Any kind, Lin?

Sheryl: I've used Spearmint (Mentha spicata) but I've read that most any mint is a pest repellant. I've also used cayenne pepper to deter aphids.

Thanks Lynn! I hate aphids! Good to know about the cayenne pepper. Interesting about the mint. Cool!

Good tip. ♥ organic resources.

I much prefer the organic/natural means of controlling pests whenever possible. It's less expensive than most store bought chemical controls and of course less harmful to the environment.

This is a great tip.

Mint flowers also attracts bees. Grow mints in your orchard, around your fruit trees, and between your blackberry brambles.

Great idea Dave ... bees have been on the decline and we need those pollinators!

I think peppermint is thought to be good for that. Some places sell mint oil, but haven't tried that yet.

I did not know this! I have a few different mints and plenty to spare for this purpose. Thank you!

You are welcome ... it's a tip I learned years ago from an elderly neighbor.

Great tip about using mint as a natural pesticide. I love it so much as a culinary herb, I've not given much thought to other uses. Thanks for sharing this.....

Linda, you are welcome. I've been thinking of trying catmint as well but unfortunately my cat won't allow me to use that one for anything other than her enjoyment!

Yes! Oh, yes!

I witnessed a very cool thing this year. I bought one of those late winter, potted mini roses from the grocery store and enjoyed indoors until it started dropping leaves due to insufficient light. I then moved it outdoors into a frost-free area and forgot about it...until one day I noticed that it was completely covered in aphids! Even though it looked dead I hosed it off anyway and set it in the mint patch where it had sun, but protection from the wind. It's the only rose here that has bloomed all summer long and hasn't even been touched by Japanese beetles.

When I thought about how well it was doing down there, buried in fast-growing mint, I started taking clippings of mint to my other roses. Those roses are blooming now too, with no bug damage at all! The roses without clippings yet are still suffering, so IMHO it has to be the mint that's making such a big difference.

Chelle!

Cool Chelle!

...anytime I've planted mint it gets swallowed up with white-fly. Tips? Climate here hot and humid through summer...

Hi Carol! I haven't grown mint in a long while and although I never had issues with insects on my mint plants, when I've encountered white flies or aphids on other plants, I always use Insecticidal Soap. I purchased Lady Beetles (Lady Bugs) a couple of times over the years, once for white flies and once for aphids. Lady Bugs are a natural predator but whenever I've released them in my garden to eat the pests, they fly away ... so I stick with an Organic Insecticidal Soap that I purchase at my local garden center. I used to find a brand called Safer Insecticidal Soap but now the only one I find is called Garden Safe and it works really well for all types of plant pests.