Plants That Repel Insects

Choosing a diverse range of plants for the garden can help to regulate pests in a variety of ways, including;

Serving as nursery plants, providing breeding grounds for beneficial insects.
Providing an alternative habitat, usually in a form of a shelterbelt, hedgerow, or w:beetle bank where beneficial insects can live and reproduce. Nectar-rich plants that bloom for long periods are especially good, as many beneficials are nectivorous during the adult stage, but parasitic or predatory as larvae. A good example of this is the soldier beetle which is frequently found on flowers as an adult, but whose larvae eat aphids, caterpillars, grasshopper eggs, and other beetles.

The following are plants often used in vegetable gardens to deter insects

Basil — Repels flies and mosquitoes.
Catnip — Deters flea beetle.
Garlic — Deters Japanese beetle.
Horseradish — Deters potato bugs.
Marigold — The workhorse of pest deterrents. Discourages Mexian bean beetles, nematodes and others.
Mint — Deters white cabbage moth.
Nasturium — Deters aphids, squash bugs and striped pumpkin beetles.
Pot Marigold — Deters asparagus beetles, tomato worm, and general garden pests.
Peppermint — Repels the white cabbage butterfly.
Rosemary — Deters cabbage moth, bean beetles and carrot fly.
Sage — Deters cabbage moth and carrot fly.
Southern Wood — Deters cabbage moth.
Summer Savory — Deters bean beetles.
Tansy — Deters flying insects, Japanese beetles, striped cucumber beetles, squash bugs and ants.
Thyme — Deters cabbage worm.
Wormwood — Deters animals from garden.