How To Control Garden Pests Naturally (10 Organic Insect Repellents)

If you garden, chances are you have unwanted insects that feast on your plants. And you’d like to get rid of them without adding a bunch of chemicals to your yard. Which is where this list of organic insect repellents comes in handy.

Every year, it seems like the bugs show up right when the garden is starting to look good.

One minute, your flowers and vegetables are thriving. The next, something is chewing holes in the leaves, slugs are sliming their way across your hostas, and beetles are everywhere.

It’s frustrating to spend all that time planting and caring for your garden only to watch insects destroy it.

But that doesn’t mean you have to reach for chemical sprays right away.

There are quite a few natural ways to help control garden pests without harming beneficial insects, wildlife, pets, or kids who may be around the garden.

These are some of the organic insect repellents I use most often.

1 | Pest Repelling Plants

One of the easiest ways to cut down on insect problems in the garden is to mix in plants that naturally help repel bugs.

A lot of herbs and flowers have strong scents that insects don’t like.

And since the smell can help mask the plants they normally feed on, it may keep pests from finding your roses, vegetables, or container plants in the first place.

That’s why I like to tuck these plants throughout the garden. You can grow them right in your flower beds or put them in containers that are easy to move around wherever you need them.

Some of the most popular insect-repelling plants include:

• Marigolds
• Lavender
• Basil
• Rosemary
• Chives
• Mint
• Thyme
• Bay leaf

Some plants work better for certain insects than others, so if you want more details about which ones to plant and where to use them, read my full guide on insect-repelling plants.

2 | Essential oils

If you want a natural way to help keep insects away from your plants, essential oils are an easy option.

Strong scents like peppermint, lavender, and rosemary tend to repel a lot of common garden pests, which makes them useful in homemade bug sprays.

Just add about 20 drops of essential oil to 4 ounces of water and spray it around the plants you want to protect.

Since the spray washes off pretty easily, you’ll usually need to reapply it after heavy rain.

3 | Dish soap

If aphids, whiteflies or squash bugs are taking over your plants, a homemade dish soap spray is one of the easiest things to try.

The soap breaks down the insects’ outer coating while the oil helps the mixture stick to them long enough to work.

To make it, mix:

• 2 Tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 Tablespoons Dawn dish soap
• 4 cups water

Then spray it directly on the bugs.

I usually avoid spraying in the middle of the day since soap sprays can sometimes damage leaves in hot sun.

4 | Insecticidal soap

If you don’t want to make your own spray, store-bought insecticidal soap is an easier option.

It’s a non-toxic spray made from the potassium salts of fatty acids which kills soft-bodied insects such as aphids, mites and mealybugs on contact.

But it doesn’t hurt plants, soil or hard-bodied insects such as ladybugs.

It works well on aphids, mites, and mealybugs without harming most plants or beneficial insects like ladybugs.

The main thing to know is that it only works while it’s wet, so you need to spray the insects directly.

The one drawback is it is only effective when it’s wet, so you need to spray infested plants when the bugs are active in order to kill them.

You can find it HERE* on Amazon.

5 | Garlic spray

Garlic spray is another popular natural way to help keep insects away from your plants.

The strong smell tends to repel a lot of common garden pests, especially when you spray it directly on affected plants.

Most homemade versions are made with fresh garlic, water, and a little dish soap. (Find the recipe HERE).

When you spray it, make sure to coat both the tops and undersides of the leaves since insects often hide underneath.

Since it washes off easily, you’ll usually need to reapply it every couple of weeks and after heavy rain.

If you’re using it on vegetables or herbs, just make sure to wash them well before eating.

If you don’t feel like making it yourself, you can also buy pre-made garlic spray* on Amazon.

6 | Cayenne pepper

Cayenne pepper is often used to help deter slugs and snails since they don’t like the strong scent and heat.

You can mix a little into garlic spray to make it even more effective.

Or simply sprinkle it around the plants you want to protect.

Just remember to re-apply regularly since it will get washed off by rain and dew.

Crushed hot pepper flakes work well for this, too.

7 | Eggshells

Crushed eggshells are a simple way to help protect plants from soft-bodied pests like slugs.

They don’t like crawling over the sharp edges, so sprinkling the shells around vulnerable plants creates a barrier that’s harder for them to cross.

You can either crush the shells by hand or grind them into a finer powder using a coffee grinder or food processor.

If you decide to make a powder, let the shells dry completely first so they grind more easily.

Then sprinkle it directly on pests or around affected plants.

I usually avoid using too much of the powdered version throughout the garden since it can also affect beneficial insects.

8 | Diatomaceous earth

Diatomaceous earth is a natural powder made from fossilized aquatic organisms.

It works by drying out insects that come into contact with it, which makes it effective against pests like flea beetles and box elder bugs.

Just sprinkle the powder directly on the insects or around the base of affected plants.

Diatomaceous earth is a natural powder made from fossilized aquatic organisms.

It works by drying out insects that come into contact with it, which makes it effective against pests like flea beetles and box elder bugs.

Just sprinkle the powder directly on the insects or around the base of affected plants.

The downside is that it can also harm beneficial insects, so I try to use it carefully and only where it’s really needed.

You’ll also want to wear a mask while applying it since the fine dust can irritate your nose and throat if you breathe it in.

Find it HERE* on Amazon.

9 | Beneficial insects

Not all insects are bad for your garden.

Beneficial insects like ladybugs and dragonflies actually help control pest problems by feeding on the bugs that damage your plants.

So you want to keep them around. And one of the best ways to encourage them is to avoid using pesticides that kill all bugs.

You can also buy beneficial insects and release them into your garden if you’re dealing with a larger pest problem.

10 | Bat houses

Similar to beneficial insects, bats can also help keep insect populations under control naturally since they eat huge numbers of bugs every night.

So installing a few strategically-placed bat houses will encourage them to live in your yard and help to control the insect population, especially mosquitoes.

And just like beneficial insects, bats are more likely to stay in gardens that aren’t being treated with harsh pesticides.

As you can see, there are all sorts of ways to repel insects without resorting to harsh chemicals and pesticides. So hopefully you’ve found an organic solution to your pest control problem.

Other gardening tips you might like

• How to keep deer out of your garden
• How to attract butterflies to your garden
• How to attract hummingbirds to your garden

Have other suggestions for natural garden pest control options? Tell us in the section below.