Marigolds as Bug Repellents

Question

I have seen many references to the fact the marigolds emit a scent which is noxious to ‘bugs’ and keeps them away from vegetables such as tomatoes. I assume that they do not keep pollinating insects away from the tomatoes. Is this true?

Answer 1

It is true that many insect pests, such as white flies, are put off by the smell of marigold plants. However, there are numerous pollinators (like bees) and predatory insects (like hover flies, which eat aphids) that are actually attracted to marigolds. Needless to say, it will not keep away important pollinators and may even attract other beneficial insects that feed on harmful ones.