Control Insects Without Chemicals

It’s remarkable that ants can carry 50 times their body weight, that there are 34,000 species of spiders in the world and that a mosquito flaps it’s wings 500 times per second.

Impressive indeed. But we tend to lose appreciation for the wonders of nature when nature starts showing up in the house, on the patio or buzzing around our ears, flapping its wings 500 times per second, scouting out a tasty landing zone.

Instead of trying to douse these uninvited guests with chemically laden sprays, powders or lotions, try going the natural route before creating a poisonous environment, one that not even human beings should exist in. Here are some household items to put to the test, so you can put the DEET, insecticide and other potentially toxic repellants to rest.

Mosquitoes: Mosquitoes remind us that we are in fact, not at the top of the food chain. Aside from the obvious and most effective natural remedy, ridding of any standing water, there are many natural methods to effectively detour the blood-sucking pests. To keep your skin smelling fresh, (but off-putting to mosquitoes) try using citrus peels, an odour that also deters gnats. Take a fresh piece of citrus fruit peel such as orange, lime or lemon, and rub over the skin. If you’re desperate, you can also use onion in the same fashion, though, your friends may favour of the former option.

An increase in garlic consumption during the spring and summer months also helps to keep mosquitoes away, a dual benefit as your immune system will benefit from the increase as well. For a quick and inexpensive option, mist your skin with an apple cider vinegar (one cup) and water (half of a cup) concoction before you go bush whacking, a solution that will keep the mosquitoes at a safe distance. In a New England Journal of Medicine study, an oil of eucalyptus topical warded off mosquitoes for over 120 minutes, in comparison the widely used citronella that stood guard against the pests for merely 20 minutes. 

Spiders: Concoct your own essential oil elixir to detour spiders from getting too comfortable in and around your living quarters. Create a natural spray that consists of any natural liquid soap, (such as peppermint or lavender), essential oil and water. Create a spider-free zone by combining one litre of water with any pungent smelling essential oil, such as tea tree, citrus or rose . Add five tablespoons of the natural soap, spraying the mixture amongst their favourite hang-out zones and secret entry points.

You can also say goodbye to your eight-legged nemesis by trying an age-old defense that consists of lining your exterior walls with chestnuts, however, they must be fresh as it’s the oil in the shell that is the said deterrent. If all else fails, reach for the baking supplies. They say that there are 100 uses for baking soda, so let’s make it 101. Alas, the miracle powder can also be used to keep spiders (and other creepy crawlers) at bay, just sprinkle the substance inconspicuously, try under furniture or in kitchen cupboards.

Ants: First things first, wipe up that ring of sticky honey, and then we’ll talk. The key with ants is point of entry. These persistent bugs are best controlled by prevention. Stop the troops from marching in by attempting to determine how and where they are sneaking in. At that point, place cucumber peals or slices, as ants have a natural aversion to the crisp veggie. Do not pass go: once you’ve found the point of entry, you can also make a line of products that ants dare not cross including: cayenne pepper, a citrus oil or lemon juice soaked string, cinnamon or coffee grounds. You can also try placing mint tea bags, dry crushed mint or cloves in the area where they are in full force.

Try to confuse the ants by disrupting their foraging patters. Do this by placing a night-light where they seem most active; a seemingly helpful tactic can in fact discourage the super bugs from coming back. Outsmart the team by constructing a devious plan of attack, a malicious one at that. Mix one litre of water, one teaspoon of Borax and a cup of sugar and soak cotton balls in the solution. Place the cotton balls in a hole-ridden container, allowing the ants to bring the tasty but deadly treat back to their colony, don’t feel bad about the mass suicide either, for every human in the world, there are one million ants.

Wasps: It’s time for a picnic, or maybe you’ve decided to dine alfresco. Your impulse is to reach for the fly swatter as a defense against the persistent creatures. This piece of weaponry consequently creates a war zone. By swatting at, or squashing wasps, they release a call out to their buddies by means of a pheromone, a chemical that attracts more of their kind. Also, don’t dress like a wasp, or a flower when outdoors, it’s best to dress in neutral tones to inhibit attraction.

Aside from the obvious, as we all know the first landing zone of a yellow jacket is the meat, be sure to keep items such as dog food, scraps, open garbage or compost sealed. To discourage the colony from settling in, instead of posting the no vacancy sign, try rubbing a bar of plain soap in areas where wasps may decide to build. If they’ve already set up shop, consider constructing a cleverly devised trap, one that consists of a two litre pop bottle with an inverted top. To attract the flyers, coat the neck (before inverting) with any sweet substance, like honey or jam. Fill the bottle to half with water, add dish soap and watch as the clever, but unsuspecting fall into the unforgiving mixture. If you don’t want to see honeybees experience the same fate, add a quarter cup of vinegar to the mixture, and they should steer clear.  

If your trials continue to fail, there is always the carnivorous plant option. That, or resort back to your childhood days and bring out the magnifying glass on a particularly sunny day.