Humane Ways to Deal With Insects in Your Home

/ Divine Assistance/

I like to give all creatures great and small a fair go, and so I look to find ways alternate ways of dealing with them rather than poisoning or stomping on them. The added bonus is that I also get to live with less toxic substances around my home. If you feel the same, here are some clever ideas to help you address the issue.

Prevent insects from coming inside in the first place by filling holes and cracks in the walls, along skirting boards, door frames and window sills.

Once they’re in, what can you do?

Ants

What to do when you see a line of ants trailing up the wall? Instead of reaching for a toxic spray, you can follow the ants back to the source and put a bit of lemon juice and peel there.

Ants are also deterred by mint, cinnamon, coffee ground, chilli and cloves so any of these in the problem area can help. An equal mixture of vinegar and water is effective if spayed on floors and counter tops. A peppermint spray made of essential oil and water to spray in corners and nooks can also help to put ants off.

Cockroaches

Prevention is better than a cure in this instance. Make sure all your food is sealed and no dirty dishes left out in the sink. Try to keep surfaces dry as well as a few drops of water serve as a nice pit stop for a thirsty cockroach.

PETA suggest we leave whole bay leaves in several locations around infested rooms including kitchen cupboards. And if the infestation is serious you may need to resort to an insect growth regulator like Gentrol which nips the cockroach reproductive cycle in the bud.

Also remember to empty your rubbish bin regularly as cockroaches love garbage that’s been hanging around for days.

Spiders

Before you rush to evict a spider remember that they are amazing for helping to control other insects.

Having said that, the simplest way to remove one is the good old Tupperware container gently placed over the spider with a sheet of cardboard slipped underneath so you can take your eight legged friend outside.

To deter spiders try a mixture of unsweetened lemon juice (or lemon essential oil) and water. This can be sprayed on window frames, columns, alcoves etc.