11 Minute Read

Buying a chemical spray from market or shop might seem easier to get rid of your pest problem but their effect lingers on so much so that these in affect you and yours in the long run. The caution provided on the back of those chemical sprays are real and deadly! But there are cheaper and more efficient ways to terminate them if you look around in your own house, namely, your kitchen. Those ‘silent but deadly’ ingredients for pesky pests are there. Here is a list provided insect-wise to help you select which vermin you would like to vanquish first.

A for Ants, B for Begone

We don’t usually think of ants as harmful, but only notice them when they are abundant and by that time the situation just becomes unbearable. Ants can definitely cause some harm including contaminating your food and damaging any wood on your property. So, why wait for them to be accumulated? Use these ingredients:

Dish Soap + Water + Spray Bottle: Mix some water and dish soap in a spray bottle. All that’s left to do is shake up the mixture and spray around the areas of your kitchen where you tend to find the most ants.
Vinegar + Water + Spray Bottle: Ants can’t stand the smell of vinegar. Mix them in equal proportion and fill it in spray bottle. Use the spray in doors and window to stop ants from coming inside.
Lemon + Water: All-purpose organic spray to control many pests including ants.
Peppermint: Crush some dried mint leaves and place them across the house. It’s a natural pesticide for ants and houseflies.
Peppermint Oil + Dish Soap + Water + Spray: You can also prepare a spray by adding 10-12 drops of peppermint oil and a few drops of dish soap in one cup of water and spray it along cracks.
Cucumber slices: Helps blocking the ants’ entry. Cucumber naturally stops ants in most of the case.
Boric acid + Sugar + Water: Mix boric acid and sugar in 1:6 proportion and dissolve the mixture in water. Dip cotton balls in the solution and place them in areas where ants are active. This slowly kills them. A mixture of mint apple jelly and boric acid is a deterrent against pharaoh ants.
Garlic peels: Natural pesticide for cockroaches and ants. Get a few fresh cloves, peel them, and place them on bookracks to repel pests. Make sure you replace them with fresh ones when they dry. You can even sprinkle garlic powder.
Salt: Salt is another very useful ingredient to help get rid of ants. Sprinkle salt around doors and windows to stop ants from coming into your home.
Cornmeal: Ants can’t digest cornmeal. Cornmeal kills them slowly. But Beware: It’s harmful to children. So, better not use it if you have toddlers running or crawling around the house!

Bye, Bye, Bedbugs!

Bed bugs infest your mattress, clothes and cover you in itchy bites. They spread everywhere, especially in summer as your clothes go with you wherever you go. We generally tend to use chemicals to get rid of them. If you’re wondering what home remedy will kill bed bugs, we have the answer for you.

Baking Soda: Spread some of the baking soda powder where you have an infestation, clean up and add some fresh powder every couple of days. It sounds a bit strange but baking soda can take out all the moisture of the bodies of bed bugs. Before you know it the bed bugs will be gone!
Kerosene Oil: Applying this oil on your bed - on the corners and in the spaces between the joints to kill bed bugs. Fill the cracks and corners of the bed where the bed bugs are flourished mostly.
Sunlight: It’s an ancient tradition but still works up to an extent. Airing out your bedding in the sunlight for four or five hours to restrict the growth of bed bugs. If it is warm enough outside, bed bugs will come out of their shelters due to heat and eventually die.
Hot Water: Washing your bed with hot water to kill bed bugs.
Steam clean or using a hairdryer: Bed bugs and their eggs will be killed when exposed to high temperatures. Steam cleaning the areas where your find bed bugs will expose them to temperatures above 60°C. If you don’t have a steam cleaner, try taking a hair dryer to the area.

Cockroaches are hard catch, harder to crush

For an insect that is a living fossil, no one likes it amusing finding a cockroach in their home. Despite of keeping your home squeaky clean, those bugs show up anyway from God knows where.

