Dealing with household bugs and pests can be frustrating, but there are many natural methods you can use to keep them at bay. Here are eight effective strategies:
1. Essential Oils
How to Use:
- Peppermint Oil: Mix 10-15 drops of peppermint oil with water in a spray bottle and apply it around windows, doors, and other entry points.
- Lavender Oil: Place lavender sachets in closets and drawers to repel moths and other insects.
- Tea Tree Oil: Mix a few drops with water and spray in areas where bugs are common.
Why It Works:
Essential oils have strong scents that repel many insects, including ants, spiders, and mosquitoes.
2. Diatomaceous Earth
How to Use:
- Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth around the perimeter of your home, in cracks and crevices, and in areas where you’ve seen pests.
Why It Works:
Diatomaceous earth is a natural powder that dehydrates and kills insects like ants, cockroaches, and fleas.
3. Vinegar Solutions
How to Use:
- Ants: Mix equal parts water and white vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray along ant trails and entry points.
- Fruit Flies: Create a trap using a bowl of vinegar with a few drops of dish soap. The flies will be attracted to the vinegar and get trapped in the soap.
Why It Works:
Vinegar disrupts the scent trails that ants use and attracts fruit flies to traps.
4. Baking Soda and Sugar
How to Use:
- Mix equal parts baking soda and sugar and place the mixture in shallow containers where you’ve seen roaches.
Why It Works:
The sugar attracts the roaches, and the baking soda reacts with their stomach acid to kill them.
5. Cucumber Slices
How to Use:
- Place cucumber slices in areas where you’ve seen ants, such as kitchen counters and windowsills.
Why It Works:
Cucumbers contain compounds that are toxic to ants, especially bitter varieties.
6. Herbs and Spices
How to Use:
- Bay Leaves: Place bay leaves in cupboards, drawers, and pantry shelves to repel insects like cockroaches and weevils.
- Cinnamon: Sprinkle ground cinnamon around entry points and areas where you’ve seen pests.
Why It Works:
Many herbs and spices have strong scents that deter pests.
7. Soap and Water Spray
How to Use:
- Mix a few drops of liquid dish soap with water in a spray bottle. Spray directly on insects like aphids, whiteflies, and mites on houseplants.
Why It Works:
Soap breaks down the protective outer layer of insects, causing them to dehydrate and die.
8. Lemon Juice
How to Use:
- Spray pure lemon juice around the entry points of your home and areas where you’ve seen spiders.
Why It Works:
The acidity and strong scent of lemon juice repel spiders and other insects.
