Natural Pest Control

There's no need for toxic chemicals to control pests such as ants, cockroaches, flies, and mice. To keep them away, make your home unappealing for them. If they do find their way into your home, natural deterrents and traps will quickly take care of the problem without danger to you or to the environment.

You can control pests in various ways:

• Don't leave food for them; clean up the kitchen immediately after meals (or at least, rinse the food residues from the dishes).
• Sweep up crumbs, wipe the counters, and wash out any jars, bottles and cans destined for recycling.
• Store food in tightly covered containers.
• Empty rubbish bins and kitchen compost bins daily.
• Insects are attracted to sources of water: repair leaking taps and check for leaking pipes under sinks.
• Use caulk to seal cracks in windows and walls where insects can enter.
• Don't keep stacks of newspapers, paper bags, or cardboard boxes for them to hide in.

Keep flies away
Keep your rubbish containers tightly covered when not in use. Window fans that blow air outward help to keep flies from entering through windows. Keep fly swatters handy, aim 4cm (1.5in) from the fly's back because flies jump up and backward when they take off. If possible, install screen doors that open outward so flies are not pulled into the house each time the door is used.

Repel flies with herbs
To keep flies away, put out bowls of fresh orange and lemon peels mixed with dried cloves. Planting rue and tansy near doorways also helps to prevent the pests entering the house.

Control flies with oils
Flies don't like the scent of lavender, eucalyptus, or cedar. Use one or a combination of these essential oils in an aromatherapy diffuser or on cotton balls placed around the room. Add a few drops of an oil to small bowls of hot water to help disperse the scent throughout the room.

Homemade fly paper
Make your own flypaper by spreading molasses on to strips or squares of bright yellow posterboard.
Hang the strips in doorways or lay squares on the kitchen counters and other places where flies are a problem.

Repel weevils
A couple of bay leaves placed in grain and bean storage containers keeps weevils at bay.

Plant herbs to keep ants away
Herbs such as lavender peppermint, and tansy planted around the house will help keep ants away. Plant in the ground or in pots by doorways and put small pots of mint in your windowsills.

Natural ant control
Dried peppermint, cayenne, and borax all deter ants.
7.5g (1/4 oz) dried peppermint leaves
35g (1 oz) powdered cayenne
30g (1 oz) borax
Mix the ingredients together, and sprinkle the mixture liberally around the area where ants are entering.

Repel ants with oils
Peppermint, spearmint, and citronella essential oils help to deter ants. Place a few drops of one oil on a cotton ball and put in areas where you have seen ants. Renew the oil every two days to keep the scent strong.

Homemade ant trap
Make a simple ant trap by mixing the following in a screw-top jar.
750ml (24fl oz) water
225g (7.5oz) sugar
4 teaspoons boric acid
Poke holes in the lid and place the jar near ant trails but out of reach of pets and children.

Banish mice
Seal all potential entry ways and stuff steel wool into the openings around plumbing where mice might enter. Live traps can work well, but you need to release captured mice at least 1.6km (1 mile) away so they do not retum. You can also try a sonic repellent (available at some hardware stores). These devices emit ultrasonic sound waves to scare away rodents. Ultrasonic sound waves tend to be very directional so careful placing is important for these devices to be effective!

Eliminate cockroaches
A combination of borax. cocoa, and flour lures and kills cockroaches.
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons powdered cocoa
4 tablespoons borax
Combine the ingredients and place the mixture in some small shallow containers in cabinets, under sinks, and other areas where you know cockroaches congregate.

Trap cockroaches
Place half an overripe banana and half a bottle of beer in 1.25 litre (2 pint) glass canning jar.
Rub a thick margin of petroleum jelly on the inside lip of the jar.
Lean a 25mm (1 in)-wide strip of heavy cardboard at an angle against the outside of the jar to provide the cockroaches with easy access.
Once inside the jar, they will not be able to get out

Repel cockroaches with essential oils
Cockroaches don't like the scent of eucalyptus or rosemary essential oils.
Place a few drops of essential oil on cotton balls and put in areas where you have seen cockroaches. Renew the essential oil every couple of days to keep the scent strong.