I live in an old house that becomes infested with ants in the spring/summer and when it rains heavily. I have heard that mint will help repel them and I am interested in planting it around some of my foundation plantings. Would it make a good ground cover around shrubs? I know it is very invasive.
Mint as insect repellant
- Thread starter thor
- Start date
Rio_Lindo_AZ
Deeply Rooted
I have also heard that Mint repels bugs, but have never used it for that purpose. But It's worth a try.thor said:
Mint does make a good ground cover, you just have to make sure it's not near any of your garden beds.
lesa
Garden Master
How large/tall are your foundation plants? I like the idea, but my mint gets at least a foot tall. If you had small shrubs, etc they would be covered up. If you have mature landscaping, should be fine. If the mint starts to take over (and it will) just pull a bunch out...Let us know if you see a difference in ant population..
SarahFair
Garden Ornament
I heard its good for fleas 
DawnSuiter
Garden Ornament
Well.. all I can say is that mint grows wild around the perimeter of my home & scattered throughout the property and I love that... but I'm still dealing with tons of ants... ants live in the mint... sooooooooo... maybe not always?!!!??
Fleas.... as DH and I discussed yesterday... we don't have any of those... it's been 5 years and I've never seen a single one here. But at the shelter it's a big problem as is everywhere else. So this year we decided to try giving heart worm meds only and saving a bunch of cash by skipping flea & tick meds for the dogs.
Is it the mint? I dunno... but it COULD be
Fleas.... as DH and I discussed yesterday... we don't have any of those... it's been 5 years and I've never seen a single one here. But at the shelter it's a big problem as is everywhere else. So this year we decided to try giving heart worm meds only and saving a bunch of cash by skipping flea & tick meds for the dogs.
Is it the mint? I dunno... but it COULD be
SarahFair
Garden Ornament
Can you plant mint around the shelter?DawnSuiter said:Well.. all I can say is that mint grows wild around the perimeter of my home & scattered throughout the property and I love that... but I'm still dealing with tons of ants... ants live in the mint... sooooooooo... maybe not always?!!!??
Fleas.... as DH and I discussed yesterday... we don't have any of those... it's been 5 years and I've never seen a single one here. But at the shelter it's a big problem as is everywhere else. So this year we decided to try giving heart worm meds only and saving a bunch of cash by skipping flea & tick meds for the dogs.
Is it the mint? I dunno... but it COULD be
DawnSuiter
Garden Ornament
Well.. I could but I don't think that it would work... the only way to keep the shelter flea free would be to plant some kind of dog repellent LOL 
LOL 
hoodat
Garden Addicted
I've heard rue recommended as an ant repellant but I haven't tried it to see.
ducks4you
Garden Master
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Hope it does!! I am having a love affair with my peppermint, spearmint and chocolate mint. I have let it fill in where weeds once lived. I just keep it mowed so it doesn't reseed and spread. I certainly can pull it out of the ground MUCH easier than even a dandelion, which, BTW, is listed as a garden vegetable in a circa 1970 gardening book that I own. If I find that it super-spreads, I will be the FIRST to let you know.
lesa
Garden Master
Ducks, I don't want to rain on your mint parade- but it will spread. It is not the reseeding that is a problem. The roots spread like crazy under ground. No doubt, you can pull it up- but it can be challenging! Just be careful where you plant it. Enjoy!
