Using insecticides help save us from getting bitten or stung by bugs and insects. Unfortunately, these products used for repelling and killing off crawling and flying pests contain harsh chemicals. So in other words, every spray can be doing more harm than good! Luckily, there are house plants that can help keep the use of insecticides at bay.

If you don’t want to heavily rely on insecticides for safeguarding you and everyone you love from those annoying bugs and insects, continue reading. Below you will come across some house plants that actually work as repellants. All of them smell nice and are chemical-free, plus many of them can even make your home look lovelier!

Lavender

Perhaps you have heard or read somewhere that lavender is great for combating stress and anxiety because its smell has the ability to relax not only the body, but also the mind. Well, that highly beneficial fragrance of lavender that many stressed and anxious people love is something that can also drive away so many types of bugs and insects.

What’s so nice about lavender is it can save you from bites and stings while at the same time filling your home with a smell that can calm you down. In addition, its lovely purple flowers can make any room in your house look so much more appealing. Thanks to lavender, you can enjoy a lovely home that’s free of pests.

Marigold

Just because marigolds have stunning bright orange flowers doesn’t mean they’re just for displaying. Actually, these well-known garden plants are very good at getting rid of anything that’s flying or crawling. Even though they thrive so much better outdoors, it’s actually very easy to cultivate marigolds indoors, provided that they get plenty of sun.

By the way, marigolds are not only great for repelling bugs and insects, but also beautifying just about any room in your home — placing it right next to the window can make any area look merry. And by the way, you can turn marigold flowers into tea that’s great for cleaning minor wounds and relieving pain.

Basil

Are you into cooking all sorts of dishes? Then one house plant that you should never be without is basil. Definitely, there are plenty of pasta and meat dishes as well as sauces and dressings that won’t taste right without this very popular culinary herb. Did you know that basil is also very good at safeguarding you from pests?

No bug or insect can tolerate the aromatic smell of basil, and that’s why it is a good idea for you to place some of it in areas where there are lots of mosquitoes, flies, cockroaches and others. And just in case you incur some bites or stings outdoors, you may simply crush and rub a basil leaf on problem areas for relief.

Lemongrass

There is a chemical in lemongrass that is actually being used by some manufacturers of insecticides and bug-repelling lotions and creams as an important ingredient, and it’s called citronella. This all-natural chemical is very safe for humans, and it’s actually the one that gives lemongrass its characteristic fragrance.

Aside from keeping at bay anything that flies or crawls, lemongrass is also a wonderful freshener of the air. It’s the perfect addition to the kitchen and bathroom if you want the air to stay smelling nice all the time. Experts recommend placing lemongrass where bugs and insects may enter, such as next to doors and windows.

Other than the ones mentioned above, there are plenty of other plants that you may count on if you don’t want to fill the air of your house with dangerous chemicals found in most commercially-available insecticides. Some of the most wonderful examples are chrysanthemums, rosemary, eucalyptus, oregano and thyme.