The days are getting longer, and the weather is perfect for enjoying the many outdoor activities we can do in Southern California. We are prepping up our grills, putting on our board shorts, and planning family get-togethers. What about the bugs?

Don’t let the bugs ruin your time outdoors. No doubt they are annoying and can ruin a perfectly planned event. Sure, we can use bug sprays to get rid of them. They might work, but using commercial bug sprays also means that we are bathing in chemicals that can make us feel icky. There is a natural solution to keep bugs away - plants can keep bugs away!

Your Yard Needs these Plants to Keep Bugs Away

If you are looking for an organic way to protect yourself and your family from insects this spring and summer, we have the plants that can do it! Another great thing about these bug repelling plants – we can use the herbs in our kitchen. Give the natural route a try!

Lavender. These are more than just attractive plants with beautiful pale purple flowers. A bouquet of lavenders can help keep bugs away and their delicious aroma can also help mellow you out. This same scent that chills us out and makes our linens smell lovely is repulsive to flies, moths, and mosquitoes. The essential oils from this plant is one of the best ways to keep those annoying bugs away. Plant them in a sunny spot in your garden or keep a few bouquets nearby and enjoy the colorful scene without having to deal with pests. We love to use lavender oil to repel insects!

Rosemary – Rosemary can be grown both indoor and out. In addition to its culinary-uses, other uses of rosemary are its ability to keep fleas and ticks away. Making a repellent is simple to prepare. To prepare, boil about a kilogram of dried rosemary in one liter of water for about half an hour. Once that is done, strain the liquid into a liter of cool water. Use a spray bottle and spray those pesky mosquitoes away.

Camphor – There are many benefits of camphor and repelling mosquitoes is one of them. Camphor works much like citronella oil – the smell of the leaves overwhelms and confuses mosquitoes, preventing them from biting you. 

Eucalyptus – The essential oil extracted from the leaves are very effective against sand flies. Eucalyptus oil can kill pests such as mites, aphids, earwigs and whiteflies on contact. We can create a repellent spray by combining eucalyptus oil with half a teaspoon liquid dish soap and two cups of water.

Tips to Keep Bugs Away

We can do some other things to keep bugs away, too. Below are some simple tips anyone can use.

• Remove stagnant water. Puddles may attract children to puddle jump. However, they are also a breeding ground for bugs. Besides puddles, we will also want to empty out any buckets.
• Cover-up food. We love to eat outdoors, especially under a nice shade tree. Of course, bugs love human food, so it is a good idea to keep any food covered when eating outdoors.
• Cover trash and recycling bins. Bugs love trash and recycling bins. Keep them covered and far from where you are outside.
• Repel ants. Ants love picnics. Rather than feeding an entire army of ants, we can use cucumber slices and chalk.
• Citronella. Citronella oil can be used as a natural insect deterrent. We can use Citronella diffusers and make them using essential oils and beeswax, and we can also use Citronella candles.