There are some natural chemicals that can be used to control pests at home. These are proven safe for use in your home and garden. Most of these eco-friendly alternatives are inexpensive to produce and kill a wide variety of pests. More importantly, they have lesser negative impact towards our environment. So let’s now learn how to make these homemade pesticides that will surely help protect your home and family from pesky critters.
- Cinnamon For Ants
Brisbane eco-friendly pest controller www.ecopestcontrolbrisbane.com.au says that cinnamon can be used to naturally deter ants. You could simply sprinkle some cinnamon powder on the soil around sensitive plants that are prone to ant attacks or apply it directly onto the pests. Here’s a simple recipe you can make:
- Mix 2 tablespoons of boric powder into 1 cup of honey.
- Spread it on a piece of paper and allow it to dry for a day or two.
- Then you can use this as bait for ants.
Here’s another homemade pesticide that can be used for ant control:
- Prepare 10 parts water, 10 parts molasses, and 1 part dish detergent.
- Pour this solution into shallow dishes or saucers, so that it is easy for the ants to climb through the mixture.
- Then place these dishes around your garden or house, so that they are close to ant nesting sites (but not too close).
- Soda Trap For Mosquitoes
You could make a soda trap from an old 2-liter plastic bottle to control mosquitoes in your yard. Here’s what you can do:
- Remove the top of the bottle, and cut off about half an inch from the bottom part of it. Fill this with water, then add a tablespoon or two of yeast.
- Make a few holes at the top part of the bottle. After that, place it in a shady area near the standing water.
- Mosquitoes will be drawn to this scent and will get trapped in the bottle, eventually dying due to lack of oxygen.
- Boric Acid For Cockroaches
To eradicate cockroache, use boric powder mixed into white flour as bait for the cockroaches. The boric acid in the mixture is deadly for cockroaches once they eat it. You can also mix petroleum jelly with boric powder and spread this paste on top of kitchen counters to kill roaches.
- Boiling Water For Crickets
To kill crickets, you could use a spray bottle filled with boiling water to spray them or their hiding spots. This natural pesticide will kill them instantly. Once dead, you can easily sweep them up and throw them away.
- Vinegar For Small Flies
Small flies can be killed using any of the following homemade pesticides:
- Vinegar + molasses or brown sugar solution.
- Flat cola drink
- Brown sugar dissolved in water
- Tomato juice diluted with water
- Apple cider vinegar
Make jar traps by simply cutting the top off a plastic bottle, then poking small holes in the bottom. Fill this bottle with your any pest control solution mentioned above. Use it to bait those house flies.
- Garlic For Fungus Gnats
Fungus gnat larvae are the immature stages of small flies that eat fungus, leaf mold, and other organic matter in soils. You can get rid of fungus gnats by temporarily draining any stagnant water from flowerpots or drainage trays in your house or garden, then reapplying water to the plants. However, if this does not get rid of the fungus gnats, you can use one of these homemade pesticides for fungus gnat control:
- Crushed fresh garlic soaked in vinegar
- Tea tree oil mixed with water
- Borax Powder For Small Mice
It is usually not a good idea to kill small mice or rats in a garden since they help control pests such as snails and slugs. But if you need to kill small mice in your home, you can make a homemade pesticide using borax powder. Mix 1/2 cup borax into 1 gallon of hot water, then allow it to sit overnight. Pour this solution into a spray bottle and spray it directly onto small mice as a natural pesticide.
- Dish Soap For Bed Bugs
An effective homemade pesticide to kill bed bugs is made from a mixture of 1 cup of cold water, 2 tablespoons of liquid dish soap, and 2 teaspoons of any type of oil. Pour this solution into a spray bottle, then spray it onto any areas where you have seen or suspected that bed bugs are hiding.
- Borax For Snails
You can make a homemade pesticide for snail control using borax powder. Simply sprinkle some borax onto their trails. They will stop feeding and die within a few hours. You can also sprinkle salt over them, although this might take longer.
- Salt and Mint Leave For Slugs
To kill slugs, you can make a homemade pesticide using table salt, which will dehydrate them and cause them to die once they ingest the salt. You could either sprinkle large amounts of salt on the soil surface or apply a band of salt directly under and around your plants.
Mint leaves can also be used as a natural pesticide in order to kill slugs. Just place some mint leaves around any areas where you have seen slugs crawling, and they will eat the leaves and die within a few hours.
- Neem Oil For Spider Mites
Spider mite control can be achieved with homemade pesticides using neem oil, insecticidal soap, or garlic juice. Neem oil is an effective natural pesticide that will kill most types of insects including spider mites.
- Castor Oil For Control Moles
Moles can be controlled or prevented using castor oil granules. Place the castor oil granules underneath the mounds created by the moles in your yard or garden, and they will eat it and die within 1-2 days.
- Vinegar For Beetles
You can make an insect repellent spray to keep crawling insects such as ants, beetles, and spiders away from your plants. Simply use a spray bottle to mix one part vinegar and two parts water, and apply this solution to the plants that you want to keep free of crawling insects.
- Peppermint Spray for Ants
You can use peppermint oil as a natural pesticide to kill ants. Dilute the peppermint oil with water, then use a spray bottle to apply this solution to any areas where you have seen ants crawling. This will repel the ants, and they won’t be able to crawl over these areas again.
- Garlic Juice For Ladybugs
You can make a natural pesticide out of garlic juice, which will kill any predatory insects such as ladybugs or lacewings that it comes into contact with.
- Simply add one cup of garlic juice to a gallon of water
- Apply this solution with a spray bottle to your plants every 2-3 weeks during the growing season.
Conclusion
In conclusion, all-natural pesticides are effective for killing crawling insects and better for the environment. Just be sure to use any of these remedies as soon as you notice an infestation. It will be much more effective before the insects have a chance to do any damage.
