3 Simple DIY Pest Control Methods to Make Your House Bugs Free
Have you ever spotted something scuttling by out of the corner of your eye late at night?
Or opened a kitchen cupboard only to be greeted by a parade of ants? Or, worst of all, suddenly heard the beating of chitinous wings behind you?
Instead of screaming for someone to bring a rolled up wad of newspapers and a can of insecticide, you can employ these three simple DIY methods to reduce the pest population at home.
Cut off the source
It’s easier to stop the infestation from ever happening rather than try to contain it once you get it, so put into practice some good habits to make your home super uninhabitable for pests! Make sure all open packets of food are kept in sealed jars and containers, wipe down your counters and tables to get rid of all food crumbs and for the love of all that is good and beautiful in this world do NOT leave dirty dishes in the sink overnight. Ensure your garbage bin has a lid, and rinse containers before throwing them away. After all, food + water = pests galore.
Vinegar all day everyday
Do you clean with vinegar? If you don’t, why not? It’s cheap, it’s non-toxic, and it’s so incredibly effective. Get a spray bottle and fill it with a ratio of 1:1 white vinegar and water and go to town on it. Spray it on window sills to get rid of ants, get rid of stains in your toilet or shower (might need undiluted vinegar for this though), and some people even use it to stop stray cats from coming to their home. Don’t use it on natural stone like marble or granite though – the acid might eat away the stone. Quartz, however, is fine!
As an added bonus, you can clear your clogged sink with vinegar. Simply pour a pot of boiling hot water down the drain, then throw in about half a cup of baking soda. Let it sit before pouring a 1:1 ratio of vinegar and hot water in. Wait for about five to 10 minutes before flushing with hot water again.
Liberal use of diatomaceous earth
Have you heard of diatomaceous earth? Commonly abbreviated to DE, this white powder is made from the fossilised remains of diatoms, which originated during, or before, the early Jurassic period according to Wikipedia. This basically means they’re fossilised remains of dinosaurs that can be used as pest control!
How amazing is that? And DE is really, really effective too. Diatomaceous earth doesn’t harm children or pets (in fact, some people take it as a health supplement), but they work by slicing up the exoskeletons of insects that crawl over it, then clings on to them and dehydrates them to death. No tolerance build-up, 100% non-toxic to humans and it’s super effective on pests such as fleas, ants, bed bugs, mites, beetles and even worms. The only thing to be sure of is to get food-grade diatomaceous earth and keep it dry for maximum efficacy.
