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Add some plants to your landscape for natural pest control
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Keep Liberty Beautiful is a county program to improve the area's environment.

As the weather is getting warmer, I am noticing; more bugs are out in my yard.  I love to sit on my back patio and watch the sunset in the evening or sunrise in the morning until the bugs come.  I don’t mine the occasion bug or two; it’s when I am waving my hands like am crazy, and my grandson looks like he is doing the funky chicken just to get the bugs to leave us alone.  

I know we need our flying friends, but I want to sit in peace on my patio too. 

So, I found some natural ways to help control the bugs. 

To help control mosquitos and other flying pests, it might be time to start digging in the dirt!  There are several plants that you can add to your landscape that are natural bug repellents. Several can be used to whip up your little bug spray! And on top of that, the herbs are edible. These are some versatile plants, and they look pretty, too.  And here is one more selling point: most of them are very easy to grow. 

As you choose which plants are right for you, consider where you want to place them. If possible, put them where they will make the most impact — at doorways, near windows, and near outdoor seating.  Now is a great time to plant many of these.

Basil is an excellent plant for cooking and for making your bug repellent. I will let you pick your own recipes, but here is a quick natural mosquito repellent made with dried basil. 

Steep a cup of dried basil in 1/2 cup of filtered boiling water, sort of like you would make tea. You can use a tea ball for steeping the basil. Add in a little basil essential oil and about 1/2 cup of alcohol that is safe for the skin. 

Catnip is also a plant that is considered a mosquito repellent.  Citronella is an alimony plant that is an option, too. Why buy citronella candles when you can pot a few of these plants in outdoor seating areas.  

Garlic plants are also a possibility.  You can blend the bulbs with water and water other plants and foliage with it to help repel insects.

Lemon balm is a wonderfully fragrant plant that can also be useful for keeping the mosquitoes away.  It is also, of course, much more appealing than garlic and citronella.

Rosemary is also a fragrant cooking herb that can be grown as a bush in your yard too.  You can also boil a cup of dried rosemary in a quart of filtered water for 20 minutes.  Then just strain it into another quart of filtered water. Pour into individual spray bottles to use when going outside where mosquitoes lurk. Be sure to store unused portions in the fridge. 

Several flowering plants, like geraniums, lavender, and marigolds, are not pleasant for bugs. They make an excellent choice for patio and deck gardens.   Bug fighters and pretty, too.

Mint plants are not only delicious and fragrant dessert garnishes; they can also be excellent mosquito repellent. Bugs hate the smell and the flavor of them. 

Mint is easy to grow, and you can use it for mosquito repellent and for your mojitos, too. 

Make sure that you plant it in a container or confined area because it grows and spreads rapidly.

This is a great time to start prepping your patio or deck area with plants that will work for you in the ongoing fight against flying pests. For more information on natural gardening options that can enhance your life or more information on Great American Cleanup, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888 or klcb@libertycountyga.com.      

To learn more about Keep Liberty Beautiful or to sign up for any of KLB events, go to www.signupgenius.com and search for klcb@libertycountyga.com.  You can also, contact Keep Liberty Beautiful at (912) 880-4888 or email to klcb@libertycountyga.com.  Make a difference where you live, work, and play. 

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