Eliminate Bugs Naturally; NO Toxic Chemicals

From Wiki
Revision as of 15:35, 9 October 2009 by Woobles (Talk | contribs)

(diff) ← Older revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)
Jump to: navigation, search

Eliminate Bugs Naturally; NO Toxic Chemicals

Insects are dirty and spread disease. No one wants to see ants running along their kitchen counter or see fleas jumping out of the sofa cushions. Wouldn’t you like to enjoy an evening on your back deck without getting eaten alive my mosquitoes? Chemical insect sprays can eliminate bugs, but the ingredients used to make these sprays are toxic and are not good for you or the atmosphere. All you need to do to figure that out is smell one of the products after it has been released into the air. The smells are awful! How could something that smells so bad have no effects on your own health? If you have an insect problem or just want to enjoy the outdoors, there are green alternatives available to get rid of these major nuisances.

I know when spring is in the air when I see a black little body running along my kitchen floor. Spring and summer months are ideal for ants. When you first spot an ant, follow it and see where it is entering your home. If they are outside by your patio, follow them and see where the nest is. After you discover where they are coming from, spread a trail of cayenne pepper, citrus oil, or even some coffee grounds all around those locations. Ants will not travel through these substances.

Another green way to get rid of ants is to place cucumber peels, garlic cloves, or spearmint leaves inside areas like kitchen cabinets and closets. These organic ingredients are mother earth’s natural repellents. Tackle insect problems inside first, then move on to the issues outside your house. Once you discover where the ant hills are, shake a dusting of cornmeal inside the opening of the hole and all around it. The ants will bring the feast inside the nest and the ants will dine on a meal that they can’t digest. It will take about seven days but the ants will die off. Cornmeal is a lot safer than the boric acid that is sometimes recommended to get rid of ants. Boric acid is toxic and should be kept away from little hands and household pets.

I remember all to well when I worked in an old building in the middle of downtown. I was sitting at my desk and looked up at the ceiling. Right along the light fixtures ran a large shiny black insect. I was shocked and disgusted to learn that it was a cockroach. This aromatic perennial herb attracts cats but repels other things like cockroaches. If cockroaches are already a problem in your home, you may be surprised to learn that their stomachs can’t tolerate beer. Knowing this you can let a piece of bread soak in beer. Put the bread in a dish and place it where you have seen the cockroaches.

Here is another remedy that isn’t widely known. Spray bottles have many uses, and when you fill them with water and add some soap, the combination can be deadly to a cockroach. If you see one, let him have it. This simple concoction will cause the exoskeleton of the cockroach to break down.

What about mosquitoes? Mosquitoes are attracted to and live in unmoving water. If you have a baby pool make sure you dump it out at the end of the day. Also, if you have an artificial pond in your yard, make sure the pump is working properly. A great natural mosquito repellant is eucalyptus. If you plan on being outside for any length of time, apply a lotion with at least one third of it being eucalyptus. If you have a garden or any outdoor plants, add some marigold, rosemary, and sage into the landscaping. These too repel mosquitoes. Another thing you can try is burning wood in a fire pit. Mosquitoes and other annoying insects hate smoke.

As you can see there is no need to use dangerous chemical products to keep insects at bay. There are many green alternatives that are safe to use in and around your home.

By: Bradley Skierkowski