At first, it tickles. Then, it becomes itchy. The next thing you know, your legs are filled with red spots and pests are already flying, crawling, and feasting on your treasured house items. In this article, we’ll talk about how to prevent pests.
Invasive insects and animals are called pests for a reason. No matter how you look at them, they only cause destruction and hassle at home. The books you’ll never get to read because of termites attacks and your leafless plants can attest to that.
Their presence is even felt by the Australian economy. After all, invasive species or pests now cost 1.26% of the nation’s gross domestic product (GDP) or $24.5 billion annually. Among the costliest part of these expenses is pest control, including fencing, trapping, and purchasing harmful pesticides.
Apart from the cost, pest control can also be dangerous around family members. Some pesticides and insecticides are too potent with strong chemicals. Hence, the best way to go about pest control is by going natural—a cheaper and safer option.
We recommend combining natural remedies with regularly throwing out any and all large amounts of junk by using a rubbish removal Sydney company, doing so will almost eliminate chances attracting any pests and rodents.
With that, read on to learn more about natural home remedies you can use to prevent pests from coming into your home.
How To Prevent Pests From Coming Into Your Home?
1. Vinegar
We all know vinegar as a common food condiment. But it’s actually more versatile than that. Vinegar’s pungent smell and acidity (pH level = 2.5) naturally repel pests like fruit flies and ants.
Specifically, vinegar overpowers and erases the trails of scents left by ants. Consequently, it becomes difficult for the rest of the colony to find a food source. Vinegar also acts as a bait and trap for fruit flies.
All you have to do is prepare a spray bottle with equal parts water and vinegar and spray the concoction on surfaces that ants frequent. However, vinegar only offers short-term protection, so you’ll have to repeat the process from time to time.
2. Spent Coffee Grounds
Another home product you can use for pest control is coffee since it contains compounds like caffeine and diterpenes, which are unpleasant for pests. Some insects that you can repel with coffee are beetles, fruit flies, ants, and mosquitoes.
To use it as a repellant, make sure to keep your spent coffee grounds and place them in a bowl or sprinkle them around home surfaces prone to pest infestation.
3. Essential Oils
We often buy essential oils to help us relax. Although they smell good for us, some pests find the odour they give off unbearable. Specifically, essential oils like peppermint, lavender, and eucalyptus can control spiders, flies, and dust mites.
Since most essential oils are bought in concentrated forms, you can opt to dilute them first in water before applying or spraying them on pest-infested areas like beds, sofas, and carpets.
Apart from prevention, essential oils are also effective in healing bites caused by pests, especially mites.
4. Cucumber
Cucumbers, especially their peels, have a bitter taste that naturally repels insects like ants, silverfish, mites, and wasps. To take advantage of this natural aversion, you can place cucumber discs on windowsills, dining tables, under the bed, or anywhere troubled with pests.
But, remember, just like any fruit, cucumbers decompose and might cause more problems if not regularly replaced.
5. Epsom Salt
Hydrated magnesium sulfate crystals, also known as Epsom salt, are naturally found in limestone caves and mines but can also be prepared by boiling down mineral waters.
Since it’s naturally occurring, people often use it as an affordable treatment for minor body aches and pain. But, as scientists perform more studies on it, Epsom salt has emerged as a promising compound for pest control.
To use Epsom salt as a pesticide, you can put it in a strategically placed bowl or simply sprinkle small amounts around doors, windows, carpets, mats, and other house areas where pests reside. You can also opt to mix your Epsom salt with rosemary leaves to amplify its effects against fleas.
Epsom salt is also effective in promoting plant growth. Aside from keeping pests like snails and bugs away, it also helps plants take in nutrients more readily.
Final Thoughts
It’s time to up your pest control game, especially now that the weather’s getting hotter by the day. Hence, prepare yourself for the long battle by following any of the applicable natural remedies we listed above. With these, you’re keeping your things and family away from pests and equally harmful pesticides.
If you’re still unsure of pulling off a natural pest control, you can also check out New South Wales’ regional pest management strategies or hire house cleaning companies, like Cleanrific, to do the job for you. After all, a clean home is still the best defence against pests.
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