8 plants you must have in your home to get rid of spiders and other pests

During the summer, mosquitoes, flies and spiders often wander into houses. You can always grab the insect repellent, but do you really want to spray that around your home? In sensitive places such as the kitchen, for example, you definitely don’t want to be spraying that stuff around.

Instead, bring into your home some harmless garden plants that insects can’t stand. It will add some color to your space, help keep bugs at bay, and in some cases, even provide fresh herbs for cooking. Check out our list below to see which plants you should keep in the house to keep pests out.

Who said pest control had to smell like toxic chemicals? Repel moths, fleas, flies and mosquitoes with a fragrant, beautiful lavender plant in your house. It’s a gorgeous plant, and pests hate it.

It might smell minty-fresh to you, but insects hate the smell of peppermint. Keep peppermint in pots (it can become invasive in a garden) to repel mosquitoes, spiders and other pests.

Citronella candles in the summer help keep bugs away. That familiar citrus-like smell comes from lemongrass. Try planting one of these pretty grasses for a perpetual citronella “candle” that never goes out.

With tall stems and little purple flowers, the Agastache cana looks a bit like a lavender plant from afar. And like lavender, the smell of this plant is something that mosquitos can’t stand.

This kitchen herb is not only great in dishes such as pizza and salad, but its smells and oils also help repel bugs. Plus, by keeping it in the house, you always have fresh basil to toss in your dishes.

If you like cooking with rosemary, this is also an awesome plant to keep around the house. Not only will you always have fresh sprigs to toss in meals and cocktails, but you’ll also keep bugs at bay.

Lemon balm’s citrus smell keeps bugs away. Like the mint plant, however, it should be kept in a pot so it doesn’t spread. Bonus: Lemon balm makes a tasty tea.

These gorgeous flowers look so pretty potted in the home or out in the garden — and they’re an insect repellent. They contain the chemical pyrethrum, which is used widely in insect repellents.