Cooking Oil + Syrup: This trap used to kill bugs, including roaches, is simple to make. Take an empty bottle of wine and line the bottom of it with some maple syrup. Rub the top of the bottle with some cooking oil. This concoction of trap will kill the roaches in a style!
Bay leaves: These leaves can be used as natural cockroach repellent and can be placed anywhere. Roaches cannot bear the smell of bay leaves. All just you need to do is crush the handful of bay leaves, powder them and place them in bowls at every corner of kitchen. Keeping this Asian spice near the cockroach nests can simply make them go out of the house.
Boric acid + sugar: It’s an effective combination which can help you relieve from roaches naturally. Make your own bait at home by mixing boric acid and sugar in 3:1 proportion. This nontoxic mixture needs to be placed near the cockroach hiding spots. Mixing cornmeal with this mixture will be a deadly cherry on top! It’s important to find out where they are nesting to place this mixture effectively.
Soap + Water + Spray Bottle:  Spray directly on cockroaches to kill them instantly.
Lemon slices: smell of lemon brings in freshness. Its powerful natural agent will keep roaches away. You can spray lemon juice to keep the home fresh or you can also make a paste of lemon peels and use.
Garlic: if you don’t mind the smell of garlic, get a few fresh cloves, peel them, and place them on bookracks to repel pests. Make sure you replace them with fresh ones when they dry. You can even sprinkle garlic powder. It’s a natural pesticide for roaches and ants.
Sliced cucumbers:  When placed at their entry points, they deter the presence of cockroaches.
Catnip: This plant creates a strong smelling oil that cats love, but cockroaches hate.

Wicked Cricket

House crickets are drawn to warm, moist environments. If you have a cricket infestation you’ll either hear their chirping or find chewed fabric. While crickets aren’t harmful, their chirping is loud enough to drive you crazy. This chirping is a mating call that occurs when male crickets rub their front wings together. Getting rid of them is fairly easy.

Molasses: Create a trap by filling a jar half-way full with molasses. The sweet smell will lure them in and the sticky texture will trap them.
Chili spray: Create a spray by boiling 2 cups of water and adding half a cup of red chilies, red chili powder or chili sauce. Strain the liquid and then add 2 more cups of water. Put in a spray bottle and spray the outside perimeter of your home to keep the crickets away. Do not use this spray inside, as the color may stain the furniture or rugs.

Flounder the Fleas!

For those who have pets, fleas are a common bug. These tiny creatures live long enough to turn one flea into an infestation in your home. Fleas are able to jump nearly a foot, so they are commonly spread by jumping onto people or pets. Like bedbugs, flea bites usually cause excessive itching. On occasion, flea bites can also lead to an infection or allergic reaction from the flea’s saliva. Freaking fleas needs to go.

Herbal flea spray: For a non-toxic removal, try creating an herbal flea spray. Start by vacuuming the whole house and washing any items on the hottest washing setting. Then mix together 4 cups of vinegar, 2 cups of water, 4 oz of lemon juice, and 2 oz of witch hazel in a two-liter spray bottle. Spray everything in the apartment, including carpets, furniture and pet beds.
Salt: Salt is able to dehydrate the fleas and kill them. Try sprinkling finely ground salt on the carpets. Salt every day for nine days and vacuum every third day. Don’t forget to empty the vacuum every time.
Rosemary + lemon spray: Begin by boiling 4 cups of water and then remove it from the heat. Add in 6 thinly sliced lemons, chopped rosemary leaves, 3-4 drops of Geranium essential oil. Cover and leave overnight. The next day, strain the water and put in a spray bottle. Spray this natural solution throughout your home to repel fleas.

Fly Away Flies!

Buzzing around in your ear and land on your food – it seems like their only job. No one likes having these bugs around. In warm weather, they become intolerable.

Basil: Flies don’t like the smell of Bazil and it will kill the presence of flies in your home immediately. Placing some pots of basil by a window or on the kitchen table will add a lovely natural element to your space and it’ll keep the flies away. Another option is to put some dried basil leaves in a small bag and rub it around the doors, the place where flies enter the home.
Herbal sachets: Take bay leaves, cloves, crushed mint and other herbal spices sachets. Keep these sachets around the house to keep the flies away.
Flypaper: Make DIY flypaper at home using brown sugar and granulated sugar. Dip craft paper in this sugar solution and hang it over to control flies.
Eucalyptus oil: It is good in repelling flies as well. Pour a few drops of it on a cotton cloth, and place it in the areas where flies are a problem. It will deter them from entering the house.
Jar fly trap: A good way to kill off these disease-spreading creatures is by creating a trap. Fill a jar with about an inch of apple cider vinegar. Add a few drops of floral dish soap. Use plastic wrap to cover the jar. Secure it with a rubber band. Poke holes in the plastic wrap so that the flies have an entry point.
Fruit trap: This trap targets fruit flies, but can work with other varieties. Cut a piece of fruit about one inch thick. Place it in a bowl so that the cut side is facing up. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and secure it with tape or a rubber band. Use a toothpick to poke holes in the top and then let it a secluded area of the kitchen.

