The first instinct triggered when people discover any kind of pest infestation is ‘how can I deal with this myself?’ Obviously, for some, the problem is too far gone for natural remedies to solve, but pest problems can be controlled with DIY solutions, provided you catch them in the early stages of development.
The first piece of advice is preventative: in short, prevention is better than cure. Clear mulch and damp soil from outside your home’s perimeter, seal off pest entry points, remove garbage from your home asap and deal with damp.
All of these measures will significantly reduce the chances of a pest problem, but if you find yourself landed with a persistent nuisance, then these natural pest control methods will help you get at least some of the way towards eliminating it.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitoes are naturally deterred by sage or rosemary. Try to cook with the herbs, or if you happen to be throwing a BBQ, go out of your way to place rosemary or sage (or both!) on top of the BBQ. For a more permanent solution, you could install a bat house outside your home – some bats are capable of eating up to 1,000 mosquitoes per hour.
Alternatively, for a cheap solution, mix one part garlic juice with 5 parts water in a small spray bottle, shake well, and spray onto clothing and exposed skin. You can also soak cotton balls in the mixture to hand outside windows, and on door frames.
Flies
Flies are naturally averse to crushed mint, bay leaf, clove, eucalyptus and sweet basil, so planting any of these, or placing dried versions in cheesecloth packages around entrances can keep them at bay.
Spiders
The safest, more effective natural pest control method when it comes to spiders takes peppermint essential oil, liquid detergent and water mixed together in a spray bottle and applies the mixture to cobwebs, door frames, and general spider-lurking spots. Repeat the process daily and the spiders should clear out pretty soon.
Ants
Ants are tricky to avoid – there’s no two ways about it, but there are a few foolproof, all-natural methods to keep them at bay. Of course, use common sense – keep surfaces clean and hide sweet foods like honey – but if that’s not enough, place cucumber slices at points of entry.
Ants have a natural aversion to cucumber. Mint tea bags can also solve this problem, as well as drawing a line of cayenne pepper, cinnamon, coffee grounds, lemon juice or citrus oil.
Some natural pest control methods will only add up to a temporary solution. If you think this may be the case for you, then contact Mr. Pest Control. With 18 years of keeping Ontario pest-free, there won’t be any job too big.
