Here, we’ll be discussing herbs and plants that repel flies.
It’s no longer news that nature provides solutions against a variety of pest issues. This is seen in plants that possess repellent properties against certain insect pests.
Now, the good news is that there are several such plants. In other words, varieties of plants have fly repellent properties. Information on these will be provided here.
What more? We’ll be a discussion on how these fly-repellent plants work, how to use them to keep mosquitoes at bay as well as finding out if they have any side effects.
Indoor And Outdoor Plants That Keep Flies Away
Several plants have repellent properties against flies. Such plants include Lavender, Bay Laurel, Sweet Basil, Pennyroyal, Wormwood, and Mint.
Others include Rosemary, Tansy, Citronella, Eucalyptus, Sweet Woodruff, Catnip, and Rue.
Each of these plants has been proven to have fly repellent properties and is widely used for such. For more details on each plant, let’s proceed to discuss what the benefits are among other things.
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Lavender
Lavender is one of the plants that repel flies.
This plant has a pleasant smell and thrives in well-drained soils. Sunny and hot climatic conditions are ideal for growing this plant.
Not only does it repel flies, but Lavender is also effective against several other pests.
How Lavender Works to Repel Flies
Now, the pleasant scent given off by this plant irritates flies.
As a result, it is used in several ways to keep flies at bay. You only need to have this plant either growing around your property or burning it to give off its scent.
Whatever makes the scent to get released will suffice in getting the job done.
How to Use Lavender
There are several ways to use lavender when repelling flies. Each method arrives at the same result. Hence, it’s entirely up to you to decide what method works best for you.
One of the common ways includes putting a bouquet of fresh lavender in vases within your home.
Other ways to use it include placing dried lavender in closets, cupboards, and drawers. This makes it easily dissipate its smell within your surroundings thus keeping flies at bay.
Another effective way to use Lavender is by growing it in pots. This makes them easily movable and serves to ward off flies easily.
Are There Side Effects?
Whether you use Lavender in its oil form, freshly cut, dried, or plant it around your home, there’s likely to be some side effects. When the oil is applied directly onto the skin, it may irritate. However, this isn’t common.
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Bay Laurel
During fly season, bay laurel comes as a handy remedy.
Not only is it used as an effective against flies, but it also repels other pests such as weevils and even mice. You only need to place this plant in whatever form (fresh or dried) in affected areas to have the desired effect.
How Bay Laurel Works to Keep Flies Away
Like most other plants with fly repelling properties, the pungent scent is given off by this plant, though pleasant to humans irritates flies.
Bay Laurel can be planted in pots around the home. It grows best in well-drained soils. Its presence along and the scent it gives off are enough to keep flies at bay.
How to Use Bay Laurel
Using bay laurel for repelling flies is easy! This plant can be bundled and placed around entryways including doors and windows. The pungent smell never ceases to act as an irritant on flies. It does not matter if the plant is fresh or dried, the same effect results in all situations.
Possible Side Effects
This plant apart from being used for fly control is also used as food. When using bay laurel essential oil, it shouldn’t be ingested. Also, it must not be used by pregnant women or children.
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Sweet Basil
Sweet Basil is another plant that easily repels flies. It can also be easily cultivated in pots and makes for a great addition to your flowers. Sweet basil isn’t only useful for repelling flies but is also used as food.
How it Works
Sweet basil gives off a pungent smell that serves to drive or repel flies. However, you don’t need to worry about the pungent smell because while it irritates flies, it smells really nice.
How to Use Sweet Basil to Repel Flies
One of the best ways to use this plant to keep flies away is by planting them in pots and placing them near entrances.
Sweet basil can be cut in a bunch and kept around openings such as windows. It doesn’t matter if the plant is fresh or dried. It will still achieve the same result.
What Possible Side Effects are there?
Both herb and oil contain estragole which is a chemical compound that has the chance of increasing risks of liver cancer. Avoid any form of ingestion (apart from food amounts). Plus, only external use of this plant keeps flies away.
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Pennyroyal
Pennyroyal is among the many plants that repel flies. It is a must-have in your garden if you frequently have fly problems. Not only does it prevent flies, but pennyroyal is also known to be effective against biting insects and even mice.
How Pennyroyal Works
As a member of the mint family, pennyroyal serves a wide range of uses through the scent it gives off. However, when using for fly or other pest control, it shouldn’t be ingested but rather used externally.
How to Use Pennyroyal for Repelling Flies
There’s no standard way to use pennyroyal. However, the objective should be to get its scent out as well as its aromatic oils.
One of the ways to do this is by rubbing fresh cuttings onto clothing. This helps form an invincible barrier against flies. You get to smell nice while keeping flies away.
Are there Side Effects?
It is important to restate the fact that pennyroyal shouldn’t be ingested as doing so will pose significant health risks. Apart from this, there are no known side effects when used externally.
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Wormwood
Wormwood plants, apart from being used for food and medicinal properties also serve as natural repellents for flies.
However, it’s important to point out that ingesting this plant is ineffective for repelling flies and poses health risks due to possible side effects.
How it Works
This plant contains a resinous particle in its leaves which serves as a natural fly repellent. Therefore, when placed around affected areas, it acts by releasing its scent which keeps insects away.
How to Use Wormwood
The methods for using wormwood to repel flies aren’t difficult. One of the easiest ways is by rubbing fresh leaves and rubbing them on your skin or clothing. This serves as a natural insecticide.
Additional ways to use this plant include bundling them dried and placing them along entryways, thus, serving as an invincible barrier to flies. The same should be repeated for windows and other open areas as well as cabinets.
Side Effects
There are no major side effects when it comes to the use of wormwood externally. However, as earlier stated, significant health risks resulting in negative side effects may result when ingested.
More so, ingesting wormwood won’t have any repelling effect on flies.
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Mint
Mint is a popular plant that isn’t only used for food but also as a natural insecticide. Several plants fall under this category.
They include citrus mints, peppermint, sweet mints, and spearmint plants. Whether fresh or dried, mints are known to have the same repelling effect.
How it Works
Mints give off pungent scents that easily irritate flies. The oils are also known to serve as effective fly repellents. You only need to apply it to your skin to have the desired effect.
Growing them around your home is another way to keep them off your surroundings.
How to Use Mint for Fly Control
Mint is effective in many forms. Mint oil extracts should be applied or rubbed onto your skin. Plants can be grown around doorways to help repel insects including flies. Fresh or dried bunch of mint plants should also be placed around entryways such as doors or windows.
The pungent smell given off creates an unwelcome environment for flies and other insects and bugs.
Side Effect of Mint
There are no proven side effects associated with mint use for fly control. This makes it one of the most effective and safest plants to use.
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Rosemary
Rosemary is widely used in several culinary dishes.
In addition to its nutritional benefits, it serves as an effective repellent against flies and other insect pests. It doesn’t matter whether it’s dried or fresh. Rosemary will have the same repelling effect.
How it Works
The basic working principle here has to do with the pungent scent given off by rosemary plants, especially the leaves. Hanging freshly cut or dried rosemary around your home will serve the purpose.
How to Use
The use of rosemary plants for fly control is much similar to other methods listed above. Place dried or freshly cut rosemary leaves around areas having the most fly problems. This should go a long way in keeping flies at bay.
Side Effects
There are hardly any known side effects associated with the use of rosemary as a fly repellent.
These are some of the many plants that serve as effective fly repellents. Other plants include rosemary, tansy, citronella grass, catnip, rue, sweet woodruff, eucalyptus, etc.