http://www.care2.com/greenliving/get-rid-of-pests-naturally.html
Get Rid of Pests Naturally
Recently I was at a friend’s house when I noticed a giant carpenter ant crawling across the wall. The master of the house promptly squished it under his thumb, to my squeamish protests, followed by his description of a crunch and a squirt. Bleck. When love-all-creatures me groused about the kill, he said, “but it was in my house!” to which I replied, “maybe it thought we were in his house!”
Anyway. I cannot tell a lie. I have killed insects before–but generally only under one condition: if it is in the process of sucking the blood from or lending a disease to one of my daughters. I am lightening quick to defend the innocent creatures on this planet, until one of them threatens my children–at which point Mama Bear kicks in and smashing, squishing and general swatting may occur.
But what about pests that like to ramble on in and make themselves at home? Is using a pesticide or rodent trap the best way to get rid of ants, roaches, flies, fleas, mice and rodents in the house? It seems to me that if we do everything we can to persuade them from entering in the first place, we are taking an important first step in alleviating the need for pesticides–both sparing the critters’ lives and taking important precautions for our own health as well. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that poisons that can kill insects can’t be all that great for us either–they are poisons after all. (Read a report of the dangers of household pesticides here.)
Here are a number of tips to prevent pests from entering your home:
- Get rid of any standing water, damp areas or water-damaged material–they all attract insects.
- Fix leaky plumbing (good for water conservation too!). Don’t leave water in plates under your houseplants, under your refrigerator or anywhere overnight.
- Don’t inadvertently feed them! Clean areas where food is stored, prepared or eaten. Don’t leave dirty dishes or pet food out for very long.
- Store opened food items in tightly closed glass containers which will deter insects from chewing through boxes or bags.
- Put food scraps and trash in a tightly covered garbage or composting can, and take out the trash frequently.
- Remove or block their hiding places. Caulk cracks and crevices to block access to your home.
- Caulk and seal openings in walls, use weather stripping on doors and windows, and use screens on floor drains, windows and doors.
- Don’t store newspapers, paper bags, and boxes for long periods of time–they make cozy homes. Also check for insects in packages or boxes before bringing them into your home.
- Vacuum regularly, especially under your appliances.
- Keep exterior spaces clean to deter flies: Clean up pet litter, and tightly close all garbage cans.
- For fleas, bathe your pets regularly. Wash mats, beds or surfaces that they lay on and vacuum your house weekly or more.
If these steps fail to curtail your pest problem, you may choose to bring out the big guns. Well, the big non-toxic guns that is. Try these green solutions to pesky pests:
Homemade all natural pest strips
Natural flea control
How to rid you home of mice
What’s you take on household pests? Do you “dispatch” by any means possible? Do you have some favorite all natural tips to share? Leave a comment, we’d love to hear.
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43 comments
add your comment »These are remarkable tips and thanks for all those but if you still continue to have problems with garden pests, it might be because of your soil. This problem can be solved by making some organic soil. Try leaving some fruit waste to rot for about 3 weeks until it's ready for use. Dig up some soil and treat your soil to some lukewarm water. Add the organic soil! You will notice that this method actually helps get rid of those stubborn pests without having to use harmful pesticides.
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All good comments for eliminating "pesty" problems in the home, especially for diatomaceous earth. Check out www.kleengreen.com for this very versatile natural enzyme that is used for bed bugs, fleas, mites and other 'uninvited visitors'.
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Even rats have their good sides.
A rat entered my house through a hole near an air conditioner vent. I was surprised to discover that she consumed large numbers of garden snails. She would slip outside at night and bring them back in to eat.
I was able to catch her, when she backed herself into a corner, and released her away from homes.
A friend of mine tells how she caught a rat on a sticky trap and carefully and painstakingly freed it from the goo. Upon releasing it a hawk flew down and snatched it! Talk about having a bad day!
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The vinegar method works well and so does using cream of tarter i use all natural things to clean with and i hardly see any kind of insects.
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ever since I started cleaning with vinegar (spray bottle with straight vinegar + dash of tea tree oil) including the floor, I have hardly any ants.
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Gee, I just figure the little buggers came to help keep my house clean by eating up the crumbs, and the ones in the plant room are part of the indoor eco-system. All the food scraps I just dump out in the tall grasses and let the outside creatures enjoy them. That also keeps bigger animals from getting into the garbage. To eliminate rodents in the house, I have a cat and a live trap. Maybe people are just a bit too over the top about bugs and killing/or not killing them. Insects are a major part of the food chain after all. Keeping things in ballance is something Nature knows how to do without our assistence so I recommend a nice dose of common sense. Don't hang your hat on any one ideology, energy must flow...
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I occasionally get ants where my cat's bowl is indoors. I use cinnamon which is not harmful to my cat. Sometimes I have to wash the floor a couple of times and sweep out the ants and reapply before it works but usually after the second or third time it works for months before I see them again. (probably when the cinnamon gets old). I also read that ants don't like eggshells but I don't think using eggshells indoors is too practical and if you have no pet concerns red pepper is supposed to deter ants too but I'm afraid my cat will get some on his paws and in his eyes.
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Hi Ed B. Maybe someone has already answered your bedbug question. As soon as I saw it I hastened to say something. Just you google Diatomaceous Earth, Ed. Get a bag of this and, well, sprinkle here, there. Completely safe for all life above the verminous and other creepie-crawlies. When you find the DE folks' website there you will read of what it is, how to order, its safety, its composition.... Good luck.
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Lots of terrific tips and advice all... however, I'd like to point out another natural connection. If your friend sees carpenter ants in his home, he's most likely got termites; carpenter ants love to eat termites and that's great, but the carpenter ants aren't your friend's real problem! Sadly, I don't have an environmentally and nature friendly way to dispatch termites. Anyone have any?
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My boyfriend and I recently moved into an apartment in an old Victorian house. The building is so old there are literally hundreds of passages for pests to come and go as they please. We have a pretty horrific gnat problem. (any tips besides getting rid of the garbage can?)
But miraculously, in a town that is known for it's roach problem, I have seen very few in our apartment. I thought this was a bit strange, until a few weeks ago when I started finding small geckos scampering through the hallways. It turns out our new apartment is also home to a bunch of house geckos - a species that eats roaches. House Geckos are native to southern Asia, but have apparently spread to many places around the world. I'm not really sure how they ended up in Savannah, Georgia, but they are very cute, pleasant little creatures and are quite welcome to eat my roaches.
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