Both house pests and garden pests are annoying and they make our lives miserable. Sure, other animals like spiders or lizards could eat it, but sometimes it’s not enough to keep them controlled. But don’t worry, there are ways to get rid of them. If you’re eco conscious, then great, because these methods won’t damage the environment as well.
1. Ants
I hate ant pests more than anything that even cockroaches are number three on my personal list. I realize that there are good ants, the ones that help balancing the ecosystem, but ant pests are just so nasty and I despise them. But enough about me.
If you see ant infestations, then the first line of defense is get rid of anything that might attract them in the first place. Keep every place free of crumbs and sticky spots. Replace jar caps properly and add extra protection, especially the ones containing sweet things like sugar or honey. And, don’t leave dishes soaked overnight.
See no improvement? Set out bitter cucumber peels or slices in the kitchen or at the ants’ point of entry. You can also leave a few tea bags of mint tea around areas of the infestation. Don’t have mint tea? Dry, crushed mint leaves or cloves also do the job.
You can also make ant pest bait that will kill the colony. Mix liter of water, one teaspoon of Borax, and one cup of sugar. Soak some cotton balls in the solution and place them in a container with holes so ants can come and go. Place this bait where you see ants the most. Once they’ve taken the bait, ants will carry the bait back to their colonies and the colonies will go bye-bye.
This bait is pretty brutal, but if you’ve been struggling with ant pests for the longest time, this is the way that will solve the core of the problem. Keep away from children and pets and use this bait for indoors only.
2. Dust Mites
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I personally have no problem with dust mites, but if you have allergies or asthma, these microscopic guys are bad news. Dust mites settle on everywhere in our home like the beds, clothing, furniture, accessories, cushions, you name it.
To get rid of them, you want to clean things thoroughly. Vacuum mattresses and cushions and wash your bedding regularly at 55 degrees Celcius or higher because mites can stand detergents and commercial laundry products. You can freeze it, but the allergens won’t go away.
There are also dust mite bedding, pillowcases, duvet, and mattress covers that you can get. They’re zippered and featured with casings to block allergen and dust mites. With this, however, you must check it from time to time to ensure that nothing’s ripped.
3. Moles
Got problems with moles? There are actually organic mole repellent that you can buy. But to prevent moles from coming to your garden, you should improve soil drainage so that it won’t be moist (‘cause moles like damp soil). You can also install wire or metal barriers around the plants or leave it to mother nature by encouraging their natural predators like hawks or owls to come to your house.
4. Cockroaches
Again, I hate these things, especially when they sneak up and crawl on me when I’m taking a shower. One thing to make sure that there are no cockroaches in your house is clean kitchen and bathroom. Vacuum thoroughly and wash dirty areas with strong soap and then dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag in a sealed container.
However, there are times when no matter how hard you clean your house, roaches will go back. Well, first thing, you can use catnip. Cats love it, cockroaches don’t. You can either leave it in small sachets or simmer it in water to make catnip tea that you can use as a spray. The thing is, though, you can’t use this method if you have cats in your house.
If you’re brave enough to confront these roaches, make a soapy water (water + soap). When you see one or two, just spray them directly and it should be enough to kill them. If you’re not brave enough to do this, make a trap. Get an empty coffee can and place one or two pieces of beer-soaked bread. Then, set a ramp that leads to the top and line the inside top edge with something slippy like petroleum jelly. Place these traps in areas where you usually find roaches.
Last but not least, you can use similar method of getting rid of ants. But instead of using borax, you use boric acid (they both are similar but different). Place it on top of your kitchen cabinets. Chances are, roaches will take this to their nests and they’ll die. But just like dealing with borax, keep this away from children and pets.
5. Mosquitoes
These humming bugs make your waters dirty, they bring diseases, suck your blood, and make your skin feel itchy. I’ve got big mosquito bites so bad that the bruises haven’t been gone for months now.
First thing to do is to close windows and doors in the morning. Second, remove standing water sources because mosquitoes love these. Change birdbaths, wading pools, and pets’ water bowls twice a week. In the yard, make sure to remove all items that collect water.
You can also try using citronella soy or beeswax candles for smaller areas such as decks or patios. It’s best to place these candles low to the floor of the deck or in areas with little breeze. You might also want to try using neem oil, since Neem leaves, seeds, and its oil contain a compound that naturally repels mosquitoes.
When those two doesn’t seem to work well, try lemongrass. Almost all mosquito repellent oil contain this because it is effective. To use this herb, break a stalk off from the clump and peel off the outer leaves until you find a stem at the base. Bend it between your fingers to loosen it and then rub it between your palms. Then, cover your skin with the pulpy, juicy mass. If you want, you can plant these around to help repel mosquitoes more.
4. Rodents
Rats can be annoying and dangerous indoors while outdoor rodents can mess up your garden big time. Well, one thing to do is to secure any open food sources, so make sure you don’t have any scraps in the open. If you’ve got compost bins, make sure you seal them.
Should you need deterrent, soak a rag in peppermint oil and place this where you find rodents the most. Rodents are apparently allergic to peppermint so they’ll avoid it. On rainy seasons, make sure to cover them so that the rain won’t dilute the oil.
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