Home Pest Control Options You Can Use That May Already Be In Your Home

Bugs, rodents, weeds, there are lots of pesky things that can invade our space and cause us trouble in and around our homes. Unfortunately, commercially available sprays, deterrents, and traps tend to be expensive, and half of the time they don’t even seem to work. Plus, many manufactured pest solutions tend to have chemicals that can be dangerous to you and the environment as well as the creatures you’re trying to get rid of.

Luckily, there are a variety of simple ways to rid yourself of pests, many of which you probably already have around your house.

And you thought they were just for facials. Not only are cucumbers good for getting rid of those dark circles under your eyes, removing puffiness, and putting in your salad (yum!), they’re one of the best ways to naturally repel ants. How so? Well, just like your picky toddler, ants hate cucumbers and will go out of their way to avoid them. So if you know that the little buggers have been slipping in through a particular window, for instance, place a few cucumbers along the ledge and watch as those ants turn and run.

Everything’s just rosy. Tired of your pets scratching themselves silly with fleas? Ground rosemary leaves can be sprinkled on beds and blankets, and even your pets– to prevent fleas from becoming a nuisance in your life.

Mash it up. This one isn’t for the faint of heart, but neither is dealing with mice or rats in general. If you put out a bowl of dried mashed potato flakes and a bowl of water, any tiny, unwanted critters who decide to eat them will discover an unexpected surprise. When the water interacts with the flakes, they’ll puff up like sponges and eventually the bloating will kill off your unwanted guests.

Vim and vinegar. A different kind of pest that can be annoying to gardeners and lawn-lovers alike is the weed. Weeds come in a number of different varieties, but that doesn’t matter to vinegar, it’s an equal opportunity weed killer. Buy the highest concentration you can find at the grocery store, fill up a spray bottle, then go to town on any unwanted vegetation creeping into your space.

Drinking and cleaning. You probably don’t want to waste anything expensive, but if you’ve got a bottle of “two-buck Chuck” and some detergent, any problem you have with fruit flies will be short-lived. These sweet-oriented pests love wine, so all you have to do is put out a dish with a bit of Chardonnay that’s been laced with detergent. The soap won’t exactly agree with them.

This also happens at tailgate parties. Snails and slugs love beer…true story. So all you have to do to get rid of them and spare your garden is to pour about an inch of it into an empty can. Those unwanted creepy crawlies will make their way to the beer like zombies and basically tumble in and drown. All you have to do is clean up the mess.

Spicy plant life. If you notice that the plants in your garden are becoming bug food, there’s a great way to protect them that’s hiding out right in your spice rack. Just mix a teaspoon of garlic powder, onion powder, and cayenne pepper powder with a tablespoon of liquid hand soap, then put the mixture into a spray bottle and fill it up with water. Liberally spray on the affected plants and the insects will stay away.

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Bill Sweeney works in the pest control arena in Chicagoland. He lives with his wife and two kids in Naperville. He likes to write about pest control for Bird-x.com. In his free time he enjoys fishing and spending time with his children.