Global Courant
When it comes to pest control, you can spend all sorts of money hiring exterminators or buying smelly (and often toxic) sprays and chemicals for your home, but in some cases you may not need to go so extreme. There are many all-natural remedies for insect and pest control, many of which have been used with great success by our ancestors for countless generations. You’ll be happy to know that many of these useful items can be found in the average household.
While pest control can refer to dealing with pest birds, insects and rodents, this article will focus on getting rid of insects.
Insect control in the garden
Believe it or not, aluminum foil can successfully keep hungry bugs and snails away from your vegetable garden. Simply mix strips of aluminum foil into your garden mulch to deter insects and snails. Plus, because foil is reflective, the light shines back onto your plants, giving them a boost of sunshine.
Mothballs are another useful insect repellent for the garden. You’ve probably heard of using mothballs in the closet to protect your sweaters, but you can also use them to kill bugs on potted plants. Simply place the plant in a clear plastic bag (i.e. a cleaning bag), add a few mothballs and close the bag for a week. When you take the plant out, it will be free of insects (and moths will stay away for a while, too). Animals also hate the smell of mothballs, so you can also toss a few in your garden and flower bed to keep cats, dogs, and rodents away.
Did you know that onions are also a natural pesticide? Here’s an easy concoction that will repel bugs (and animals, too) in your flowers and veggies: Use a blender to puree 4 onions, 2 cloves of garlic, 2 tablespoons of cayenne pepper, and a quart of water. Set the mixture aside and then dilute 2 tablespoons of soap flakes in 2 liters of water. Pour all the contents into your blender, stir it up and this will give you an eco-friendly insect repellent to use on your plants.
Black pepper is another home remedy that works great for garden pest control. If insects are bothering your flowers, plants and vegetables, just mix pepper with flour and sprinkle it around your plants. Insects won’t be as eager to chew.
Finally, you can make your own grit to get rid of bugs in the garden.
Insect control at home
Dog and cat food, which is often left out around the clock, can be a great temptation for ants and other insects. An easy way to make these six-legged intruders lose interest is to put a rim of baking soda around pet food bowls. Your pets won’t mind the baking soda (although they probably won’t love the taste), so they shouldn’t worry if they brag a little about their meal.
Another household item that is good at getting rid of bugs is vinegar. For example, if your last visit to the farmer’s market yielded both fruit flies and healthy provisions, you can make traps for the flies by filling an old jar about halfway with apple cider vinegar. Punch a few holes in the top, screw it back on and the fruit flies will be attracted and trapped.
These are just some of the easy ways to use simple household items to get rid of bugs. So if you have a problem, don’t be so excited to pick up a can of chemical-filled bug spray. Look for natural solutions and you will most likely find them!
Natural home remedies for controlling pests and insects
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