Are you looking out for a healthier and safer way of repelling roaches from your property? Roaches can be troublesome pests, but there are several methods to take them out quickly. Plants are one of these methods. Not all plants can repel roaches, but the ones that can are a great natural means of taking out these invasive critters.
So, what plants repel or kill roaches? Effective plants like Lemongrass, Mint, Bay Leaves, Basil, Lavender, Catnip, and carnivorous plants are very effective in repelling roaches. These plants have a strong fragrance that helps keep the roaches away.
You can add these amazing plants to your garden or plant them in a container inside your house. This will help to significantly prevent these roaches. Here, we’ve made a list of these helpful plants and exactly how you can use them effectively.
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How effective are roach-repelling plants?
Plants are amazing options for roach control. They are beautiful, effective and they leave an amazing scent that adds value to your environment. There are many other effective options as well, but this method is safer, gentler, and more organic.
Other methods make use of commercial roach repellents which have chemical components that are harmful to human health and pets. If you want to keep these creepy insects at bay, and at the same time ensure a healthy environment, then this method is for you.
12 common plants that repel roaches
There are many varieties of plants that roaches hate. The presence of these plants in your environment makes it unconducive for them to stay. The use of these plants has proven to be a very effective means of keeping your home and surroundings free from roaches’ invasion or attack.
The use of this natural means of control for roaches does not only provide your house with a natural smell but also is beneficial in improving air quality. The following are some of the plants that you can grow to naturally ward off roaches from your environment:
1. Bay leaves
Bay leaves are common kitchen spices that are very effective but usually under-utilized. The strong scent of these leaves irritates roaches and mice as well as other bugs. Simply plant this fragrant roach-repelling plant around your property or place the already dried bay leaves in sensitive areas to ward off these pests.
2. Basil
Basil smells wonderful to humans and reminds us of Mediterranean cuisine. To roaches, on the other hand, it smells terrible. You can place a few pots of this plant around your entry point or in a sunny spot in your kitchen. This plant is easy to grow and it works well to prevent these pesky insects.
3. Catnip
Catnip contains a certain chemical compound that drives pests away. It is 100 times as effective as regular repellents. This plant does not only work for roaches, it works for weevils and ants as well. You can plant these indoors or outdoors, but they need adequate light to grow.
4. Cucumber
You must be shocked that cucumber is on the list. Yes, roaches detest the smell of this fruit. The most effective way to use them against your pests is to leave the peeling on the areas where roaches roam. The peelings give off a repelling odor that’ll drive them away.
5. Chrysanthemum
This plant helps to prevent pests like roaches, ticks, fleas, and mites from invading your home. It is a beautiful flower that has an intense fragrance and contains a natural insect repellent.
6. Garlic
The distinct pungent smell and taste of garlic is loved in many kitchens! It has tons of benefits, one of which is to repel roaches and several other insects.
7. Lemongrass
Lemongrass is a popular pest repelling plant. The leaves of this plant alone can be used to drive tons of roaches and many other insects away. The active ingredient in lemongrass leaves is citronella oil. This oil is an effective component that drives out these pests.
8. Lavender
Lavender is yet another plant that has a unique aroma that does the job well. The scent of lavender is the arch-villain of these roaches. You can grow this roach-repelling plant in pots inside your home. Be careful to place it close to the window so the wind can carry the fragrance to all areas of the room.
9. Mint
Roaches hate the strong scent of mint. They’ll stay far away from your environment if you plant this aromatic herb around your house. Mint will also help to deter moths, fleas, and aphids. Just make sure to plant it in a pot or it will spread crazily.
10. Marigold
Marigold is an attractive yet effective insect repellent. It looks beautiful and still possesses a unique smell that roaches hate. You can grow them in your garden or place them close to your doorway to keep roaches at bay.
11. Osage orange
These plants are better grown in the garden. They repel all varieties of roaches. The fruits of the osage orange plant are sometimes used to extract oil, which also helps to prevent roaches.
12. Pyrethrum rosemary
This is one of the most effective plants you can use to keep roaches away from your property. You can simply plant it in a pot or cut the sprigs and place them where these insects hideout.
What carnivorous plants kill roaches?
There are a few carnivorous plants that attract these roaches and consume them using some special parts. You can grow these plants to deter not just roaches, but other disturbing insects as well. Below are some of the most common and easy-to-grow carnivorous plant varieties:
1. Venus Fly-Trap
This flytrap lures bugs with its attractive color, and nice fragrance, only to lead them to their demise. Once roaches, or any other insect, lands on their leaves, they jiggle the plant’s tiny hairs and the trap snaps shut on these bugs in the blink of an eye.
2. Pitcher Plant
The Pitcher Plant makes an amazing houseplant. It can feast on cockroaches very easily due to its structure and size. This carnivorous plant has an intriguing scent that attracts these pests, and then slime in their system helps to ensnare the insects.
3. Butterwort
Butterworts are orchid-like plants that come in different colors. These plants are commonly found in the US and they love to take down insects like roaches. They have sticky mucilage on the leaf surface that helps to capture unsuspecting bugs.
How to use roach-repelling plants as pest control
There are several ways we will cover here that you can use to defeat these invaders using plants.
1. Grow live plants around your property
The best place for roach repelling plants is wherever their food happens to be. That may be in and around the chicken coop, or in the vegetable garden. Planting them around your property not only helps to keep roaches away from those areas, but you can also use the leaves and flowers to ward them off elsewhere.
2. Use the leaves or flowers in sachets, sprays, and infusions
Dehydrate the leaves and/or flowers from roach repelling plants to make a portable roach repellant that can be used wherever you are having pest trouble. Dried herbs and flowers can just be as effective at repelling roaches as live ones. They can be hung near windows, placed in sachets inside drawers and cupboards, or used in decorations like bouquets.
Lavender flowers, in particular, make for beautiful roach repellent home decor. These plants can also be used fresh. Many people take the freshly picked leaves and rub them between their hands to release the oils, then spread them on exposed skin to ward off roaches.
Another great way to use the fresh leaves is to infuse them in oil, then use the oil on yourself or around the house to keep roaches away. Yet another way to use these plants is to make a mixture using alcohol or vinegar. This can be poured into a spray bottle for easy homemade roach spray.
Roach-eating plants care tips
Caring for these special plants is a little different than caring for your other houseplants. They require some special considerations because of their unique natural habitat. Here are the things you need to consider before adopting one.
Type of soil: These sets of plants prefer continuously wet, well-draining soil. For your best chance of success, plant them in a 50/50 mixture of sphagnum peat moss and coarse sand.
Water: Keep the pot in a saucer filled with water to prevent the roots from drying out. These plants tend to do well in terrariums because they like high humidity.
Sun: Keep them in a south-facing window, they do well under the bright sun. Do your best to protect them from drafts and the dry air of heating vents in cooler weather.
For more care tips, read this article.
What are other possible ways of roach control?
Roaches flourish in areas where food, moisture, and shelter are readily available. So, cleanliness is an important step in preventing and repelling them.
- Spills and food waste should be cleaned up and unwashed dishes, utensils, as well as pet food should not be left out overnight.
- Garbage should be emptied regularly.
- Roaches can also be stopped from entering buildings by installing tight-fitting screens on windows and sweeps beneath doors.
- It is also wise to seal openings where plumbing pipes pass through walls or floors. This is especially useful in apartments to reduce the migration of roaches between adjoining units.
Putting it all together: what plants repel roaches?
When it comes to the inevitable face-off between you and roaches, keeping them away from your immediate vicinity is a top priority as they thrive during warmer months.
While there are other options like pesticides and roach traps, it certainly doesn’t hurt to explore potential natural solutions before trying harsher chemicals. Plant-based repellents have been used for generations in traditional practice as a personal protection measure against host-seeking roaches.
