Unwanted pests are often just a natural part of home living. There are so many temptations for critters in our homes and gardens, so you might want to consider doing some pest control. However, pesticides are dangerous chemicals so if you want to avoid them, but still have a clean and pest-free home, follow these steps to make your home is less welcoming to pests.
1. Keep surfaces clean
The first step is pretty simple, but it’s common for people get lazy in today’s busy world. Remember to wipe down household surfaces regularly, especially in rooms where food is eaten or stored. Clean up spills and crumbs straight away and don’t leave unwashed dishes in the sink overnight. Use a good all-purpose cleaner or a mixture of dishwashing soap and water.
2. Take away temptations (food and garbage)
Now that your counters are clean, turn your attention to food. Make sure that rubbish bins have well-fitting lids and are emptied regularly. Similarly, use airtight containers to store food. Also remember to seal or put away pet food when you go to bed.
3. Get rid of odours
The first two steps should help somewhat with this, but as an added precaution, keep kitchen windows open when you are cooking and use your extractor fan if you have one. Odours can attract pests and good airflow will deter them.
4. Vacuum gaps and seal entrances
Follow up steps 1 to 3 with some extra precautions: Regularly vacuum any cracks and gaps around the house. Also use fly netting on your windows and close up any openings around windows and doors, along your skirting boards and behind your appliances.
5. Wash your pets’ bedding
Next, make sure that you wash your pets’ bedding regularly. Use hot water and hang the bedding out in the sunshine to dry.
6. Use traps rather than poison
Once you have taken care of steps 1 – 5, we can now start look at further prevention measures. Traps are an effective way to control rodents. Rat poison, on the other hand, looks temptingly like sweets to young children and may also be eaten by pets and harmless wildlife.
7. Use soap for ants
Once your traps are set, create a mixture of soap and water to spray ants. Remember to wipe up with a soapy sponge. This will kill the ants and wipe away their trails, so other ants won’t follow.
8. Spray your plants
Next, create an oil and soap spray. This is an effective way to control aphids, mites and beetles in your garden. Mix a cup of vegetable oil with one tablespoon of castile soap and keep the mixture in a jar. When you are ready to spray your plants, add two teaspoons of the oil mixture to a spray bottle along with a litre of water and shake it thoroughly. You can then spray the mixture directly onto your plants.
9. Use neem oil
Use a neem oil spray to stop garden insects and fungus. Mix together two teaspoons of neem oil, one teaspoon of liquid soap and a litre of warm water and stir the mixture gently. Add it to a spray bottle and use it immediately on your plants.
10. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth
Finally, sprinkle diatomaceous earth on the ground in your garden to deter snails and slugs. You can also use it inside your home to keep ants away.
Follow these ten steps, and you will be on your way to a pest-free home without having to use harmful pesticides. Remember to keep up the routine and do these steps regularly.