What Plantings Can Help Prevent Pests?

Many of our clients who already take advantage of our pest treatments in their yards and homes also take a comprehensive approach to making sure that some damaging and nuisance insects don't find their property attractive. One such method is choosing plantings that will deter these pests from getting too close.

Nurture Insect Repelling Plants

Strategically place insect-repelling plants in your garden or inside your home. Insects tend to avoid many of these plants because the essential oils found in them work as natural bug repellent.Here are some plants, herbs, and flowers that might offer you some relief during the peak pest seasons of spring and summer.Basil can help repel both fleas and mosquitoes and can add to your indoor or outdoor herb garden. Add to that the concept that basil is yummy when added to meals that it is a win-win situation.Petunias are not only easy to maintain and colorful, but they are also referred to as a natural pesticide since they repel a variety of insects and bugs.Bright yellow and orange marigold are also a welcome visual addition to any garden. They also repel mosquitoes and aphids.

Many herbs can be a great natural repellent to mosquitoes, ticks, flies, and fleas. Lavender has a sweet smell and can add a bright pop of color to any garden. Rosemary has an oil that many insects find to be unpleasant. Plant them near your garden and you may find that they are a natural barrier to pests that could hard your veggies.Some other herbs you can add to your herb garden in order to repel insects are fennel, parsley, oregano, thyme, or bay leaves. They are all easy to maintain and their essential oils might help when it comes to a pest control.

Encourage Beneficial Insects

Aside from choosing plants that will discourage mosquitoes, fleas, and ticks from entering your yard, you may also want to make your planting choices in order to encourage beneficial insects to enter your property. Ladybugs, lacewings, minute pirate bugs, damsel bugs, and other beneficials naturally help keep pest numbers down by eating the bad guys for lunch or using them to house and feed their developing young.Encouraging these more beneficial bugs to occupy your yard may mean planting gardens that have plenty of appropriate nectar sources. For a complete list of nectar sources check out this link.Talk to our specialists about ways to prevent pests from entering your garden this year. We will be happy to help.