Are you tired of the rodent intruders in your house? Do you have lizards accompanying you at the dinner table? Have you called a pest control company yet?
You probably have! They snagged half your fortune and cleaned your house but hey, the pests appeared within three months!
Featured Image via Joshua Hoehne@mrthetrain
Then listen to us. We have time-tested and much more cost-effective solutions for you. This way you can get everything you need and effectively drive pests away without shelling out a fortune for a pest control company!
Image via Marco Bianchetti@marcobian
Cockroaches
- Slice cucumbers and place it at all points the cockroaches may enter from. They are generally repelled by cucumber.
- Diatomaceous earth is a good option as well. It is now readily available in the market and gaining popularity as it is non-toxic. Inhaling the smell has no side effects for humans unlike some chemicals. Sprinkle it where you see them. This dehydrates the cockroach and removes the exoskeleton. The insect dies in two days. Make sure to keep water sources closed as the cockroach might run for water to rehydrate… In that case, this product is rendered ineffective.
- Mix boric acid, oatmeal and sugar in equal ratio and place it at the entry points. It is poisonous for them.
- Most importantly, try to keep your kitchen spotless by cleaning with a strong soap solution.
- Boric acid powder works wonders with these pests. Spray them in the high places where you spot those roaches.
Lizards
- Slice onions and place them in the corners you generally see lizards. The sulfur content produces an odour that lizards cannot tolerate.
- Eggshells too. The pungent smell is too much for our lizard friends to bear!
Mosquitoes
- If you have standing water in your house, you are basically breeding trouble! Make sure all water sources are closed and no water remains standing. Try to keep the house as clean and dry as possible.
- Marigold is a pretty solution as the smell of the marigold plant repels mosquitoes.
- Apply neem oil on your skin. It is a natural mosquito repellant.
- Mix garlic juice and water in the ratio of 5:1 and apply on the skin. The repellant smell will keep the mosquitoes away.
- Vanilla extract is an effective repellent as well. In case you can’t stand onions yourself, this is the best solution for you. Mix vanilla extract with water and keep it in your home.
Flies
- Crush mint leaves and strategically place them about your home. Flies usually stay away from mint due to the smell.
- Do you have a pet dog? If you do, you could feed him yeast- it makes him emit a repellant smell but does him no harm in health.
- Take cotton buds, dip in eucalyptus oil and place in areas where you have previously detected flies. They will soon bid adieu.
- Make sure your drain is regularly flushed with bleaching powder and hot water. This will prevent infestation of the drain with house flies.
Bedbugs
- Air your mattress regularly by placing it in the sun. The bed bugs crawl out due to heat and eventually die of it.
- Diatomaceous earth to the rescue again! It is non-toxic and kills the bugs.
- You could apply kerosene oil to bedding and sofas to avoid bedbugs. It kills them.
Moths
- Place cedar in your dressers and closets to get rid of moths.
- Place mint leaves between your folded dresses. No moth will enter as they are averse to mint.
Spiders
- Citrus peels to the rescue. Place them on bookshelves or bathroom shelves- it will instantly shoo away the spiders. And it has a lovely smell as well!
- Mix vinegar and water and spray on spiders and cobwebs. The acidic solution kills them invariably. Repeat regularly in cracks and crevices.
- Turmeric is effective too. Make a turmeric and water paste and apply on cotton balls. Place these balls wherever you see the insect. But in no circumstance should you smear this on walls- the stains are difficult to remove.
Ants
- Cucumber slices again! Place them in areas where you have seen the ants frequent. The smell emitted is too much for them to bear!
- Chalk! The calcium carbonate content emits a smell that makes them lose track of the mates who came before them. These creatures move together and get scared if they cannot smell each other. This is what terrifies them about chalk.
- You could also spray white vinegar in the places you see ants. The acetic acid kills them eventually.
- Interesting thing is, a mixture of apple jelly and boric acid can instantly kill ants.
- Place cloves in cracks and crevices. The smell will prevent ants from breaching the area.
- Mix soap and water in equal ratio and pour in a spray bottle. Spray on them when you see them. The high alkaline content kills them effectively.
Some other pests you may be worried about!
- Wood ash is responsible for driving away slugs.
- Peppercorns, lavender and eucalyptus leaves emit lovely smell for us but despicable ones for the pests.
Conclusion
So this was the basic outline about how to make sure pests spare your home. However, the first and foremost thing is cleanliness and hygiene. If you have a spotlessly clean house and are a stickler for personal hygiene, then it is very difficult for pests to enter as the usually prefer unhygienic conditions.
But in case you feel you have done enough or cannot afford to clean regularly then the methods given above should suffice.
If you’re still not sure how to solve these problems, don’t hesitate to call a professional pest control agency for all needs.
Good luck!
