Even though many of us are thankful for the warmth of better weather, there is always one major downside: the insects. Mosquitoes, flies, gnats, ticks - all these critters come out of hibernation and bear down to attack your house. But what can you do? We'll tell you - follow these tips! We've got tips for properly cleaning so your house doesn't attract bugs in the first place; there are measures you can take to kill or repel specific pests; plants that are known to repel bugs; and a homemade bug spray. Keep reading to get all this information and protect you and your household from a pest invasion.
The first step is prevention. If the problem never gets out of hand, it never needs fixing, right? Follow these 6 guidelines to not attract pests:
- Wipe down kitchen surfaces with a vinegar/water solution to really clean up food particles.
- Don't leave any leaks - fix them so bugs don't have a ready source of water.
- Seal dry goods in air-tight containers.
- Use a trashcan with a lid.
- Rinse out recyclables before putting them in the bin.
- Clean out your sink drain with baking soda, vinegar, and boiling water so no leftover remains lodged in there.
There are also targeted measures you can take against specific pests. Let's address some of the more common ones:
- To keep out ants, sprinkle coffee grounds around windows and doors. Alternatively, you can opt for the killing method by luring them with a sugar/borax mixture that also kills them.
- For fruit flies, lure them to their deaths with apple cider vinegar in a glass.
- Spiders are one of the most feared pests. To keep them well away from you, spray a vinegar/water mixture on cracks, openings, and any other entrances.
- Beer does a good job repelling cockroaches, so place a saucer of it near places where you've seen them enter.
- Silverfish can be battles by sprinkling boric acid in moist places like bathrooms and kitchens.
- For mosquitoes, you can use a mixture of grain alcohol and essential oils of citronella, lemon eucalyptus, geranium, lavender, lemongrass, or tea tree to keep them from coming in your house. Mist the mixture around the home, especially near doorways and windows.
You can also use plants to repel insects, both inside and outside the house. Some insect-repelling herbs and plants include citronella, marigolds, catnip, basil, rosemary, and horsemint. Citronella, marigolds, and catnip do best when grown outside. Basil, rosemary, and horsemint are fine inside the house to provide pest protection both inside and outside.
If you're looking for a homemade bug spray, we've got that for you, too! The ingredients to it are fairly simple: essential oils of rosemary, clove, eucalyptus, mint, lavender, and cinnamon; water; and witch hazel. It'll do the same job repelling insects while being safer for your skin.
For more information, refer to the infographic below. Best of luck with the pests!
