Green and natural pest control options

With summer coming I thought it’d be nice to do a pest control series here. So far we’ve looked at Green Pest Prevention and safer pest control ideas. Today I’ve got some greener pest control ideas - options that are natural and safe. Why bother with natural pest control? Because you don’t want a home full of toxic pest control poisons.

GREEN AND NATURAL PEST CONTROL:

Keep it clean – see Green Pest Prevention for tips on prevention before the cure is needed.

Ants: Ants hate red chili powder, dry peppermint, and borax. You can crush and sprinkle peppermint near ant entryways, or sprinkle the chili or borax. Ants won’t cross over this stuff. Full strength mint tea can be used as a spot treatment; spray near ant entries.

Cockroaches: Bay leaves can be crushed and sprinkled wherever you see roaches. Garlic will also repel roaches (and other pests). You can grow a pot or two of it near your doorways or blend some cloves in the blender (mixed with water and liquid soap) and spray it near infested areas.

Flies: Use screens on your windows. Place bowls of crushed citrus skins in your rooms – flies don’t love citrus. If you’ve got fruit fly issues try this killer invention: Fill an empty liter soda bottle with water. Leave about five inches of free space at the top. Squeeze an entire banana peel (not the banana, just the peel) into the bottle. Set the bottle where the fruit flies are. This is the ugliest bug catcher you’ll ever see, but I swear it will catch all the fruit flies in your house. Fruit flies are too dumb to understand how to get out of a soda bottle once they dive in after the banana peel (something to do with the curve of the bottle). Once they go in they can’t get out and eventually drown. Can you tell that I really HATE fruit flies?

Fleas: You can find totally organic and natural flea repellents, such as flea free products. Also see these tips for naturally keeping your pets flea free.

Moths: Before packing up clothing, blankets, etc, wash them. Washing kills moth eggs. After washing pack items up tightly in a tightly sealed, moth-proof box. To repel moths in other areas (like closets), place cedar wood shavings, blocks, or cedar stuffed cloth bags in the area.

Spiders: RAID! Sorry – I am deathly terrified of spiders. This is the one and only reason I use toxic pest control EVER. IF you’re not so lame as me, you can one, allow the spiders to live with you (they’ll control the other bugs) or pick them up and set them outside. That idea gives me the heebie jeebies, but honestly it’s the most eco-friendly choice.