Kill Indoor Bugs Without Pesticides
No one wants to see bugs inside the house, but most of us are a bit hesitant to use dangerous pesticides to kill them. This is especially true in homes with small children or pets. Thankfully, there are safer options for getting rid of most indoor bugs. Whether you have an overrun of ants, flies, cockroaches, spiders, or some other type of creepy crawler, here are a few methods you can use to kill indoor bugs without pesticides.
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Get rid of black ants
Corn meal – Around the same time every year, little black ants take over my kitchen. After unsuccessfully trying to kill them with ant traps, ant sprays, and other dangerous chemicals, a friend recommended corn meal. It worked! Sprinkle a little corn meal where you see the ants and, gradually, it will kill them. The ants can’t resist the sweetness, but can’t digest it either.
Grits – Want to repel the ants instead of kill them? Sprinkle grits where you see ants entering the house. They don’t want to walk over the grainy substance and will retreat back outside to avoid it.
Cayenne pepper – If you can see a trail of ants leading into your kitchen, sprinkle a bit of cayenne pepper in the path. Ants will relocate elsewhere as they can’t stand the spicy scent.
Put an end to cockroaches
Borax – Cockroaches have got to be the most disgusting indoor bugs of all time. They hide in dark corners, multiply behind the walls, and can be difficult to get rid of. Place borax in a small dish, up high out of reach of children and pets. Cockroaches will dip in, feed on it, and take it back to their nest. Bye-bye cockroaches!
Diatomaceous Earth (DE) -Food grade Diatomaceous Earth (DE) is a safe way to kill indoor bugs such as cockroaches. We’ve recommended it in the past to get rid of fleas. Place it in a dish beneath the sink, inside cabinet doors and drawers, without the worry of coming in contact with poisonous chemicals. It’s very effective, too.
Kill pesky fruit flies
Apple cider – Fruit flies are attracted to sweet fruits, and they will be drawn to a small bowl of apple cider left on the counter. Unfortunately for them, they’ll drown in it, too.
Mint leaves – To repel fruit flies, simply place a few mint leaves near fresh fruit left on the counter. Fruit flies will stay clear of the scent. This also works with basil leaves.
Get rid of weevils
Bay leaves – You may have never heard of a weevil, but you’ve probably seen them. They are the very tiny insects that invade rice, flour, cereal, and other similar foods. If you accidentally ingest one of these guys you can become ill, possibly contracting an E.Coli infection. Weevils are easy enough to get rid of, though. Simply store dried bay leaves in and around containers.
More from Jennifer Wagner:
Top indoor air pollutants
How to keep stray cats away from your house
Eliminate fleas from the home once and for all
Source:
Personal experience
