If you want a natural means of pest control, your best bet by far is prevention. Once the little rotters have established themselves in your home, they’re ten times harder to eliminate. Make that one hundred times harder to get rid of in the case of small critters that breed at a rate that makes it look like rabbits have infertility problems. Usually, natural prevention methods are much easier to use. Faced with a major infestation of rats or cockroaches, even the most dedicated low-toxicity, environmentally-friendly fan of natural cleaning products tend to think kindly of weapons of mass destruction in the form of poison baits and sprays.
So, how do you prevent pests from considering your home a most desirable residence with all the mod cons? Happily, the key is to be good at keeping your house clean and well-maintained.
How To Deter Insect Pests
The warmer springtime weather often means that many creepy crawlies that have been hibernating or whatever they do over winter start to come out again. The bees are beginning to buzz outside, the butterflies are flittering around… and the flies are buzzing around your kitchen. How do you deter insect pests in your home without calling in one of those professionals who zaps your home with masses of long-lasting poison that kills flies and spiders, all right, but probably doesn’t do you any good?
- Keep your kitchen clean. Flies and other vermin are attracted to old food, so if you’ve left the dishes out overnight or have left smears and crumbs all over the bench, they’ll come. Don’t forget your floor – all sorts of crumbs and smears get on the floor, and these are just as attractive to flies and the like as gunk on the bench. Clean floors by sweeping (or even vacuuming with a brush fitting on the vacuum cleaner) and by mopping.
- Keep food in your pantry in airtight containers and shut the lid. Weevils and their little friends, the silverfish, will creep in and feed. You may have a galley-style kitchen, keep everything shipshape and have a nautical theme in your bathroom, but biscuits and flour filled with weevils take the theme too far. Keep bay leaves loose, however, all through your pantry. Weevils and silverfish hate the smell of bay leaves and will keep away.
- Don’t kill spiders. They don’t do any harm or spread any diseases, nor do they eat your food. All they do is build webs to kill flies and other little creepy crawlies. If you don’t like the look of cobwebs in your home, do what my professional domestic cleaner friend does: scoop the spider up in a duster or on a piece of paper and put it outside (or on a pot plant – spider webs don’t look so bad there) before wrapping a broom in a soft cloth (an old towel or sheet or even a big old sock is ideal) and gently sweeping down the web.
- Many people praise carnivorous plants such as Venus fly traps and pitcher plants. These don’t do much to kill flies, but they do a little. Better plants for deterring insect pests, especially ants, include mint, pennyroyal, tansy, and rue. Try putting them in pots near the door. Basil supposedly repels flies—it indeed repels whiteflies in the garden and hothouse near tomatoes—and it is so delicious that it is certainly worth a try.
- Regular, thorough house cleaning helps repel all sorts of nasties. Make sure you get into the dark, dusty corners, as these can be breeding grounds for pests. Incidentally, if you have had a problem with flies and your walls and woodwork have freckles, you can clean fly spots off with a homemade cleaning spray of dilute vinegar or just a bit of warm, soapy water.
- If you have to spray, use a pyrethrum-based product. This is derived from a type of daisy and is lethal to insects. It also harms fish and frogs, so if you have an aquarium, cover it with something solid to stop the pyrethrum from getting in the water.
- Spiders: These aren’t really pests, as they don’t harm or damage, and they like to eat real pests such as flies and fruit flies. If you must, use a broom to remove webs you don’t like the look of. Don’t kill the spider.
Preventing Rodents And Cleaning Up After Them
Although you do everything possible to prevent rodent infestation, they might like your house as a shelter for one reason or another. Infestations of vermin are more common during autumn as mice move out of the cold to places where food is abundant and lots of warmth and shelter are available. Old wooden houses and those with adjoining garages are the most prone to become rodent lodgings, but the little beggars can sneak in anywhere. They don’t need the traditional mouse holes to get in, either. Loose floorboards, open doors, or even trapdoor thingummies that the plumber uses to get under the house to deal with pipes are all potential entrances for mice.