Die, Spidey!

Spiderman might be the popular superhero but spiders are disliked in general. Spiders range from harmless to venomous. They mostly appear in colder weather.

Citrus: Spiders are repelled by citrus scents. Try rubbing a citrus peel along baseboards, window sills and bookshelves. This will make your home smell good and keep the critters out.
DIY spider spray: Create a spider spray by mixing together water and a few drops of essential oils. Spider repelling scents include eucalyptus, citronella, lavender, peppermint, tea tree, cinnamon, citrus and cedar. Spray this in areas you find spiders, especially when there has been rain or cold weather.
Peppermint: Spiders can’t just stand the smell of peppermint. Best way is to use peppermint essential oil in a spray bottle. Spray the solution around the windows and doors and the corners where you find spider nets.
Lemon essential oil: Lemon and any citrus essential oil can be used as a spray. It will not kill spider but keep them away from house.
Vinegar + coconut oil: Mixture of vinegar and coconut oil makes an effective organic repellent spray for spiders.

Malicious Mosquitoes!

Most hated insect in animal kingdom with highest mortal death rate. That’s it. It needs no further introduction. Here are the recipes:

Neem Oil: It’s a great organic mosquito repellent that helps keep mosquitos away. A mixture of neem oil and coconut oil can be used. Solanine present in neem is effective and organic pest repellents that specifically controls mosquitos. This natural oil extracted from neem tree can be applied over your body to avoid mosquito bites.
More flowers: planting more flowery plants like marigold, rosemary, lemon balm and catnip repel mosquitos and also make the air fresh.
Mosquito repellent candles: Using wax and essential oils you can make mosquito repellent candles that can help you get a relief from mosquitos. Cove oil, lavender oil, peppermint oil, rosemary oil etc. can be used for making candles.
Garlic juice: It can be used as spray repels the mosquitoes for up to six hours. Add one part of garlic juice and five parts of water to make the mixture, and spray it all over your body. It is nontoxic and very effective.
Marigold plant: It gives out a fragrance that repels mosquitoes and other bugs. You can plant marigold in your garden or yard to effectively deter mosquitoes.

Sneaky Silverfish!

Silverfish, also known as para-mite, carpet shark or fish-moth, have a metallic appearance and oval shape. They are not only found in humid, moist areas such as bathrooms, basements but also in bookbinding, artworks and other furniture. Silverfish are good at hiding and sometimes go unnoticed by the inhabitants of the home.

Cedar shavings: Silverfish don’t like the smell of cedar. Spread cedar chips in areas where you’ve been seeing this pest to scare them away. If the cedar gets damp or old, be sure to vacuum them up and replace them.
Jar trap: Cover the outside of a jar with masking tape and place some pieces of bread inside. Put the jar in an area you’ve been seeing the silverfish. Leave it there overnight. The silverfish will be able to climb up the rough texture of the tape but will get stuck inside when it’s unable to climb up the smooth glass inside.

Terminate the Termites!

While these bugs don’t pose a danger to humans, but they are a threat to the structure of your apartment and your furniture. If termites are found in your home, it’s possible that they will need to be disposed of in addition to your house needing some work done.

Wet cardboard: Termites love water and cellulose, which is exactly what wet cardboard is. Put pieces of wet cardboard in areas you suspect have termites. When the termites have settled on the cardboard, take the piece and burn it. Repeat this process until the bugs are gone.
Sunlight: Not only do termites thrive in dark and damp places, but they can actually die from sunlight and heat. If your furniture has termites and you live in a sunny city, bring it outside on a hot day. If the termites are in your home, try setting up UV lights in the area.

Lofty Lizards!

I know some of us don't really think of them as much of a threat to anything but there are some of us who don't like them having crawling around in home and for good reason, when they become too much to bear.

Empty egg shells: Their pungent smell keeps away lizards. So, keep these in the corner of your home.
Onion slices: It can also act as a great remedy to keep away lizards and control their movement. Due to its active compounds and sulfur content, onions act as a deterrent for lizards. Put some slices near lizards' hiding places and see the results.
Peacock feathers: These can also be used to keep away lizards. Since peacocks eat lizards, the little reptiles are afraid of them.

No matter the insects, it is a prerequisite to keep your house clean every day and half of your pest prevention task will be done right there.