How To Repel Ticks With A Pink Sunny Annual Flower

This summer, you may be looking for more natural ways to protect yourself and your home from ticks. If that's the case, you probably came across a recommendation for Cleome hassleriana, also known as spider flowers. This species is often suggested as the prettiest solution to keeping ticks at bay, but what is it? The spider flower is a fast-growing, beloved annual plant with tall pink, purple, or white blooms that is also very appealing to bees and butterflies — this means it can also bring more pollinators into your yard. What's more, it's a very low-maintenance addition, as it is a self-seeding flower that often returns year after year all on its own. And yes, it's often touted as a solution for keeping ticks away.

But does it really work? Well, possibly, but the evidence is quite limited. What spider flowers do is produce aromatic compounds, and these are what many gardeners believe discourage pests. This explains why people believe they are among the plants that keep ticks out of your yard. However, there's been no actual scientific research that tests this. Additionally, no reputable services actually recommend them as a proven tick-control method. Instead, it's one of those word-of-mouth recommendations that won't do any harm but certainly should not be relied upon as your primary defense.

The reason why it's hard to confirm whether or not spider flowers actually repel ticks comes down to the way ticks behave. These creatures don't seek us out through our scent alone — they rely on body heat, carbon dioxide, body odors, and movement to locate a host. And so even if a plant produces a smell that pests don't like, it doesn't mean that scent alone will be enough to stop them. So be cautious about thinking any single plant could be the solution.

Spider flowers may keep ticks out of your yard by making it less inviting to these bugs, but they should be treated as part of a bigger picture if you're serious about pest control. Keep your lawns mowed and remove piles of leaves because ticks thrive in damp, shady vegetation and leaf litter — this is the kind of advice that has much more scientific backing to it. Additionally, if you live in an area where ticks are particularly common, you can also take personal measures like wearing long trousers when outside and checking yourself and your pets regularly. This is all going to do a lot more than simply planting spider flowers and calling it a day. Now, if you enjoy their striking appearance, it doesn't hurt to plant these beautiful blooms, too.