5 insect-repelling plants to protect you from pesky insects

Aside from giving your home more color and an aesthetic vibe, plants can also be used to protect your homes from insects.

On “Unang Hirit” on Monday, Stephy Javier of Unbeleafable PH explained how plants become repellants.

“May mga smell o amoy (ang plants) na toxic sa insekto. Meron din silang mga plant component na nasa plant oil na ayaw ng mga lamok or iba’t-ibang bugs,” she said.

“Damihan talaga per pot to actually repel the insects lalo na yung mga lamok kasi ayaw talaga nila ng mga scent; it’s naturally repelling to them,” she added.

Here are some insect-repelling plants that were shared in the show:

1. Basil

Popularly known to add flavor to food like pasta and pizza, basil is also used to protect your family from bugs.

“Toxic sa mosquito kaya naiiwasan agad ang pagdami sa lugar na nakalagay ito. Karaniwan itong nilalagay sa areas sa bahay na may standing water,” Stephy said.

It needs eight hours of full sunlight and watering it depends on the weather. According to Stephy, it should be watered daily if it’s sunny and every two days if it’s gloomy or rainy.

2. Lavender

Even though lavender is one of the most used scents to ease stress, it does the opposite for insects.

According to Stephy, it should be placed under the sun for three to four hours for it to produce flowers. Watering it too much will also cause it to die easily.

“Siguraduhing tuyo ang lupa bago diligan (tapos) diretso sa soil. Ayaw niya sa leaves kasi malulusaw ang leaves niya,” she said.

3. Lemongrass

Known as one of the low-maintenance plants, lemongrass can easily be taken care of at home. It needs sunlight and should not be watered a lot.

According to Stephy, lemongrass contains a high level of citral which is commonly used in mosquito repellants.

4. Marigold

Marigold is called a nature’s insecticide because it has pyrethrum that is also used for insect repellants.

It should be put under sunlight for six hours a day and watered with one to two inches of water to prevent the veins from dying.

5. Oregano

According to Stephy, oregano is a low-maintenance plant like the lemongrass. It doesn’t need a lot of watering.

She also stated that pots should have drainage holes so the water won’t spill.

These plants can be bought from P150 to P199 pesos in Manila. — Franchesca Viernes/LA, GMA News