Last updated on November 1st, 2022 at 08:34 am
Rosemary, as a variety of the mint family, is a perennial herb. Often used in cooking, rosemary repels flies and mosquitoes that may be attracted to its pungent scent. It is a good choice for containers because it tends to grow rather large, and also does well in hot, dry weather. It should be planted about one foot apart, as it will spread to about the same size. It’s a perennial, which means you can plant it once, and it will come back year after year.
although rosemary is well-known to repel most insects, it also attracts some other insects. so what insects does rosemary attract?
Mosquito grubs are the most common insect to attack rosemary leaves (Caryophyllaceae).
Although some gardeners may find damage to their rosemary tolerable, others may find it more attractive to encourage gentler creatures to help combat the problem.
Mosquito grubs are prevalent in many areas of North America, including those with traditional mosquito problems and those with no reported instances of mosquitoes.
a type of beetle, the rosemary beetle (Chrysolina Americana) measures approximately 3/8 inches long. The adult beetles are very small, shiny brown in color, and have a narrow, oblong bodies. They are capable of flight but are mostly ground-dwelling. The female beetle lays eggs in clusters, underneath the leaves of rosemary plants. The resulting larvae – which themselves feed off the leaves – are a glossy brown in color.
Gardeners who have noticed their rosemary plants have been suffering from an infestation of black garden ants may consider adding another insect to their garden. The speckled rosemary bug (Plagiognathus fecundus) feeds on the eggs of these ants, making it an ideal ally against pesky arthropods. The female speckled rosemary bug lays her eggs on various parts of the plant, including the underside of leaves. While these eggs are often crushed by the ants, many survive and hatch into brown nymphs. They resemble tiny, flat bugs with large eyes and an occasional black spot on their backs. These nymphs will mature in about a week and settle down on the plant’s leaves to feed on egg-laying ants.
Gardening is my passion and growing plants indoors has always been a stress relief for me. Grow a banana tree in my apartment once (although failed to produce bananas).
