Gentle ways to repel or get rid of bothersome insects: top tricks using general household products....
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Even though movie studios have tried make us fall in love with ants and other insects, most of us aren't thrilled to find ants and spiders crawling around in our cupboards – no matter how cute they are.
Unfortunately, canned, chemical sprays may be deadly in more ways than one: recent studies linked them to Parkinson's disease. Plus, the odour of traditional bug repellents is less than savoury. Luckily, there are tried and tested natural bug repellents and killers that will get the job done without harsh chemicals.
Most ants can be controlled with homemade bait made from peanut butter (two tablespoons), jam (two tablespoons) and boric acid (one teaspoon). Put the bait in a small disposable container. To eliminate ant mounds outside, try this trick: Dampen the mounds with water, then pour on baking soda and a bit of white vinegar – the mixture will bubble and kill off the ants.
Planting basil outside is known to repel flies and mosquitoes, but we are excited about a new natural repellent with the main ingredient of catnip. But, don't try to use catnip alone to repel mosquitoes: the new recipe will be available for consumer purchase next year.
Spiders can easily be killed with a mixture of water (40 percent), alcohol (40 percent) and dish soap (20 percent). Put the mixture in an inexpensive sprayer and spray on the spider.
To repel flies, fill a one gallon clear plastic zip top bag less than halfway with water, then hang it near the top of your door, on your railings or from your eaves (you can do this by using duct tape, or, by gathering together and tying the top of the bag with rope, rubber bands or tape and then hooking it gently onto a nail without making a hole in the bag). Flies have compound vision so when they see the water, they will think there are hundreds of flies nearby and they won't be interested in coming around anymore.
To control cockroaches, we recommend Niban Bait, made from boric acid, however it is quite tricky to get hold of.
Article provided by Lavender Pest Control