We all want to keep our houses pest-free, but the chemical pesticides in stores are way too toxic and harmful for using anywhere near your home, family, and pets. If these chemicals can kill insects, surely they cannot be good for us and it’s better to use something natural and safe when it’s possible.
1. Cockroaches
Cockroaches are not only disgusting things to see in your house, but they also may carry very harmful diseases. There are many products you can get from the store but they are usually highly toxic. This trick is very cheap and safe, and most importantly, it works.
Chop one onion and add one tsp of baking soda, and put this mixture in the corners of your house. Reapply it daily and very soon you will find your house roach-free.
2. Ticks
Ticks can be very different in size and color. It is very important to protect yourself, your family, and pets from these little nasties, because they may be very harmful, and sometimes even deadly. If you are not very keen on applying chemical pesticides to your skin or on your dogs’ fur, try these natural and safe mixtures .
- Tick repellent for humans
Mix 20 drops of rose geranium essential oil, 10 drops of sweetgrass essential oil, 5 drops of lavender essential oil, 5 drops of citronella or lemon essential oil, and one tbsp of rubbing alcohol, and dilute it to 100 ml with vinegar or water and transfer it into a spray bottle. Shake well and spray on your clothes before going outside.
- Tick repellent for dogs
Dogs seem to always be targeted by ticks so check your furry friend frequently, especially after walks at the park.
Mix 20 drops of rose geranium and pennyroyal essential oil with 2 tbsp of almond oil and place a few drops of it on your dog or on their collar.
Do not use it on cats or pregnant animals.
3. Garden pests
Aphids, spider mites, and other garden pests can do big damage to your garden and all your effort will be ruined in the blink of an eye. Certainly, there are many pesticides available but the use of them can make fruits and vegetables inedible.
Mix 1/2 a cup of hot peppers with 1/2 a cup of garlic or onion, and blend it until it turns into a paste. Mix the paste with 500 ml of warm water. Let it sit for 24 hours in a warm place, strain it and spray your plants with this liquid .
4. Spiders
Even if you don’t get poisonous spiders in your area, you most likely would still appreciate knowing that they can’t come in the house. They can get absolutely anywhere and even the smallest ones are really scary.
This natural repellent won’t kill the spiders but it will keep them away because they don’t like strong smells. Add 5-10 drops of peppermint oil into a mix of 200 ml of water and 1/4 tsp of liquid detergent, shake well and spray the affected areas once a week until all spiders run away. The peppermint oil can be substituted with eucalyptus, citronella, lavender or tea tree oil.
5. Ants
Ants can be very annoying and suddenly appear from nowhere, oftentimes sneaking into places in your kitchen or pantry. If ants are making their way into your kitchen, there is a way to make it less attractive for them.
Apparently, ants absolutely hate the smell of cinnamon . Put cinnamon powder in the areas where you think the ants enter from. For more effective results, you can add some essential oil to the cinnamon powder. As a side effect, you’ll get a very nice earthy smell in your house.
6. Dust mites
These things are so tiny that we cannot even see them with the naked eye, but unfortunately, it doesn’t mean that they’re not around. They live in household dust, prefer warmer places and their favorite food is skin flakes. So guess where they like to be? That’s right, on your bed!
Although dust mites don’t bite, many specialists believe that they can cause allergic reactions and skin irritations. Even if you are not allergic to them, you most likely would prefer not to share your house with these little bugs.
Mix 6 tsp of eucalyptus oil with 1.5 tsp of liquid laundry detergent in 1 bucket of water and soak the washable items — then wash it as normal. For anything unwashable, just spray and wipe it with a clean cloth. If you don’t like the smell of eucalyptus oil, you can substitute it with tea tree oil, which is just as effective.
7. Weevils
If you leave flour, cereal or rice unsealed in the pantry, you might end up with these unwanted bugs in your food. Weevils prefer grains and seeds but can also appear in flour or even pancake mix. You certainly don’t want chemical pesticides anywhere near your food but this trick can be a good solution.
Apparently, weevils really don’t like the smell of bay leaves or cloves . Drop a clove or a bay leaf on the top of your food and around the containers to keep these things away from your pantry.
Which one of these tricks did you find most useful? Or maybe you have your own bug-repelling secret? Tell us about it in the comments below and share this article with your friends and family.
