The most annoying insects during summer are definitely mosquitoes and flies. They buzz around the garden all day, depriving you of peace and quiet. Unfortunately, they can also find their way to your precious little plants and make them weaker.
However, there’s a perfect solution that not only keeps these winged nuisances at bay but also adds a burst of flavor to your meals – we are talking about rosemary, a remarkable herb that not only enhances your garden’s aroma but also acts as a natural fly repellent!
Keep reading to find out more about rosemary and learn how to effectively use it to repel flies from the garden.
Just Small Amounts Of Rosemary Required
You might think that your garden has to be filled with rosemary in order for it to work effectively, but that’s not the case. In fact, you only need a few rosemary cuttings around the fly-infested area, or you can plant rosemary that isn’t too young.
Make sure to plant your rosemary somewhere sunny because they thrive in full sun exposure – and once they thrive, they do a better job protecting your plants from flies. You should also plant them 18 inches away from nearby plants as they need space to spread and grow.
Once they start growing and exuding their distinctive aroma, you’ll notice that there are fewer flies in the area where you planted your rosemary. You can always add some more plants and get rid of flies completely!
Most flies are attracted to easter lilies, clover, sunflowers, Japanese euonymus, etc. However, different fly species are attracted to different types of plants.
You might also be interested in: How To Get Rid Of Plant Flies: 8 Effective Methods
It’s All About The Scent
According to neuroscientist Karen Menuz from the University of Connecticut, flies are very sensitive to smell. He explains how it functions as follows: the cell depolarizes and transmits a signal that the odor is there when an odor binds to a receptor.
The same theory can be applied to plants that repel flies – in our case, the strong fragrance of rosemary helps to deter flies. In fact, flies can smell the aroma long before they land on the plants in the garden!
This is why rosemary is the ideal natural repellent. Plus, you don’t have to spend money on fly traps and you can use rosemary for various other things, including making essential oils and cooking.
It’s best to plant rosemary in the spring, which will give it enough time to grow and flourish. However, you can always start growing it from seeds (although this is a very lengthy process).
Also read: What Attracts Flies In Compost + How To Get Rid Of Them