Pests may be after your food, your blood, the wood that provides a framework to your home or even your clothing. Here are some natural ways to deter or banish those biting and bacteria-spreading creatures from your property.
Bedbugs
- Spray surgical spirits where bedbugs thrive. It will kill some bugs on contact.
- Place clothing, shoes and boots, toys, stuffed animals, backpacks and other non-washables in the dryer for 20 minutes or more at a high temperature.
- Wash and dry nightwear and bedclothes at as high a temperature as possible.
Carpet Beetles
- Vacuum regularly to stop hair and lint collecting and providing food for carpet beetle larvae.
- Seal cracks in parquet and spray neem oil along floor mouldings. This stops the larvae from eating, preventing their growth and reproduction. Be warned, it will take time.
Cockroaches and Weevils
- For a minor infestation, use a cloth moistened with wine or beer as bait. When the insects have gathered on the cloth, pour boiling water over it.
- Combat cockroaches with a lethal “roach dinner”. Mix equal parts of powdered boric acid, white flour and white sugar and place in bowls under the fridge, in the backs of drawers and behind the cooker.
- Remove food supplies immediately if they become infested with weevils and wash out kitchen cupboards with vinegar and water.
Flies
- Install fly screens on windows and doors and try to keep food covered.
- Keep flies away using an orange stuck with cloves on the windowsill.
- Set out bowls of vinegar and replace them daily.
- Use blue tablecloth – flies avoid this colour.
- Use the smell of basil, peppermint, lavender or tomato plants.
- Coat meat with lemon balm or basil before grilling it.
Fleas
- Keep fleas away with a dish of lemon slices placed in a cupboard.
- If fleas have lodged in your sofa, sprinkle it with borax, leave overnight, and then vacuum.
- If a rug is infested, sprinkle it with salt, let it work for a few hours, then vacuum.
Mice
- Peppermint oil, turpentine and camphor are scents that mice find unappetizing. Dab a little on cotton balls and place them where mice might enter.
- If you’ll set traps, lure mice with peanut butter or chocolate.
Moths
- Drive away moths with dried citrus peel or cedar chips in small bags – they dislike the smell.
- Moths won’t take up residence in fabrics that are clean and used frequently, so shake out and launder linens and clothing regularly.
- Store wool and cashmere clothes in sealed plastic bags immediately after wearing.
Mosquitoes
- Fly screens will keep mosquitoes out. A mosquito net will prevent them from biting you while you sleep.
- Keep them away from patios and balconies by hanging up a cloth sprayed with a few drops of clove or laurel oil. Alternatively, pour the oil into small bowls or an oil lamp.
Slaters
- Put a bottle of sweet liqueur or leftover wine outside the door. They will climb in and become intoxicated. Discard them and repeat as needed.
- Leave hollowed-out potatoes or turnips as a lure. Crush them together with the slaters that have crawled inside.
Silverfish
- Sprinkle a little borax on damp cloths and place them in the bathroom or kitchen at night. In the morning, shake them and their load outside.
- Grate a potato on a piece of newspaper to attract silverfish, then fold the paper up and throw it away.
Wasps
- Wasps make themselves scarce when they detect the smell of heated vinegar. Lemon slices studded with cloves will also keep them away.
- Make a wasp trap by filling a narrow-necked bottle with diluted fruit juice and a little detergent and vinegar. They will fly in but can’t get out.
Humans have been sharing their homes with creepy-crawlies for centuries. As a result, a number of simple remedies have been devised to help rid our homes of unwanted visitors. If these don’t work, you may need to call in the pest control professionals in Australia.