Seeing a “wee, sleekit, timorous, cowering beastie” running across the floor is not the only way to tell you to have a mouse in the house. Frequently, the first sign of mice is the tell-tale droppings, which look like black grains of rice. These turn up in odd cupboards and drawers, sometimes with very finely shredded bits of paper, plastic or wood. Areas, where rubbish or grain-based products are stored are common areas to find them, but they will go anywhere that they can detect crumbs – I’ve known them to turn up in a drawer full of tea towels (I am still flummoxed as to how one got in there) and in my paper recycling bin.
To secure your home further, please read below to check whether any holes are left open, which might be an entry to rodents.
The mouse is probably still somewhere in your house. This means you will need to set a trap. Do not be squeamish and waste your time with a trap that catches mice alive. Get an old-fashioned spring-loaded trap that kills quickly and humanely. Do not think you can keep a wild-caught mouse as a pet – they must be handled from birth to make good pets.
Contrary to popular culture, mice are not particularly attracted to cheese, so don’t waste good Edam or Cheddar on a mousetrap. Peanut butter is much better and sticks to the trigger mechanism more easily. And don’t be a muggin when baiting the trap. Bait it first and set it second, or you will end up with a nasty bruise on your thumb (rat traps are larger and stronger and would probably break your finger nastily. Handle carefully). Put the trap where you found the droppings (or where you saw the mouse) and warn your family of its whereabouts so nobody stands or puts their hand on it. A sign saying “Watch out for the mousetrap!” on the outside of the cupboard drawer works to warn forgetful people – mice can’t read!
Check the mousetrap regularly or if you hear it making that distinctive snapping noise. Long-dead mice stink, attract flies, and are revolting to get rid of, while fresh-killed mice are not particularly noxious (wash your hands well afterwards, though).
You must seal up any gaps inside and outside your home as mice can go through even the smallest gaps roughly at the size of a coin. There might be gaps you don’t know about, and you need to check regularly behind fridges, furniture, cabinets, storage cupboards and in the corners of the rooms. Sometimes, mice can come from gaps around pipes under the sink or those leading to the washing machine and dishwasher. If you discover a hole, fill it in immediately with cement to prevent rodent infestation.
Another preventative measure is to remove all food sources and store food in containers with a tight lid. Washing dishes and cutlery right after they have been used is a good habit, as they might be one reason for the rodents to infest your home. Any spilled food should be cleaned as soon as possible, and the grills, hobs and ovens should always be kept clean. Even pet food might attract mice, and it is recommended that they not leave any out overnight. Storing rubbish in bins makes it inaccessible for mice, and bins should be as far as possible from the house.
Keeping a cat can help to keep the mice down. Some cats are better mousers than others, but the instinct will be there with most of them, and they will at least have a go. The smell of cats in a house can deter mice to a certain extent, but unless you let a cat roam freely in your kitchen cupboards (not likely with all the food in there), this is not 100% effective. Some dogs will try to chase mice but are not very good at it.
Rats are a different proposition altogether. They are larger, more intelligent and tougher than mice and fight furiously when cornered. They can gnaw through ice cream containers and eat meat. Conventional mousetraps don’t work on them, and some cats aren’t up to killing them (out of the four cats I have kept over my lifetime, only one was an efficient rat-catcher) – and rats are smart enough to figure out if your cat is a threat or not. The only way I have managed to get rid of rats is with poison (risky if you have small children or keep cats and dogs) or by a concentrated campaign of persecution by setting my bull terrier on them (other terrier breeds are also good ratters) and taking a swipe at one with a garden implement. After the revolting creature has had a few good scares, it is smart enough to take itself to a safer place… which isn’t yours. Call a professional pest control company if you don’t own a dog and dislike using poison.
Cleaning Up After Rodents
- Removing Dead Rodents – To remove the dead rodents, wear rubber gloves and spray the surrounding areas with a disinfectant. Let it sit there for at least 5 minutes, and place the rodent in a plastic bag, which should be tightly sealed. Throw the bag in the rubbish container, which should be emptied and washed regularly.
