How to Control Insects in the Home With Non-Toxic Pest Control
No one likes home invasions from tiny life forms, but many people are concerned about the smorgasbord of toxic chemicals that are used to conventionally control pests. Pets and children occupy the same spaces as the invading pests, breathe the same air and come into contact with the same floors and carpets. After all, the most common commercial insecticides are organophosphates, the same class of chemicals used for nerve gas in warfare. These are not substances to which we want to expose our loved ones needlessly. Does this Spark an idea?
Things You'll Need
- Mint
- Sugar
- Cloves
- Boric acid
- Citronella candles
- Citronella oil
- Borax
- Garlic
- Diatomaceous earth
- Vacuum cleaner
- Washing machine
- Broom
- Mop
- Large clear plastic bags
- Tannic acid powder
- Catnip
- Bay leaves
- Lemon
- Caulk gun with caulk
- Weather stripping
- Sage
- Thai lemon grass plants
- Cedar chips
- Black pepper
Instructions
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Thoroughly inspect, clean and seal your house. Seal all food containers and trash containers, and wipe down such surfaces as kitchen counters, tables and desks. Wash clothing in hot water. Seal windows and doors where there are even the tiniest cracks where pests could enter. Put away the pet food. Ants and flies love it.
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Place aromatics throughout the house. These include mint, cloves and citronella oil. You can place them in bags or jars or in the containers for house plants. Aromatics repel ants and flies, and citronella repels mosquitoes. Crushed fresh garlic also repels many pests, but it can bother some people. Grind and sprinkle aromatics along windowsills. Catnip also repels many pests.
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Treat pets for fleas. A nontoxic treatment is boiling lemons in water, cooling the water, then soaking your pet in it and letting it dry. Then dust your dried pet with diatomaceous earth. Always vacuum thoroughly when treating fleas, and repeat the entire procedure in a week to get rid of the newly hatched larvae.
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Mix one part sugar with one part borax or boric acid. Place it in small cups, like leftover yogurt containers. Position the boric acid cups in dark places where roaches congregate, like under sinks or well back into cupboards. Boric acid attracts both ants and roaches, and they carry it back to their nests where it poisons others. Keep this out of reach of small children.
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Place potted Thai lemon grass throughout the house. This is the source of citronella, which repels both flies and mosquitoes. Citronella candles also repel flies and mosquitoes. Place bay leaves along window sills. Flies don't like it, and it will discourage them from entering the house. Burn a little sage in a bowl. It smells great and repels mosquitoes.
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Spread small lines of diatomaceous earth or tannic acid along the crevices under sinks, along the edges of utility room walls and in the crawlspace or basement. Both these materials repel a host of pests, including silverfish and roaches.
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Strip the beds and wash the bedclothes. When they are dry, place them in clear plastic bags and place them in the sun. This will kill bed bugs. Inspect mattresses top and bottom, including the box springs, to ensure there are no bed bugs.
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Tips & Warnings
Boric acid and sugar is toxic to humans if consumed. These homemade traps will attract small children because of the sugar. Place them well out of reach.
References
- Photo Credit ants marching image by berean from Fotolia.com
