Organic pest control for your home

The bigger your house, the more the effort that goes into keeping it free of pests. While you may do your best to make your living space a no-fly and no-roach zone, you may find that some pests always make a comeback. Not only are these pests frightening and off putting, but they can also do quite a bit of damage to your furniture, clothing, and health. Pest control is your only true friend in these instances

First off, a simple method of pest control is to not invite them into your living space. After all, prevention is better than cure. Most of these pests need food and water for survival. So, maintain a clean kitchen, clear out your garbage regularly and store food and drinks in airtight containers. If pests find their way through these measures, here are few homemade remedies to choose from.

Got ants?

Let’s start off with the tiniest but the most annoying pests to deal with. Ants, for the tiny creatures that they are, sure do cause a lot of problems. But there’s no cause to fret. When you struggle with ants next time, try and use the below natural insecticides to shoo them away.

• Vinegar and water: Ants can’t stand the smell of vinegar. Mix it with water in equal ratio and fill it in a spray bottle. Use it to get rids of ants sneaking in through cracks in the doors or windows.
• Lemon Juice: A solution of lemon juice and water can act as an all-purpose organic spray to control many pests.
• Mint leaves : Place a few mint tea bags in the areas where ants are active.
• Cornmeal: They cannot digest cornmeal. So you can place it near them and this will eliminate their numbers.
• Borax Powder: Use cotton balls soaked in a mixture of 1 litre of water, 1 teaspoon of borax powder, and 1 cup of sugar inside an empty cup. Cover the cup with a plastic wrap and punch holes. Ants will succumb to the bait and return to their colonies, which will eventually die out. Do not use this outdoors or within reach of kids or other animals.

Cockroaches

Roaches are troublesome pests that seem to magically reappear no matter what you do to keep them at bay. The most important step in pest control when it comes to roaches is to get rid of all eggs and seal off all hiding places. Closing exposed spaces or areas where they infiltrate your home is necessary. There are a number of sprays and repellents in the marketplace to get rid of them but some people may be allergic to them. There are various organic pest control methods that can be effective. Here are a few natural pesticides to keep them out of your house.

Mosquitoes

Mosquitoes carry and spread life-threatening diseases. They usually enter homes in the morning and evening. It is important to protect kids from mosquitos as much as possible. Though there are many repellents available, overusing them is unhealthy. Here are a few natural ways to get rid of mosquitoes at home:

Mosquito repellent candles:

Use essential oils and melted wax to make your candle. Remember to use ½-1 ounce of essential oils for 1 pound of wax. You can make them with any of these recipes.

Mix 1

Mix 2

Mix 3

House flies

Flies are really hard to get rid of especially when the weather is warm. Sticky fly traps, UV fly traps, fly baits that have been treated with insect growth regulators, impregnated strips, etc., are the usual ways to go. However, the efficacy of pest control lies in carrying out the treatment every month or two because insecticides break down or lose their potency after a period of exposure to the atmosphere/rain. Here are few homemade tips to get you started:

Dust Mites

Dust mites are microscopic, which makes it tough to spot and tougher yet to eliminate. They literally exist in our clothing, beds, furniture, book shelves and stuffed animals. People with asthma or those prone to allergies have a tough time fighting them. Try the below methods to hold off dust mites.

While these methods will help your house from pests it is also important to keep your house and surroundings clean. A clean kitchen and bathrooms are good for your personal hygiene as well. Many insects breed in dirty corners – so a clean home keeps them away. Organic pest control methods are more cost efficient and long term solutions that you may want to begin using.

• Lemon slice: The smell of citrus brings in freshness. This powerful natural agent will keep the them away. You can either spray lemon juice to keep your house fresh or make a paste out of the lemon peel and use it.
• Boric acid and sugar: It’s an effective combination which can help you get rid of roaches naturally. Things you need to do is make your own bait at home by mixing boric acid and sugar in 3:1 ratio. This mixture must be placed near their hiding spots. It’s important to find out where they nest for maximum efficiency.
• Bay leaves: This can be used as natural cockroach repellent anywhere. Roaches cannot bear the smell of bay leaves. You just need to crush a handful of bay leaves, powder them and place them in different bowls in every corner of your kitchen. Who knew keeping spice near a cockroach nest can eliminate them?
• 5 parts Citronella Oil
• 5 parts Lavender Oil
• 5 parts Clove Oil
• 5 parts Citronella Oil
• 5 parts Lavender Oil
• 5 parts Peppermint Oil
• 10 parts Citronella Oil
• 10 parts Cedarwood Oil
• 5 parts Eucalyptus Oil
• 5 parts Rosemary Oil
• Basil: Grow basil in containers and keep them near doorways. Flies will stay far away from the area. You can also carry a bunch of these leaves with you if they are excessive in public areas and make sachets out of them. This works for mosquitoes too.
• To make a fly-free zone, dip some eucalyptus oil in a small cloth and place it in the areas that are infested with flies.
• Flypaper: Make a DIY flypaper at home using brown sugar and granulated sugar. Dip craft paper in this sugar solution and hang it up to control flies.
• Wash your blankets, bed covers, etc., with detergent at high temp.
• Do not keep stuffed items like rugs, books and laundry in the bedroom. Also, dust and clean stuffed toys often.
• Avoid humidifiers as dust mites thrive on warmth and humidity.
• Wrap heating ducts with filters that trap miniature dust particles.
• Plaster mattress and pillows with laminated covers to prevent penetration by dust mites. Avoid fabric-covered headboards.

13 Dec 2021