- Removing Droppings and Urine – When cleaning up after rodents, you first need to remove their droppings and urine from the infested areas. You must use gloves during cleaning as directly touching them may cause an infection. Having fresh air in the house is vital in disinfection after the rodent infestation. Pick up all their droppings and urine with a paper towel, which should be disposed of in the bin immediately afterwards. If you have used other items to clean the droppings that might be contaminated, disinfect them as soon as possible.
- Disinfecting – Disinfect all surfaces, including inside cupboards, and mop the floors with a suitable disinfectant. Wash anything exposed to rodents, including carpets, upholstery and mattresses, with soap. After cleaning, remove gloves and wash your hands thoroughly with soap and clean water.
Why are Rodents Dangerous?
Doing your best to prevent rodent infestation is important, as they carry diseases. It is particularly harmful to breathe in dust contaminated with rodent urine or droppings, to have direct contact with a rodent or its droppings, and to eat food and drink water contaminated with their urine. Sometimes, a disease could be spread indirectly from an infected animal or insect bite.
And What About Annoying Birds?
Birdsongs sound beautiful and look sweet as they hop around your garden. They’re not so sweet if they are building nests under your roof, clogging your gutters, or helping yourself to your carefully cultivated strawberries – before you’ve had a chance to eat any yourself. Putting bird wire up in lean-to garages goes a long way to stopping them from perching and nesting above your car and crapping all over it. Regular cleaning out of gutters helps prevent clogging, or fit your gutters with a protective mesh that lets water through but keeps big stuff out – this also keeps leaves and birds out. Old CDs can be hung in fruit trees to deter birds, or you can cover smaller plants, such as strawberries, with netting. If you encounter a dead bird – something the cat dragged in – hang it up by one leg as a scarecrow in your garden (birds seem to like eating young green leaves and ripe fruit). This sort of scarecrow works much better than the decorative sort with the old tools for arms and the cheerful smile embroidered in a thick string on a sack head.
How To Deal With An Ant Infestation At Home
Ants are busy little social creatures proverbial for diligence and hard work. They also make picnics a nuisance as they scurry in to carry off any dropped bounty from your food. Ants are all very well outside – unless they try farming aphids on your roses and other plants – as they do an excellent job of aerating the soil with their nests and clearing up refuse as part of nature’s great recycling system. They are another thing in the house as they get into food. They can sneak in through tiny gaps and can go nearly everywhere.
If you discover ants in your sugar or other dry goods, track them back to their nest. If they have been travelling from your store to theirs for quite a while, this won’t be hard, as a regular ant highway will trail back and forth. Once you find the nest, you have two options: deterring or killing the ants.
Killing the ants can be done with a proprietary ant poison, but this is not recommended if you have small children or animals, especially if the entrance to the ants’ nest is somewhere they can reach (which it probably is). Pouring boiling water down the entrance to the nest is an organic option, but you can never be sure you have killed them all. Alternatively, try a pyrethrum or a homemade garlic and pepper infusion spray, although this writer cannot vouch for this.
Strong-smelling herbs can deter ants, especially pennyroyal, tansy or southernwood. Stick a spring of this herb, dried or fresh, along the trail into your home, preferably where they’re getting into your house. Don’t put these herbs in your pantry, as their strong smell can contaminate your food.
How To Eliminate Fleas
Pennyroyal is also well known for deterring fleas, so much so that the scientific name for this variety of mint translates as “mint that drives out fleas”. The medieval method of deterring fleas was to sprinkle this herb on the floor among the rushes. You can’t do this with modern carpets, but you can tuck a sprig into linen and towels if you suspect fleas are getting in there. Put sprigs of it into pets’ bedding, and you can even rub a handful of crushed pennyroyal over the coat of an animal as a flea deterrent. This is a safe and gentle method of dealing with fleas, but cats don’t like the smell much (at least, mine don’t). An infusion of wormwood is another herbal option.
