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Loading...Seven Tips for Chemical-Free Pest Control
- Becky Striepe
- June 15, 2010
- 3:05 pm
- 173 comments
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6. The Nitty Gritty
If you’ve got an ant problem, a sure-fire way to get rid of those suckers is to kill the queen. Keep an eye on that weather forecast, and when you’re expecting rain, sprinkle dry grits onto the anthill. The workers will bring the grits to the queen, and when she drinks the rainwater, the grits will expand in her stomach.
7. Keep a Lid On It
Anyone with a kitchen composting setup has probably dealt with fruit flies. The key to keep them out of your house is to use a compost bucket with a lid. Emptying the bucket into an outside bin every couple of days helps, too, if you have that as an option.
The same goes for your trash and recycling bins. Keep those things covered, and empty often!
Do you guys have your own tips for all natural pest control? We’d love to hear them in the comments!
Image Credit: Creative Commons photo by ghwpix
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Read more: Home, Pests, ants, fruit flies, mice, Natural Pest Control, pesticides, roaches, slugs, spiders
Becky Striepe
Becky Striepe is a freelance writer and vegan crafter living in Atlanta, Georgia. Her life’s mission is to make green crafting and vegan food accessible to everyone! Like this article? You can follow Becky on Twitter or find her on Facebook!
Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may
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people are talking
Thanks
TY
Great list, thanks
...noted...
great idea, it will take a great effort to educate people and change the habit of throwing garbage a…
173 comments
+ add your ownOne thing I felt the article was missing was the missing was how to plug those leaks and with what substances. according to this guide here: http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/rodents-c-21.html
A combination of cotton balls dipped in peppermint or the use of steel wool are good options
Thank you!
Good ideas
I've had an ongoing fruit fly problem for a few weeks and followed some readers' recommendations of cider vinegar in a covered container with holes in the top.
1) After 3 days, no result so I took the top off.
2) After several more days, no fly corpses, so I added some ripe banana as per another suggestion
3) After more than 1 week, not one single fruit fly.
I've decided to stick with the Black Flag fly sticks which can be hung or stand upright on the counter. They're about $2 each but they do work fairly well. It's just not catching them all.
Good stuff here. TY.
Here's an idea. Catch a few of whatever bugs you and put them in a sealed environment such as a jar with lid. Add these things mentioned one at a time. And you can see for yourself what is effective.
There are some excellent tips here for chemical free pest control. I didn't know about the beer to keep the fruit flies away, will definitely give that one a go. I like using essential oils. Lemon or orange oil helps keep the spiders and ants away.
the more we worry, the more they come in the house
another way to minimize fruit flies is to take an old GLASS jelly jar and fill between 1/3 to 1/2 with apple cider vinegar, then add several drops of dish soap
this is best done when the problem is in the early stages ... and be sure to have the jar in a spot where children and pets can't get to it
Grant's ant stakes work really well to get rid of ants in your home - just lay one flat on the ants' trail, and let them crawl on it. They'll take the jelly inside back to their nest, and by the next day, the ants are gone!
Also, most environmentally friendly all-purpose spray cleaners will kill ants if you spray it on them.
To get rid of fruit flies, there are fruit fly traps that come in decorative holders - they are available online or at home & garden centers, and they have worked well for us.
I like it all, but I always finish my beer and so never have any left for my little friends. However cinnamon sticks and lavender oil also chases away ants and bees (if my GSD doesn't eat them first).
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