Insect Control in the House

One of the best ways to control insects in the home is to prevent them from coming in. Insects carry germs, disease and can eat through your food or destroy your woodwork.

It is important that you make sure that all of the cracks around doors and windows are sealed tightly. This will not only help prevent unwanted creatures from entering your home it will also keep your energy costs to a minimum.

Another great way to prevent the insects from getting into your house is to not give them anything to come in for. That means you need to keep your home very clean by not allowing dirty dishes to pile up in the sink, by vacuuming and dusting regularly and by keeping your food in sealed containers.

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, it is still possible to get an insect infestation in the home. The best way to fight off these creatures is to do it the green way.

Ants are a big pest problem in a lot of homes. One way to get rid of the ants is to mix borax with sugar. Mix about ten percent borax to sugar and place it in the areas where you have seen the ants. The ants will take it back to the nest because the sugar hides the taste and smell of the borax. The borax will kill the ants in the nest.

Another great natural remedy for ant infestation is bay leaves. This method has been used for centuries. You place a bay leaf behind canisters on your counter or in your food pantry. Just place these leaves anywhere you have seen ants.

If you find that you have a fruit fly problem you can remedy this by making an apple cider vinegar fruit fly trap. Just pour some apple cider vinegar into a glass and cover it with a paper funnel. The flies will be attracted to the smell, fly into the glass but not be able to find their way back out.

Slugs can be a huge problem for any garden. These little creatures will eat plants, shrubs and leaves. The best method for getting rid of a slug infestation is to place small bowls that contain stale beer in the areas where you have seen the slugs. The slugs like stale beer and will crawl into the bowls and drown.

Another common pest is the mouse. Prevention goes a long way in preventing a rodent infestation. Always keep your home clean and never leave full trash bags lying around. Seal up any cracks around doorways or windows. If you notice openings under the sink or in other areas, stuff these holes with steel wool. Mice cannot chew through steel wool.

You can also try placing cotton balls soaked in peppermint oil around areas where mice may enter the home. The smell of peppermint is overpowering to a mouse, and they will not go near it. It will also mask the smell of food that can attract mice.

There are ways to keep insects and other pests under control without the use of harmful pesticides. Look for more green methods of getting rid of unwanted insects and pests and see which works the best for you.