Flowers to Keep Rodents Away

Several types of flowers help to deter rodents. Plant them around the house to keep rodents from entering through holes in basement windows or cracks in the foundation. Build borders of rodent-deterring flowers and plants around the garden to prevent them from nibbling at ornamental and vegetable plants.

Spring Bulbs

Certain spring bulbs keep squirrels and other rodents away from the garden and house. Plant a pretty spring border that will take the cold weather of spring, then replace it with warm weather pest-repelling flowers. Bulbs suitable for planting include daffodils from the narcissus family or grape hyacinth bulbs in the garden. Wood hyacinth, also called squill or scillia, work well, but do not confuse them with the regular Easter hyacinth. They are different.

Marigolds

Rabbits do not like marigolds, just take a sniff and see why. Marigolds have a terrible smell. A variety of marigolds are available in orange, yellow or a combination with red suitable to plant. They are tall or short. As long as they have the off-putting smell rodents avoid, they will work. Mexican marigolds, or Tagets minuta, work the best.

Lavender

Lavender is an attractive accent plant in the garden. The pretty purple bud-like flowers have a clean and fresh scent perfect for planting around the house. Rabbits do not appreciate the beauty, smell or flavor of lavender, and it will keep them at bay. Lavender provides an added benefit. It also gets rid of whitefly, but lures beneficial predator insects to the garden.

Mint

Plant mint all around the foundation of the house. Mice hate mint and will avoid it at all costs. Be careful because mint is invasive and spreads by underground runners. It may have to be contained so it does not take over the entire yard.

Crown Imperial

The crown imperial is a tall plant that reaches about 2 to 3 feet in height. A large stem protrudes from the base leaves like a pole. Other leaves grow in a top knot, and the flowers hang down below these leaves in yellow or red, looking much like bells. It is very impressive, but the smell is less impressive. The plant and bulbs smell like a skunk, so plant it at the outer edge of the garden away from the house. This smell keeps all kinds of rodents away but works especially well on moles.