But the best way to ensure your home is flea-free is to vacuum regularly. Vacuuming kills fleas that have invaded your carpet. Fleas are most abundant at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn.
Removing Other Small Creepy Crawlies
Bay leaves can keep weevils away from dry goods. Keep dried bay leaves in beans or any other grain (or pulse) used for savoury dishes—it won’t matter if the flavour of the bay leaves gets into them.
Clothes moths can be avoided with traditional camphor mothballs and other strong-scented herbs and spices. Some of these smell much nicer than camphor and are more pleasant to have on clothes. Try cedar or lavender essential oils—the latter smells particularly nice on clothing. I have also read that spraying perfume in a wardrobe works to deter moths, but I have never been willing to be so extravagant with my favourite colognes.
Getting Rid Of Garden Pests Organically
Many of us dream of having a vegetable garden to grow cheap, spray-free, or even organic vegetables. Or else we want to grow flowers that delight the nose and the eye alike. But one thing always seems to stop us from doing this. Or make that many things. All sorts of garden pests, large and small, seem to swarm in and devour (or otherwise ruin) all that we’ve worked so hard to grow.
Most of us encounter pests, such as aphids, birds, slugs, and snails, although there are plenty of others, such as codlin moths, various cutworms, and thrips. Larger ones, like rabbits, turn up in some areas! How do you get rid of them without using poisons?
Birds are pretty when singing in the garden but can devastate young green plants and ripe fruits. However, some birds – especially the thrush – are somewhat helpful, as they eat snails. One of the better ways of keeping birds at a minimum is to keep a cat. This may not help protect fruit much, but it will deter the birds from hopping onto your beds of young spinach and tearing up the seedlings. Netting is often used in commercial orchards but is somewhat cumbersome to use in average suburban gardens for fruit trees (however, it’s entirely possible to put netting over strawberries). Some people try hanging glittery things that look like cat’s eyes in trees to deter birds. The best way is to pick the crop before the birds get to it – you should find that most things are unpecked if you get in early, but you will have to leave the pecked ones behind. This works well with apples, pears, plums and apricots but isn’t so good with cherries. In my experience, the birds don’t seem to touch black and redcurrants, even though I have many birds in my garden. Maybe this is because they don’t offer perches in convenient locations.
Slugs and snails don’t usually eat fruit – except maybe strawberries. However, they eat green leafy plants and can destroy young seedlings. However, there are many green ways to get rid of them. My favourite is sprinkling substances that deter them around the young plants. Wood ash (not coal ash), coffee grounds from the percolator or espresso machine and crushed eggshells all work well, alone or in a mixture. Other people use beer traps for slugs and snails. Slugs and snails are fond of a drop of beer, so if you dig a small hole in such a way that the top of a bowl is level with the ground, put a bowl full of beer in the hole and leave it overnight, the slimy little whatnots will slither in and meet a boozy death. And other people prefer the more violent method of spending an evening with a torch and a hammer.
Aphids are a nuisance not only because they sit all over your vegetables (and roses), sucking sap from them, but also because they exude a sticky sweet substance that is perfect for growing all sorts of mould that ruins your plants. Once again, several green methods for dealing with them exist. Warm, soapy water sprayed or thrown over the plants works pretty well, but better still is an organic spray that aphids hate but won’t hurt you. To make this spray, boil up about three tablespoons of crushed garlic and a generous quantity of dried chilli peppers. Strain this and spray it over the fruit and veg. To make it even more potent, cigarette butts and rhubarb leaves can be added to the boil-up, but this is poisonous to you as well as the aphids, so wait for a week or so before eating vegetables treated this way. Ladybirds are your friends regarding aphids, as ladybird larvae (which look like severely malformed spiky black caterpillars half a centimetre long) love eating aphids and have a voracious appetite. If you come across a ladybird, rather than invoking it to fly away home, catch it and put it on your roses or aphid-infested vegetables, hoping it will settle in.
