Herbal Repellents for Animals, Snails, and Insects

The tables list some of some of the herbs that are useful as deer, rabbit or insect repellants. Two herbs described on another page are:

Borage, Borage officinalis, Boraginaeae Family, Repels tomato hornworm
Russian sage, Perovskia atriplicifolia, Repels deer

Laurel Family Lauraceae

Common Name	Scientific Name	Repels
Bay, California	Umbellularia californica	Insects

Lily Family Liliaceae

Common Name	Scientific Name	Repels
Chives	Allium Schoenoprasum	Deer, Rabbits; aphids, Japanese beetle
Garlic	Allium sativum	Deer, Rabbits; slugs and snails; aphids, cabbage loopers, cabbage maggot, codling moth, Colorado potatoe beetle, imported cabbageworms, Japanese beetle, Peach boorer
Onion	Allium Cepa	Deer, Rabbits; cabbage loopers, carrot fly, Colorado potatoe beetles, imported cabbageworms

Mint Family, Labiatae

Common Name	Scientific Name	Repels
Catnip	Nepeta Cataria	Deer; aphid; Colorado potato beetle, cucumber beetle, flea beetle, Japanese beetle, squash bug
Hyssop	Hyssopus officinalis	Deer; cabbage looper, imported cabbageworm
Oregano	Origanum vulgare	Deer
Mint	Peppermint Mentha piperita. Spearmint Mentha spicata	Deer; ants, aphid, cabbage looper, flea beetle, imported cabbageworm (peppermint), squash bug, whitefly (peppermint)
Pennyroyal	Mentha Pulegium, Hedeoma pulegioides species	Deer; cabbage looper, imported cabbageworm
Rosemary	Rosmarinus officinalis	Deer; slugs and snails; carrot fly, Mexican bean beetle
Sage	Salvia officinalis	cabbage looper, cabbage maggot, carrot fly, imported cabbageworm
Thyme	Thymus vulgaris	Deer; cabbage looper, imported cabbageworm, whitefly

Parsely/Carrot Family, Umbelliferae

Common Name	Scientific Name	Repels
Anise	Pimpinella Anisum	Aphids
Coriander/Cilantro	Coriandrum sativum	Aphid, Carrot Fly
Dill	Anethum graveolens	Deer; tomato hornworm, cabbage looper, imported cabbageworm

Sunflower Family, Compositae

Common Name	Scientific Name	Repels
Calendula (Pot Marigold)	Calendula officinalis	Deer. Rabbit; Insects, including aphids, cabbage maggot, corn earworm, cucumber beetle, Mexican bean beetle
Tansy	Tanacetum vulgare	Deer; Insects, including ants, Colorado potato beetle, flea beetle, imported cabbageworm, Japanese beetle, squash bug
Tarragon	Artemisia Dracunculus	Deer
Yarrow	Achillea Millefolium	Deer
Wormwood	Artemisia Absinthium	Deer, mice; Insects, including ants, cabbage looper, cabbage maggot, carrot fly, flea beetle, whitefly

Note: Planted in thick stands, Gopher Purge, Euphorbia lathyrus, a member of the Spurge Family Euphorbiaceae, is used to protect vegetable gardens from moles and gophers. These rodents chew on the roots, which contain a poison, and die. This is a poisonous plant, not a repellent.