Keeping pests out of a home's interior seems to be a continual responsibility, even when a yearly professional treatment regimen is followed. If you want to keep a home free of bugs and pests all year long, you are probably going to need to do a little legwork between your regularly scheduled professional pest control visits. Here are some great working natural repellent options for three common pests you're undoubtedly all too familiar with:
Ants
Ants love entering homes when it is hot or moist outside, which means that they tend to be a threat throughout most of the year. The first step of keeping ants away is to make sure that sweet ingredients, such as sugar, syrup, and even fruit, isn't left out on the countertops. Instead they should be kept in the fridge or a sealed container. You can try these options too:
- Spray a concoction of one part water and one part vinegar around your windowsill, along door openings, and on countertops to disrupt ant trails.
- Divert ants to outdoor areas by smearing a little honey on concrete or a rock a few feet away from your home.
- Corrupt ant communication so they can't follow scout food scents by rubbing peppermint oil near areas where food is kept.
You may have to use more than one repellent tactic to see positive results if you identify more than one type of ant scouting around your home.
Crickets
It can be pretty annoying when crickets infiltrate the home, and almost impossible to sleep at night without a pair of ear plugs in if one or more happen to be making noise indoors. Outside the home crickets tend to eat vegetables and flowers as they grow too, which leaves less plant life for you and your family to enjoy. Luckily, there are a few things you can do to keep those crickets away from your home and gardens including:
- Sprinkle diatomaceous earth on your carpets and upholstered furniture. This is powder made up of the skeletons of ancient algae which scratches and dehydrates crickets to kill them.
- Fill a jug that has a small opening with 1 part molasses and 10 parts water. Crickets will be attracted to the sweet treat and jump in the jug to take a swig, only to get trapped inside.
- Mix a couple tablespoons of liquid soap with some water in a spray bottle, and spray the areas around both interior and exterior plants. This will drive crickets away so your plants don't get chomped on.
- You can also plant herbs like cilantro, and spices such as garlic, around your home and garden to keep crickets from getting to comfortable and close.
Cockroaches
Cockroaches leave behind lots of excrement along their trails. They are also pretty tough to kill, so deterring them from your home in the first place is essential in order to avoid side effects such as breathing problems and bacteria buildup. You can keep them from making themselves at home throughout the year with these tips and tricks:
- Cardboard is a favorite hangout for cockroaches, so dispose of any that is lingering throughout your home.
- Keep stacks of firewood and other convenient cockroach hideout resources away from your home.
- Put a layer of gravel around the base of your home to reduce moisture buildup.
- Put bay leaves out on counters and in cabinets to repel cockroaches away from food sources. Garlic and catnip works well as cockroach repellent too.
- You can always use humane traps to catch roaches as they linger around your kitchen and bedrooms before releasing them into the garden or other suitable area outside.
An added bonus some of these natural pest repellents have to offer is that they'll keep your home smelling fresh and clean as long as you're regularly using them. However, if the problem gets out of hand, consider calling companies like Ace Walco & Sons Termite & Pest Control to terminate the problem efficiently and quickly.
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