Plants aren’t just great for sprucing up your yard. They’re also a natural way to repel wasps and yellow jackets. Plants have a built-in defense mechanism against insects—their scent. Though you may enjoy a flower’s fragrance, bugs don’t. We’ve made a list of plants that can help keep your yard free of these stinging insects.
Lemongrass
Lemongrass is great at repelling flying insects including wasps, especially yellow jackets. It will also help keep mosquitoes from bugging you. Lemongrass thrives when it has access to a lot of light, heat, and moisture. This grass won’t handle being left in the shade. Choose a rich soil when planting lemongrass. It’s best to plant lemongrass when temperatures rise and remain in the 60s at night.
Spearmint
Wasps aren’t fans of mint’s strong fragrance. Spearmint belongs to the mint family and can be used to help deter yellow jackets and paper wasps from hanging out in your yard. You can grow mint inside or outside. It needs exposure to full sunlight but can handle some shade. Mint grows very quickly and is known to spread. To keep it from taking over your garden, plant it in a pot to contain it.
Thyme
Thyme is another great option for repelling wasps. Yellow jackets aren’t a fan of this grayish-green herb. Thyme is native to areas that are sunny and dry and thrive when planted in similar locations. Thyme doesn’t require a lot of maintenance and doesn’t do well if overwatered. This herb blooms in early spring with white, pink, or light purple flowers. It can be placed directly in the ground or in a container.
Clove Tree
Not only can clove add warmth to your favorite recipes, it can also help keep wasps out of your yard. Clove trees are a type of evergreen tree and are native to tropical regions. They thrive in wet and hot areas but like well-drained soil. These trees can grow up to 40 feet tall, so make sure you give them space to grow. Clove trees produce buds that transition from green to pinkish-red. These buds are used to produce the spice we love to use.
Trumpet Flowers
These flowers get their name from their bugle-shaped petals. The shape of the plant makes it difficult for insects to reach the nectar, and yellow jackets aren’t attracted to them. Trumpet flowers are native to tropical areas and prefer full sun exposure. It’s important to remember that these flowers are toxic. You shouldn’t handle them without gloves, and make sure pets don’t eat them. They start blooming in the spring and continue to bloom until the fall. The flowers range in color from white, orange, yellow, and pink.
Pennyroyal
Pennyroyals have a fresh, minty scent that helps to repel yellow jackets and other insects. European pennyroyals are members of the mint family. American pennyroyals aren’t related to mint, but they still have a minty fragrance. These plants do best in partial sunlight and should be planted after the threat of frost has passed. Pennyroyals bloom in summer with reddish or purple flowers. They thrive when placed in containers.
Geraniums
You may love the scent that geraniums produce, but wasps aren’t a fan. These flowers are great to brighten up a garden with their vibrant shades of pink, red, and white. Geraniums can be kept inside or outside but should be brought in during the winter. These plants thrive in full sunlight but can handle partial sunlight. It’s best to plant geraniums when temperatures rise and there is no chance of frost. These plants will bloom in spring and summer.
The natural fragrances of the plants are great at keeping wasps and yellow jackets out of your yard. Adding just a few of them can help prevent an invasion. Since plants can repel insects naturally, using a pest control product that contains natural essential oils, like our Maggie’s Farm Simply Effective™ Pest Control products, is a great solution for pest problems. They are an effective and more environmentally and family-friendly solution.
Your plant information had been very helpful in finding out how to deter wasps and other insects, thank you.
I want some lemongrass and maybe some spearmint.