Keep insects away with basil and lavender

Miss Thrifty6 July 19, 2008

Basil: Ants in the kitchen drove me mad last summer – until I discovered that basil is Ant Kryptonite. Buy a pot from the supermarket for £1.99 or thereabouts, put it in a bigger pot and stick it on the window sill. Water sparingly and replace every few months. It keeps the ants away – and it smells nicer than Raid.

Lavender: It grows in your garden (or your neighbour’s garden) for free – and flies hate it. Little bunches, hanging in windows or left on top of tall furniture, work well. Replace when the lavender smells of nothing but twigs. It seems to me that “true” lavender is much more effective that lavendula (the “cheaper” stuff, which has squatter, slightly pinker blossoms) – but this could be mere horticultural snobbery on my part.

 

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6 Responses to “Keep insects away with basil and lavender

David says:

Thank you you just help me out on my science project so much

October 26, 2008 at 12:58 am

Lucy says:

Copper pennies on the floor is supposed to get rid of ants too apparently!?

February 18, 2010 at 9:32 pm

Thanks for the tip! My wife is constantly complaining about ants on the kitchen counter because the kids leave lollipop sticks and empty juice boxes laying around. I’m definitely going to try the basil trick.
.-= Mike – Saving Money Today´s last blog ..Money Hackers Carnival – The BBQ Edition =-.

June 2, 2010 at 2:25 pm

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