You’ll Want in Your Yard

flowers

These ten plants have bug-repelling superpowers

It’s finally summer in North Carolina! If there’s anything we North Carolina residents know, it’s that when summer arrives, so do the bugs. As much as we’d like to spend all of our time outside enjoying the beautiful weather, sometimes the bugs can make it impossible. Sure, you could bathe yourself in bug-repellant spray or burn a citronella oil candle (great for setting the mood, but not all that effective at repelling bugs) to keep them away…but we would also recommend you try this. Strategically place a few of these bug-repelling plants in your backyard for a bug-free summer!

1. Basil

Basil is a tasty herb with a pungent smell and oil that keeps pesky bugs away and it doesn’t need much attention, just plenty of water and sun. You can really plant it wherever, in a small pot on your deck or in a large herb garden. On the plus side, you’ll always have basil for cooking on hand.

2. Marigolds

Marigolds are a beautiful flowering plant with a distinct smell that bugs hate. It’s a good idea to place potted marigolds in places of entry for bugs like your home’s windows and doors, and in places where you spend a lot of time like your patio, deck, or balcony. After doing so, you should see a drastic difference in the number of bugs hanging around your home. *Gardener’s love marigolds because they deter the insects that prey on their tomato plants.  

3. Lavender

Lavender is generally known for its lovely fragrance which helps put us to sleep and makes our clothes smell good…not many know about the plant’s bug-repelling abilities. Whether you plant lavender in your sunny yard or cut bouquets for a vase indoors, the oils from the lavender plant will drive off any moths, flies, mosquitoes, or gnats that might try to bother you.

4. Rosemary

Rosemary repels mosquitoes and many other vegetable-eating bugs. The oil from a sprig of rosemary can add a uniquely delicious flavor to our food, a flavor most bugs don’t find as savory as we do. Rosemary can be grown in a variety of ways. Whether you choose to grow it in your garden or a small pot, know the bugs are staying away because of its presence.

5. Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums are able to ward off insects like mosquitoes, roaches, beetles, ticks, ants, lice, fleas, bed bugs, spider mites, and silverfish because they contain an ingredient called pyrethrum. Pyrethrum is so effective at repelling bugs, which is why the compound is often used in commercial insect repellents. Chrysanthemums will not only make a beautiful addition to your yard they will also keep a variety of bugs from trespassing on your yard.

6. Mint

Herb growers everywhere love mint for its pleasant smell and usefulness in the kitchen. Mint also has the potential to keep your yard bug (particularly mosquito) free this season! Mint is an extremely invasive (spreads aggressively) plant, be sure to contain it by growing it in pots on your patio or in your garden.  

7. Alliums

Plants in the allium family include small-growing herbs like chives, garlic, leeks, and shallots–all of which have natural insect repelling capabilities. Alliums can defend your garden and it’s vegetables including tomatoes, peppers, potatoes, cabbage, and broccoli from certain bugs like slugs, aphids, carrot flies, and cabbage worms who might otherwise be deadly to the garden. Including one or two plants from the allium family in your vegetable garden will keep the entire patch healthy and bug-free.

8. Lemongrass

If you’ve been at battle with the mosquitoes in your yard for a while, you’re likely familiar with the citronella products sold in stores. Instead of purchasing these products, plant lemongrass, an ornamental grass that can grow up to four feet tall and three feet wide in one season. Citronella is a natural oil found in lemongrass plants, great for driving away mosquitoes. Many Asian recipes call for lemongrass and you can include the fragrant leaves in a chicken or pork dish, soup, or salad dressing for a great flavor!

9. Catnip

Catnip is a member of the mint family. Catnip contains an essential oil called nepetalactone which is what attracts cats but also makes the plant bug resistant. Some studies say catnip is more effective than DEET at repelling mosquitoes! Once you grow a full catnip plant, check out ways to steep the plant and create a bug repellent spray.

