These common potted plants keep insects away

Insects inevitably find their way into your home — usually the kitchen — but you don’t need expensive pest control or harmful chemicals to keep bugs at bay. Before you reach for a can of Raid, consider using houseplants to keep ants, bugs, flies, and other pesky insects out of your living spaces.

You may not have considered using houseplants to rid your home of bugs, but some common herbs and other plants can act as natural deterrents. As a bonus, these plants add visual interest to your home, and some can be used to add flavor to your cooking or cocktails. Below are six houseplants that are known to naturally repel bugs.

Read more: This houseplant cleans the air 30 times better than a regular plant

For more information, check out the best plants to cool the air in your home, discover which plants are easiest to keep alive, and check out our list of the best places to buy plants online.

Spices

Powerful spices Herbs like basil, mint, sage, and rosemary are great for garnishing spaghetti or making mojitos, but their scent repels insects like house flies and fruit flies. Consider lining a sunny kitchen window with a few of your favorite food and drink garnishes. Not only will the bugs stay away, but you’ll enjoy the benefits of fresh herbs all year long, without the hefty price tags found in most grocery stores.

Pro tip: Lemongrass contains citronella oil, which is often used in candles and sprays to repel mosquitoes.

Marigold

The yellow-orange flower is so much more than a pretty accent in a large pot or house garden — it’s a mosquito and midge repellent that gives off a distinct and powerful scent that repels bugs. Perhaps best of all, marigolds are an easy plant to grow cultivate in your home because they require little maintenance and grow quickly.

Lavender

Lavender has calming properties that help us fall asleep at night, but it has the opposite effect on insects such as moths and beetles. Cut a few purple stems and use them in an elegant bouquet to repel unwanted visitors. You can plant living lavender plants on FastGrowingTrees.com and other sites.

Catnip

Your feline friend may experience an immediate sense of euphoria when exposed to catnip, but cockroaches and mosquitoes have a very different reaction. According to scientists, the plant contains an active compound that activates the chemical receptor for insects that cause pain and itching. Like humans, insects retreat when they experience even the slightest discomfort and do not return to the source of the suffering. Amazon sells a four pack catnip plants for $23.

Chrysanthemums

This popular flower is an insect’s worst enemy. In fact, a chrysanthemum hitlist is extensive and includes cockroaches, ants, silverfish, lice, bedbugs and mites. Keep these away from your pets though, as they can be quite toxic if ingested.

Carnivorous plants

Lean on the obvious choice and go for the endlessly entertaining carnivorous plant. These are usually hungry wonders, like the Venus flytraplure unsuspecting prey with a scent reminiscent of delicious fruits and flowers. Once the hair-like lobes, known as trichomes, are activated, the leaves snap shut, only to reopen 10 days after the insect has been fully digested. Of course, you’ll need a whole bunch of carnivorous plants to deal with swarms, but they’re great additions to catch a fly or two every now and then.

Whatever your preference, these plants, flowers and herbs make beautiful (and natural!) additions to a kitchen pest control plan. They’re also delicious and/or beautiful. If you’re still not convinced, consider other all-natural alternatives like coffee grounds, essential oils, banana peels, white vinegar and onions. They have also been shown to repel pests when left on the counter.