Welcome to Judy Barrett's Homegrown: Good Sense Organic Gardening for TexasHerbs and plants to deter bugs around the house and garden.
Plan to plant some seeds and plants to test it out for myself.
Rosemary and lavendar near the windows. Garlic near the house for roaches or water bugs- they fly. citronella grass for height, penny royal for a ground cover, peppermint and basil to spread/failsafe and sage.
http://www.asktheexterminator.com/biting_and_stinging_insects/Bee_and_Wasp_Repellent_Plants.shtml
"Natural plant defenses don’t repel bees because bees are necessary for
Wormwood
pollination. Wasps are also not repelled because wasps frequently feed on the small insects that otherwise would destroy various plants and flowers.
Herbs are most often mentioned as insect repellents. For example, garlic and chives will repel aphids. Basil repels flies and mosquitoes. Marigolds ward off nematodes. Mint stops ants. Pennyroyal deters fleas, mosquitoes, ticks and chiggers. Petunias control leafhoppers, certain aphids and tomato worms. Rue repels Japanese beetles in roses.
The only plant that is even mentioned as a wasp repellent is Wormwood (Artemisia). When planted as a border Wormwood is said to keep animals and many bugs out of the garden."