10. Petunias

Often called “nature’s pesticide”, petunias have a way of chasing off all types of bugs–they’re pretty too! Petunias require very little maintenance, can be planted just about anywhere (go for a sunny spot if possible), and are practically foolproof to grow!  

Include this gorgeous flowering plant in your garden and watch the aphids, tomato hornworms, asparagus beetles, japanese beetles, leafhoppers, and squash bugs stay away.

These ten plants can be helpful when it comes to repelling bugs, but if you’re interested in further protecting your family from mosquitoes we offer state of the art mosquito control services. Schedule with us now!

10 Bug-Repelling Plants You’ll Want in Your Yard

Bedbug inspection

How to Know if Your Hotel Has Bedbugs

Upon entering a hotel room, do you typically reach for the tiny toiletries, take a leap onto the bed, or perhaps start by inspecting for bed bugs? Knowing what to look for is essential. Anticimex Carolinas Service Manager Christian Tweed has shared valuable insights on identifying bed bugs in your hotel room and preventing them from hitching a ride back home with you. And if bed bugs do become an unexpected part of your vacation, remember that Clark’s Pest Control is here to assist!



Q&A with a Pest Professional


How do bed bugs get inside hotels?


Bed bugs are primarily hitchhiking insects as opposed to foraging ones, meaning that they get carried around on people’s clothes and belongings. Someone with an active infestation in their home can easily bring bed bugs to their hotel, but they can also be picked up during travel (airplanes, taxis, and rideshare services) and brought to a hotel room.


What do people misunderstand about bed bugs in hotels?


From a probability standpoint, all hotels will deal with bed bugs at some point in time. If you think about a bed bug’s method of travel, there’s literally nothing a hotel can do to stop them from being carried in. What I have realized is that luxury hotels are more likely to have an aggressive response to dealing with a bed bug case once it’s identified as they tend to have a higher quality of service and a reputation to protect. While this isn’t always the case, it has been my experience more often than not.

Got bedbugs? Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today!

What do you recommend travelers do when they get to their room to check for bed bugs?


Most hotel headboards hang directly on the wall. I start my inspection here before even looking at the bed itself. I have found bed bugs, their exoskeletons, and the telltale black stains they leave behind around the edges of or in the crevices of headboards. If the headboard looks clean, move on to looking over the pillowcases and comforter for any signs or stains. You can dig into the bedding as deep as you want here, but I encourage people to look over the top layer of things at the very least.


What are some lesser-known signs of bed bugs in your hotel room?


The specifics of the black stains they leave behind, which as gross as it sounds, are just digested blood as that’s all that bed bugs feed on. If the stains are on a hard surface, they will be small dots as if left behind by an ink pen and will smear into a brownish gray when moisture is applied. If they’re on fabric, they will usually bleed along the fibers making a small diamond, square or X shape.


If there are bed bugs in your hotel room, can they travel home with you?


They absolutely can, however this is easy to prevent. While staying in a hotel, keep as much of your clothing and luggage off the beds as possible. Storing suitcases in the bathroom might sound odd, but it’s an effective method of prevention.

Don’t tackle bedbugs yourself, call Clark’s at 866-781-4991!

What should you do with your suitcase if you suspect your hotel has bed bugs?


When arriving home from a trip, leave your luggage in the garage or on a porch and bring your clothes in one load of laundry at a time. If the clothes are dirty, wash them like you normally would, if they’re clean then run them through the dryer for at least forty-five minutes. Once your suitcase is empty, vacuum over it meticulously (don’t forget to empty the vacuum when you’re done), or if you’re in the right climate, expose it to heat for a few days by placing it in your vehicle (parked in the sun) or for a few weeks in your attic.


The Clark’s Solution


If you brought bed bugs back to you home, Clark’s is here to help. Our Bedbug Control service is designed to eliminate bedbugs and create a safe, comfortable environment.


A Clark’s Pest Professional will do an inspection and recommend a plan of attack to get rid of bed bugs now and prevent them from hatching in the future. Call Clark’s at 866-781-4991 today for more information.



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