Add This Fragrant Herb To Your Garden Or Kitchen To Repel Cockroaches Naturally

Although chemical agents are powerful deterrents to many forms of insect life, sometimes folks just aren't comfortable using them in their kitchen and garden. When looking for an eco-friendly or better-smelling alternative, look no further than your feline friend's favorite plant: catnip.

Catnip's essential oil is repulsive to cockroaches, producing a smell that many people find pleasant but is extremely harsh to bugs' antennae. In fact, in some species like German cockroaches, researchers found it to be even more effective than DEET. Since it only has a slightly floral and minty fragrance to humans, many find it to be a more preferable alternative, especially if they cultivate specific insect life outside. While bugbombing or spraying your yard with insecticides may be effective at reducing annoying bug life, it also reduces the numbers of helpful species like ladybugs and dragonflies, which, in turn, hunt harmful insects.

Much like using bay leaves to protect your pantry or cinnamon to deter ants, the key to using catnip as cockroach repellent is to get its smell where you need it most. Whether you plant it around the perimeter of your house, steep and spray it as a tea, or simply diffuse catnip oil throughout your home, there are plenty of options to suit your needs, and most of them are easy and simple to do.

While keeping catnip plants around is the easiest way to let their oils get to work, it comes with some drawbacks. Catnip is part of the mint family, so planting it in the ground gives it room to spread rapidly until it overtakes parts of your yard. If you have a cat in the house, no matter how well trained, giving them a reason to enter the kitchen and possibly knock over your pot does nothing but create a mess.

Instead, try making a tea by steeping some dried catnip in hot water, waiting for it to cool, then pouring it into a spray bottle. Not only does this help you get even coverage, but it also works great for getting the oils into some hard-to-reach spaces like the nooks and crannies of doorways and between appliances like your stove and refrigerator. You can also try mixing in an acidic pantry staple that repels insects: white vinegar. Just be sure to use plenty of catnip in the tea to cover up the vinegar's harsh smell.

If you want to keep catnip in your garden, try growing it in small pots and interspersing them between your vegetable and fruit plants. Just be sure to deadhead the flowers as they wilt before they can drop on your soil and start taking root. If you dissolve fertilizer in a watering can, you can also mix in some tea for a combination feeding/insect-repelling treatment with minimal hassle.