The best way to control pests is to prevent them from getting inside your home in the first place. Sanitation is key in pest management because pests are attracted by smell. This means don't leave dirty dishes out and have crumbs all around your kitchen. Clean inside your pantry and cabinets and in and around your refrigerator, stove, oven and microwave. Making sure you have screens on windows and doors and that they are secure is a simple way to prevent pests from entering your home. Don't forget to put screens on crawl spaces, which is how many rodents wiggle their way inside. Caulking cracks in your kitchen and bathroom and around your windows and doors will minimize places for insects to hide and nest.
Natural pest control is not only more eco-friendly, but also budget friendly. The products used to manage pests are often household items that you would already have handy, or can buy cheaply. Instead of whipping out that can of bug spray next time you see an insect, here are some natural pest control ideas.
Ants
- Keep a small spray bottle handy, and spray the ants with a bit of soapy water.
- Set out cucumber peels or slices in the kitchen or at the ants' point of entry. Many ants have a natural aversion to cucumber. Bitter cucumbers work best.
- Leave a few tea bags of mint tea near areas where the ants seem most active. Dry, crushed mint leaves or cloves also work as ant deterrents.
- Trace the ant column back to their point of entry. Set any of the following items at the entry area in a small line, which ants will not cross: cayenne pepper, citrus oil (can be soaked into a piece of string), lemon juice, cinnamon or coffee grounds.
- Mix one liter of water, one teaspoon of Borax and a cup of sugar. Soak cotton balls in the solution and place them in a small yogurt container with holes punched in the lids to allow ants access. Place container in a location where ants are present. Ants will carry the bait back to their colonies where it will eventually kill the colony. Important: use indoors only; must be kept away from pets and children.
- Leave a small, low wattage night light on for a few nights in the area of most ant activity. The change in light can disrupt and discourage their foraging patterns.
Cockroaches
- Roaches like high places, so if you put boric acid on top of your kitchen cabinets (not inside) the roaches will take the boric acid to their nests, killing all of them. Boric acid is toxic by mouth - keep away from children and pets.
- Diatomaceous earth is a safe alternative which can be sprinkled in areas where roaches congregate, especially hidden areas such a cabinet tops and behind appliances. Harmless to people, the tiny particles cut the waxy exoskeleton and kills the insect within 48 hours. For a week or so after the treatment, the dehydrating insects will search more actively for water. So, don't be surprised if you see roaches more often after the treatment. Most roaches should be killed within two weeks of application.
- Catnip is a natural repellent to cockroaches. The active ingredient is nepetalactone, which is non-toxic to humans and pets. Small sachets of catnip can be left in areas of cockroach activity. Catnip can also be simmered in a small amount of water to make a "catnip tea" which can be used as a spray to apply around baseboards and behind counters. This natural repellent should only be used in homes without cats!
- Keep a spray bottle of soapy water on hand. Spraying roaches directly with soapy water will kill them.
- In an empty one pound coffee can, place 1 or 2 pieces of bread which have been soaked thoroughly with beer. Place in areas known to have roach infestations.
- Leave bay leaves, cucumber slices or garlic in the affected area as deterrents.
- The fruit of the Osage orange tree, the hedgeapple, is a natural roach repellent. Leave one hedgeapple per room for effective deterrence up to two months.
- Non-toxic roach traps are commercially available, such as this
Sure-CatchTM Cockroach Trap.
Mosquitoes
- The most important measure you can take is to remove standing water sources. Change birdbaths, wading pools and pet's water bowl twice a week. Keep your eavestroughs clean and well-draining. Remove yard items that collect water. -
- If you're using the barbeque, throw a bit of sage or rosemary on the coals to repel mosquitos. An effective natural bug repellent.
- Mix one part garlic juice with 5 parts water in a small spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray lightly on exposed body parts for an effective repellent lasting up to 5 - 6 hours. Strips of cotton cloth can also be dipped in this mixture and hung in areas, such as patios, as a localized deterrent.
- Neem oil is a natural vegetable oil extracted from the Neem tree in India. The leaves, seeds and seed oil of the Neem tree contain sallanin, a compound which has effective mosquito repelling properties. Neem oil is a natural product and is safe to use. Look for new Neem Oil-based commercial products on the market.
-Planting marigolds around your yard works as a natural bug repellent because the flowers give off a fragrance bugs and flying insects do not like.
- Nontoxic phermone-based mosquito traps are now commercially available.
Flies
- Use mint as a fly repellent. Small sachets of crushed mint can be placed around the home to discourage flies. Bay leaves, cloves and eucalyptus wrapped in small cheesecloth squares can be hung by open windows or doors.
- Place a small, open container of sweet basil and clover near pet food or any open food in the house.
- A few drops of eucalyptus oil on a scrap of absorbent cloth will deter flies. Leave in areas where flies are a problem.
- You can make your own flypaper with this simple recipe: Mix 1/4 cup syrup, 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and 1 tbsp. brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut strips of brown kraft paper and soak in this mixture. Let dry overnight. To hang, poke a small hole at the top of each strip and hang with string or thread.
- Safe, nontoxic, pheromone-based outdoor and indoor fly traps are available, like the
Indoor Housefly Trap.
Rats
- Introduce a predator of rats, like cats or dogs, to your home. They are naturally scared of their predators and will try to steer clear.
- If you can't have an animal in your home, some dog hair or urine can be placed around the affected area. If you can't get dog hair from a neighbor, shelter, or pet store, predator pee can be purchased online.
- Ammonia is a smell that rats don't like. Soak a rag in ammonia and place it in a coffee can near where the rats are living and they will quickly move away.
- If the rats are chewing on certain items, like wires, try putting some hot pepper sauce or wasabi where they are chewing to deter their gnawing.
- Use a live rat trap where you can lure them in with food. The tap won't hurt or injury the rat, so you can release them back into the wild (far from your home).
Want to know about a different pest? For more great tips and articles on natural pest control visit PestInformation or read Environmentally Friendly Pest Control.
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