Battling Summer Bugs the Natural Way

With the warm weather comes a variety of household pests such as flies, spiders, and ants. Not only are these creatures destructive, many of them carry diseases and can deliver a painful bite or sting. However, using pesticides around your children or pets is never a good idea, but there are several natural ways to repel bugs without having to worry about the effects of harmful chemicals.

Use Essential Oils

Ants use a chemical trail to let others know when they’ve found food, so the best way to deter them is by using strong odors that mask that scent.

Peppermint, cloves, and lemon used around doorways and windows are some of the best scents to use in order to keep ants out of your home.

Some of these oils can be found at your local aromatherapy store.

Sprinkle Spices

The strong scent of certain spices will also keep ants from invading.

Sprinkle pepper, garlic, or cinnamon around your doorway or patio to keep them at bay.

Crushed peppers will also turn them away, as they have a refined sense of smell and the scent will offend them.

Use Citrus to Repel Spiders

While some spiders are beneficial, others are dangerous and can deliver a powerful bite.

To keep them outside where they belong, spray citrus mixed with a few drops of dish soap and water.

Spray this mixture around doorways, baseboards, and in your basement to keep spiders at bay.

Got Flies? Use Mint

Houseflies are one of the most common and annoying pests that visit during the summer.

To keep them from spreading disease around your home, lay out some crushed mint near where they enter most often, such as doorways and windows.

They dislike the strong smell and will stay away.

Use Lemon Peels for Moths

While moths aren’t usually a big problem for some people, they can be destructive to certain kinds of clothing and fabric.

Like most insects, moths dislike the smell of lemon, so to repel them, use lemon peels in your closets and laundry room.

You can also use a mix of lemon juice and distilled water to keep them away.

Lemongrass and Basil for Mosquitos

Mosquitos are not only the bane of most summer picnics and barbeques, they can also carry deadly diseases such as West Nile and malaria.

To keep them away without having to use insecticides, use lemongrass, basil, and rosemary. They find the scents too strong and will not land anywhere near it.

Grow the plants where your family relaxes or even sprinkle some on the grill the next time your husband barbeques.

Wipe Out Roaches With Sugar and Baking Soda

Not only are roaches disgusting, they can carry a variety of diseases that are harmful to your family. To kill them, mix baking soda with sugar in equal measurements.

Set out small cups of this mixture where you have spotted the pests. The combination of these two ingredients will both attract and kill them all summer long.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *