Whether you are looking to rid your family home of ants, termites, rodents or the common housefly, there‘s one thing we all agree on. Pests can be a huge nuisance and in the summer months when the temperatures rise, insects and bugs come out of hibernation seeking a warm place to live.
Whilst there are plenty of chemical products on the market, when your house is a home to children and pets, you’re going to want to opt for a safe, natural and non-toxic solution. Bennetts Pest Control uses family-friendly, non-toxic pest control products – get in touch if you need professional pest solutions!
If you want to try a little prevention-is-better-than-cure, however, here are 5 natural pest control remedies that you can put into action today. In fact, most of these solutions you’ll already have in your home to use and therefore will not cost you a cent!
1. Coffee grounds
You know how much you love your daily cup of coffee? Well pests hate it just as much! In fact ground coffees are fatal for ants. Whilst you cannot anticipate every single entry point around your home you can target common access areas such as door and windows. All you need to do is sprinkle ground coffee around your home and as soon as the ants get a dose of it, they’ll turn around for good. In fact if you are lucky, they may even take some of the coffee, which acts as a natural poison, back to the colony infecting them all. Sounds harsh but given that ants in summer are attracted to sweet fruits and can spoil a family gathering, you’re going to want to use a pest control that is non-toxic for the family and safe to use.
And if you are not keen on coffee, cinnamon or cayenne pepper also does the trick!
2. Remove water sources
Another annoying summer pest is the mosquito. Mozzies carry diseases and because they are drawn to water the key to natural pest control is to remove all stagnant water sources from in and around your home and garden.
Your pet’s water bowl should be changed regularly, as should the water in the birdbath or water feature in your garden. Don’t forget too that if you have pulled out the wading pool this summer for the kids to splash around in, empty the water each night.
Ensure that any buckets of water you may be using to collect rainwater to feed the plants are used up or taken well away from the perimeter of your home. Leaking garden hoses as well as taps in the bathroom and kitchen should be addressed promptly too. Mosquitos love damp conditions so the sooner you can eliminate their water source, the better.
3. Essential oils
Other than the amazing scent and the natural healing powers that essential oils provide, they are also a fabulous natural pest control solution. Almost every scent works to control different pests however here are some of the common uses.
Summer months see spiders come out in full force and one safe way to send spiders running is with peppermint essential oil. Add to a spray bottle with some water and spray over cobwebs and around doors and windows. In fact, anywhere you can see spiders living a good dose of this solution can be placed. Because spiders taste through their feet they will instantly be gone.
Another option is to use commonly found citrus essential oils including lemon and orange. These are also a great deterrent for spiders and one way to have your home and garden smelling lovely whilst being safe for the family.
Eucalyptus essential oil is a great natural pest control for sending flies on their way and Neem oil has natural mosquito repellent properties. Using essential oils won’t harm pests or your children so it is a great pleasant option this summer to consider.
4. Plant flowers
There is nothing like a garden filled with gorgeous flowering plants. If I told you that certain plants also act as a natural pest control you would probably be amazed!
Catnip and marigolds act as a great mosquito deterrent and are also plants that produce beautiful flowers. If you are more into herbs, rosemary is one herb that is not only fabulous in the kitchen but one that mozzies do not like; neither do houseflies. In fact they do not like the smell of basil, mint or thyme either.
Why not set up a herb garden on your patio, window ledge or near your back door? Not only will you be establishing a great food source for you to call upon whilst you are cooking up a storm this summer, but you’ll also be providing yourself with a natural pest control solution by default.
5. Tidy up
One way to make your home uninviting to pests this summer is to keep it as tidy as possible. If you don’t want pests inside your home (and let’s face it, who does?) the solution is to eliminate the things that attract them.
Keeping kitchen benchtops and floors clean of sticky foods, crumbs and odours is just the start. Remember to also store food in sealed containers too.
If you think about it, pests need food and water to survive so by eliminating these sources they will naturally need to seek shelter and a home elsewhere. Keeping your rubbish bin clean too and emptying the trash regularly means it will no longer be an attractive place for fruit flies and other pests.
Sometimes pests are just that little more challenging to eliminate and control and that’s when it’s worthwhile calling in the experts. Bennetts Pest Control offer natural pest control solutions that are guaranteed to work and most importantly are safe for everyone involved. Reducing your impact on the environment and eliminating the need to always call upon toxic products is easy with the right know-how!
Contact Bennetts Pest Control for natural pest control solutions this summer – or anytime!
