Best indoor plants for pest control

Best indoor plants for pest control
April 30, 2019 Cure All Pest Control

No matter the time of year, there are always going to be lone insects, bugs and other various creatures, which make their way into your home. While it’s extremely annoying to have your private space invaded by these pests, rest assured there are some DIY pest control measures you can do at home, with nature’s very own; plants.

Plants are extremely useful for keeping some pests out of the house and away from us while we try to work, relax or even sleep. We’ve put together a list of the best indoor plants that will do their best to keep your own private oasis, pest free.

Basil

If you like to cook, chances are you’re well versed on Basil and all of its delicious uses in the kitchen, but you might not be aware that Basil is extremely handy for keeping flies and mosquitoes out of the house. Placed near any doors or open windows, it does a great job at keeping air-born pests out of the house.

Lemongrass

Lemongrass is where citronella is found, which is a key ingredient in most insecticides and repellents. Whilst it smells pleasant to humans, it seems to be similar to kryptonite for mosquitoes. Try having a pot near your windows to act as a natural repellent.

Mint

Again, any home cooks will likely have had some fresh mint on hand when cooking Vietnamese based cuisine, but have no idea that this aromatic plant works well for keeping mozzies at bay.

Rosemary

This fragrant herb is well known in the cooking world, but seemingly less well known by most DIY pest controllers. Placed near windows or doors, it seems to stop mosquitoes in their tracks, but when sprigs are placed inside clothes drawers, it is reportedly excellent at repelling silverfish and moths.

Sage Bush

Not only is sage bush pretty to have around the house, but it also doubles as an effective insect repellent. The trick with sage is that it has to be dried, and then can be burnt. The smoke produced is fragrant and very effective against bugs and mosquitoes.

Venus Fly Trap

This is probably a bit of a no brainer, but the venus flytrap is a naturally effective way to make sure the fly and arachnid population stays in check, in and around your house. These carnivorous plants are nature’s gift to people that want a self-sufficient pest control service.

Lavender

This plant has extreme levels of aromatic strength, therefore it’s advised to keep this one out on the verandah or balcony (unless you’re not prone to allergies, then it’s fine indoors). Lavender exhibits such a strong scent that it will actually drive away some pests.

Catnip

Catnip is known well to cats who love to… relax, but believe it or not, it’s excellent at repelling bugs. According to a study completed at the American Chemical Society, “nepetalactone, the essential oil in catnip that gives the plant its characteristic odor, is about ten times more effective at repelling mosquitoes than DEET — the compound used in most commercial insect repellents.”

Marigolds

Marigolds are downright beautiful. They’re bright and anybody who knows what they smell like could tell if you have marigolds in your garden while walking through it their eyes shut. This is because Marigolds, like Chrysanthemum’s, produce a very powerful compound called Pyrethrum, which is often used in insect repellants.

Whilst these solutions are relatively inexpensive and will benefit you in more ways than one, they may not help all but if you have an all-out infestation. If you’ve been ignoring pests in your home for some time and have tried DIY cures to no avail, it’s time to call in the experts – Cure All Pest Control. Contact us today to see how we can help you.