5 natural ways to banish household pests
There’s nothing worse than going out to the kitchen in the morning only to find a numerous-legged critter has made itself comfortable in your pantry.
Thankfully, you don’t need to spend hundreds on dangerous chemicals or professional pest controllers to get the job done. Whether it’s flies or cockroaches, we’ve got natural solutions to all your pest problems.
1. Flies
Do you constantly have the swatter at the ready? Put it down! All you need to ward away flies is basil! They hate the smell. Simply place pots of basil on your windowsills or kitchen top to discourage them. If you don’t have enough sun for potted basil, the dried stuff works just as well. Just pop it into a muslin pouch and rub it often to keep the scent nice and strong.
2. Spiders
Banish eight-legged critters with a spray bottle filled with water and unsweetened lemon or lime juice – spiders hate citrus. Grab some wipes and spray down the areas of your home prone to spiders (doorways, windowsills etc). If they’re wreaking havoc in your garden, scatter some lemon, orange or lime peels around.
3. Ants
These tiny troublemakers can be notoriously difficult to get rid of, but the solution is surprisingly easy. All you need is a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and water. Use it to wipe down any surfaces ants have taken a liking to and repeat several times a day until they’re gone. It works by destroying the scent trails used by ants to help them navigate.
4. Mosquitoes
The enemy of every summer barbeque, pesky mozzies can be eradicated with something a little unorthodox – catnip. According to Science Daily, it repels mosquitos even more effectively than DEET. You can grow it at home or apply undiluted catnip oil to your skin and you’ll be protected for up to two hours.
5. Cockroaches
Get rid of creepy-crawly cockroaches by dusting boric acid into any cracks, crevices, voids and wherever else you see them emerge from. This fine powder clings to their legs, antennae and bodies, so when they groom themselves, they consume the boric acid, which acts as a stomach poison and kills them.