As summer draws to a close, your plans for fall should include ways to keep your home past-free. Before you resort to using harmful chemicals and pesticides in order to avoid encounters with annoying pests, try out these helpful tips to keep pests away from your home and your family safe. Even though they may be very annoying to encounter in your home, many insects are actually helpful to the environment. They help keep the ecosystem in balance, especially when they stay outside. Simply spraying bug spray around your house may not be the best way to deter unwanted pests. Sometimes, a natural remedy for unwanted pests around your home can be even healthier for your family.
1. Spring Cleaning Isn’t Just for Spring
Cleaning out your home, especially your kitchen, is a good way to remove indoor temptations for unwanted pests. This includes going through your pantry and removing any items that may be open and could invite pests into your home. This is also a good time to check the lids on all containers in your kitchen.
2. Clean Your Trash Cans
Before the weather gets too cold, take some time to thoroughly wash out your trash cans. According to Universal Pest & Termite Elite, waste at the bottom of your cans can attract unwanted pests in your backyard. You should have a completely lid sealed on your garbage can at all times. This can help prevent the spread of smell from your trash, which is a natural attraction for pests. The same is true for your recycling cans.
3. Try Apple Cider Vinegar
Apple cider vinegar is a great natural remedy to help removes flies from your home. All you need to do is fill a small jar with apple cider vinegar and cover it with plastic wrap. Then, poke a few holes in it and wait for the flies to accumulate. There is no danger for anyone in your house breathing in apple cider vinegar, which is much safer than other forms of insect repellents. It can also be much cheaper as an added bonus.
4. Fix All Leaks
If you have any leaks around your house, this could be an unwanted attraction for cockroaches. Before winter hits, check around your house for any leaky pipes and be sure to fix them. Also, you can sprinkle borax around the perimeter of your house to help keep the cockroaches away. While you are checking for leaks, this is also a good time to look for any holes in the walls or floors of your house. Even a small hole can be a gateway for plenty of critters. Patch up any hole completely before winter so that insects and rodents are not tempted to come inside your warm house.
5. Use Basil around Your Windows
Basalt can be a great deterrent for houseflies. They simply cannot stand the smell of basil. Other great deterrents include lavender, mint, rosemary, they and chamomile. If you sprinkle any of these around windows or doorways, this can help keep houseflies out of your house. These are all things that you can grow in a home garden. The natural smell outside of your home also acts as a major deterrent for insects.
6. Try Out Peppermint Oil
If you are concerned with keeping wasps away from your house, peppermint oil could be an effective repellent. If you have a guarding, you could try adding a mint plant. If you already notice wasp nests around your house, you may want to spray them directly with peppermint oil. You could also look for a wasp repellent that includes peppermint oil as one of the main ingredients. Make sure to exercise extreme caution when approaching a wasp nest. This is especially true if you suffer from any known allergies to wasps. If all else fails, you may want to call in the help of an expert exterminator said that you do not risk injury.
