Nothing can make it harder to sleep in your own home than spotting a line of ants marching around the kitchen, a spider crawling up your wall, or a scattering of cockroaches across the floor.
Anybody’s first reaction would be to reach for an insecticide to get rid of these pests as soon as possible. Think twice before you do though. Insecticides are damaging to our environment as they work their way into our rivers and streams. We even have several different pesticides running through our bloodstreams. Children and pets, especially, are susceptible to the dangers of insecticides as they are closer to the ground where insecticides are commonly sprayed.
In addition, insecticides also aren’t always as effective as we’d like to think. Depending on what species you’re trying to eliminate, an insecticide may not be able to kill the insect at every stage of its life cycle. They can even make some problems worse. Ants, for example, will simply scatter and form more colonies than they originally had.
Instead of using chemicals to control the pests in your home, try these natural ways to control pests.
Block Their Entry
Don’t make it easy on them! Keep bugs and rodents out of your home by blocking any entrances. Look for gaps and cracks around your home’s foundation, windows, and doors. Seal any openings you find.
Keep your house clean to prevent insects and rodents from seeking your home for food and nests. Sweep every day, wipe down your counters regularly, and take your garbage out daily. Don’t leave cardboard boxes in your garage as they make ideal nests for rodents and spiders, and keep anything in storage in air-tight containers.
If pests still make their way into your home (and they will), use these natural techniques to get rid of them.
Spiders
Getting rid of spiders has never smelled so sweet. Citrus and peppermint are two hated scents of the creepy-crawly creatures. Mix unsweetened lemon or lime juice with water in a spray bottle, and spray on windowsills, counters, and doorways. Leave lemon, lime, and orange peels in your garden to keep the 8-legged arachnids out of your produce.
Alternatively, you can add a few drops of peppermint essential oil to a spray bottle filled with water and a squirt of dishwashing liquid. Spray around the common areas you find spiders – doorways, corners, and windows.
Flies
Basil is not simply a beautiful plant that smells and tastes delicious. It’s also an excellent fly deterrent. Keep basil on your kitchen windowsill to keep flies out of the kitchen. Doorways are also great spots for the plant.
Sachets of bay leaf, eucalyptus, and crushed mint all work well to keep flies away too.
Mosquitoes
Keep standing water out of your yard to prevent mosquitoes from breeding on your property. In addition, you can plant marigolds, rosemary, citronella grass, and lemon balm to keep mosquitoes away.
If mosquitoes can’t resist your barbecue, add sage or rosemary to your grill.
Ants
Intelligent ants look out for each other by leaving a scented trail once they’ve found food. Destroying that scent will stop the ants from marching one by one on your countertops. Make a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water, and spray it wherever you have a trail of ants.
Dust Mites
Dust mites can be eliminated with cinnamon oil, water, and denatured alcohol. Mix a few drops of cinnamon oil in a 50/50 solution of water and denatured alcohol. Spray it on your carpets, curtains, and bedding.
Fruit Flies
First, get rid of any spoiled fruit. If you still have fruit flies hovering around, add vinegar into a glass 3/4 of the way up. Add six to eight drops of dishwashing liquid, and then fill the glass the remainder of the way with warm water. The solution will trap and kill the fruit flies.
These natural pest control methods are a fresh-smelling and safe way to keep bugs out of your home and yard. If you’re still battling bugs after trying these methods, however, find a local pest control service company like Aptive Exterminator to find the source of your problem and eliminate all pests.
