Being around a barn, we are all familiar with the annoying insects that come along with our 4 legged friends. Did you know there are landscaping tips you can follow to help keep away bugs naturally?
Follow these steps to have a lovely looking facility and cut down on pesky insects. Your horse will thank you! (And so will everyone that visits your barn).
One: Manure Management.
Manure is a haven for flies and insects. If you have unmanaged manure, you will have an excess of bugs. If you can have your manure removed regularly that will help immensely. Or if you have a large enough property to spread your manure to dry out (away from your main buildings and arenas) that is also a great way to keep the flies at bay. If you cannot do either, you will want to look into other manure management menthods (such as fly predators). This is one of the most important things you can do for your property’s insect management.
Two: Standing Water.
Standing water attracts mosquitos and provides a breeding haven for them. Avoid standing water at all costs! If you have standing water inside your barn, use a broom to spread it around as often as possible. If you have standing water around the property you will want to dig drainage ditches so the water can dispurse instead of collect.
Three: Plants.
There are plants that can help deter bugs from making your property their home. Depending on your location and specific insect problems, the plants you wll want to use may vary. Use this list from Wikipedia as a guide though. It has tons of information that will help you plan your landscaping needs.
| Plant | Pests |
|---|---|
| artemisias | repels insects,[2] including ants, cabbage looper, cabbage maggot, carrot fly, codling moth, flea beetles, whiteflies, the Cabbage White, and the Small White, as well as mice[3] |
| basil | repels flies, including mosquitoes[2][4] the carrot fly, asparagus beetles and whiteflies[3] |
| borage | repels tomato hornworm and cabbage worms[2] |
| castor bean | repels moles[3] |
| catnip | repels ants, flea beetles, aphids, the Japanese beetle, squash bugs, weevils,[2] the Colorado potato beetle, the cabbage looper,[3] and cockroaches.[4] May attract cats. |
| chamomile | repels flying insects[4] |
| chives | repels carrot fly, Japanese beetle,[2] and aphids[3] |
| chrysanthemums | repel roaches, ants, the Japanese beetle, ticks, silverfish, lice, fleas, bedbugs, and root-knot nematodes[2] |
| citronella grass | repels insects, may deter cats[5] |
| citrosa | repels insects,[5] including mosquitoes[4] (Proven false by scientists) |
| clovers | repel aphids and wireworms[3] |
| common lantana | repels mosquitoes[1] |
| coriander | repels aphids, Colorado potato beetle, and spider mites[3] |
| cosmos | repel the corn earworm |
| crown imperial | repel rabbits, mice, moles, voles and ground squirrels[6] |
| dahlias | repel nematodes[2] |
| dill | repels aphids, squash bugs, spider mites,[2] the cabbage looper, and the Small White[3] |
| eucalyptus | repels aphids, the cabbage looper, and the Colorado potato beetle[3] |
| fennel | repels aphids, slugs, and snails[3] |
| fever tea | repels mosquitoes[1] |
| four o’clocks | attract and poison the Japanese beetle[2] |
| French marigold | repels whiteflies, kills nematodes[2] |
| garlic | repels root maggots,[2] cabbage looper, Mexican bean beetle, peach tree borer, and rabbits[3] |
| geraniums | repel leafhoppers, the corn earworm, and the Small White[3] |
| hyssop | repels the cabbage looper and the Small White[3] |
| larkspurs | repel aphids[3] |
| lavender | repels moths, scorpions, water scorpions, fleas, and flies, including mosquitoes[4] |
| leek | repels carrot fly[3] |
| lemon balm | repels mosquitoes[4] |
| lemon thyme | repels mosquitoes[4] |
| lettuce | repels carrot fly[3] |
| lime basil | repels mosquitoes[1] |
| Mexican marigold | repels insects and rabbits[2] |
| myrrh | repels insects[5] |
| narcissus | repel moles[3] |
| nasturtiums | repel squash bugs,[2] aphids, many beetles, and the cabbage looper[3] |
| onion | repels rabbits, the cabbage looper, and the Small White[3] |
| oregano | repellent to many pests[3] |
| parsley | repels asparagus beetles[3] |
| peppermint | repels aphids, cabbage looper, flea beetles, squash bugs, whiteflies, and the Small White[3] |
| petunias | repel aphids, tomato hornworm, asparagus beetles, leafhoppers,[2] and squash bugs[3] |
| pitcher plants | traps and ingests insects |
| radish | repels cabbage maggot and cucumber beetles[3] |
| rosemary | repels cabbage looper, carrot fly, slugs, snails, and the Mexican bean beetle[3] |
| rue | repels cucumber and flea beetles |
| spearmint | repels fleas, moths, ants, beetles, rodents,[4] aphids, squash bugs, and the cabbage looper[3] |
| spiny amaranth | repels cutworms |
| stone root | repels mosquitoes[5] |
| summer savory | repels bean beetles[3] |
| tansy | repels ants, many beetles and flies, squash bugs, cutworms, Small White, and Cabbage White[3] |
| thyme | repels cabbage looper, cabbage maggot, corn earworm, whiteflies, tomato hornworm, and Small White |
| tobacco | repels carrot fly and flea beetles[3] |
| tomato | repels asparagus beetles[3] |
| venus flytrap | ingests insects[4] |
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