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The days are getting longer, and the weather is perfect for enjoying the great outdoors in Las Vegas. Spring is the time when we are prepping up our grills, getting out the croquet set, and planning family barbecues.

What about the bugs? No doubt bugs are annoying and can ruin a perfectly great day outside. Yes, we can use bug sprays to get rid of them. Some work great, but using commercial bug sprays also means that we are spraying icky chemicals all over our body. The good news is that there are plants that can repel unwanted bugs! Get rid of annoying insects the natural way! Read below to find out how!

Your Yard Needs these Natural Bug Repellent Plants

If you are looking for an organic way to protect yourself and your family from bugs 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 to spice up our meals.

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 bed sheets 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 bugs!

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.

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. Do you want to create a natural bug repellent? 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 with containers. 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 bins. Bugs love trash bins. Keep them covered and far from where you are outside. 
• Repel ants. Ants love picnics, too. Rather than feeding an entire army of ants, we can use cucumber slices and chalk to keep them from running off with your food.
• Citronella oil can be used as a natural insect deterrent. We can use Citronella diffusers and make them using essential oils and beeswax. Citronella candles can also be effective in keeping bugs away.