Could you please tell me some plants that repel ants and spiders? I would like to keep bugs out of my home without using sprays. I don’t have to worry about children or pets. It’s just that I don’t trust those chemicals.
Donna Rivas, North Carolina
While ants and spiders are beneficial to the garden, no one wants them to invade your home. Facing bugs in the house is something that most people find distasteful and leads them to find a quick way to eliminate the problem. One handy remedy is to grow plants that these insects don’t like and will stay away from.
Not only can you add these plants outside, but many of them can be grown in containers and placed throughout the house to help deter the insects inside, too. There are quite a few plants that repel spiders and ants and other pests.
For example, roses, citrus, lavender, peppermint, and eucalyptus are natural spider repellents and so are chestnuts. If you lay cedar mulch down around your windows and garden, it deters spiders, too. If you also have a silverfish problem, grow plants that repel silverfish, like lavender, basil, and lemongrass. They will get rid of the scary-looking insects quickly.
Hedge apples repel spiders, but they are poisonous to humans. Be careful and wear gloves to handle them. Keep pets and children away, too.
Besides plants, there are several natural ways to keep both spiders and ants away and get rid of ant colonies in yard. Spices like black pepper, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon deter ants and spiders and several other bugs.
Growing cayenne peppers yourself ensures you always have a ready supply of cayenne to get rid of pests and to flavor your favorite dishes. It’s easy to grow in a pot inside or out or the garden.
Essential oils of peppermint, rose, tea tree, eucalyptus, and lemon are also natural barriers to these pests. To make a simple homemade ant deterrent, add the spices to a spray bottle with water or vinegar and spritz around the entryways to your home, like near the doors and windows to keep bugs out.
Finally, loose tobacco is another spider deterrent and a great way to repel ants. If you sprinkle the leaves where you see spiders, it should chase them away. You can also mix up a spray by soaking the tobacco leaves in water.
Although it’s not a plant, vinegar in the garden and Borax work well at keeping spiders and ants away. Sprinkle it where spiders nest and where ants enter your home. This creates a temporary barrier until you can caulk up any cracks to keep invaders outside.
In the meantime, here is a helpful list of tips for you:https://www.tipsbulletin.com/14-great-ways-to-keep-spiders-out-of-your-home-naturally/While the article focuses on repelling spiders, many of the techniques work on ants, too.
Joan