5 Ways To Use Eco Friendly Pest Control In Your Home

Traditional pesticides can be very harsh for your lawn and garden — it’s often more trouble than it’s worth! The toxins can seep into your groundwater or evaporate into the atmosphere which can have harmful effects on the environment. Using natural pest control methods can actually be more beneficial since pests are less likely to develop a resistance to eco-friendly pest control as opposed to insecticide.

Below are some tips and tricks for using these eco friendly pest control methods at home.

1. Grow a healthy garden

The first and arguably most important step for warding off pests is growing a healthy garden. This means having soil that is rich in nutrients which can be achieved through using traditional fertilizer or using food waste as your fertilizer. If you use a pesticide in your garden or lawn, it will get rid of all the bugs — even the good ones.

2. Consider some companion plants

Companion plants are plants that grow together that mutually benefit one another. Herbs like lavender, mint, or basil are excellent companion plants to add to your garden that have natural pest-repellent properties. Other options for plants that can ward off pests that aren’t companion plants include lemongrass, chrysanthemums, petunias, clover, marigolds, or eucalyptus.

3. Add some spice to your life

The strong smells of spices like cinnamon, paprika, turmeric, cayenne, and black pepper are effective in deterring pests. You can make your own DIY spray with one teaspoon of your chosen spice and one cup of water in a spray bottle. You can spray this concoction on the points of entry for bugs, like window sills or a door frame. Other spices you can use include salt, cloves, and bay leaves.

4. Put those essential oils and vinegar to good use

Essential oils are known for their aromatherapeutic qualities, but they also have intense scents that pests don’t like. Another DIY recipe you can make at home is mixing 1 cup of water, a quarter cup of vinegar, and a teaspoon of a strongly-scented essential oil into a spray bottle to make you own DIY pest repellant spray! Some essential oils you can use are tea tree, citronella, lavender, peppermint, eucalyptus, or lemongrass.

5. Reuse your food waste to deter bugs

Citrus peels also have a smell that repels bugs naturally. You can cut up some peels and add them to your fertilizer or you can put them on the countertop of your kitchen or on windowsills wherever you find those creepy crawlies.

Another example of food waste that works as pest repellant is onion. If you add chopped onion to a bowl of water and keep it on your kitchen counter, this can ward off mosquitos. Got some leftover coffee grounds from this morning? Put it around the perimeter of your home to get rid of ants, mosquitos, bees, or wasps — they hate the smell!

6. Try using boric acid

Since the 1940s, boric acid has been used as a natural insecticide to get rid of roaches. You can buy boric acid and apply it to the areas where you find insects or their points of entry. Be sure to follow the instructions on the packaging to avoid any bothersome side effects of the substance.

7. Use humane traps

Humane traps will capture rodents in your home without harming them so you can relocate them. This can also help you avoid the hassle of fumigating your home.

Those are just a few of the many ways to get rid of bugs naturally around your home. For tips and tricks on natural pest control methods, check out this infographic:

Salman Zafar

Salman Zafar is an ecopreneur, consultant, advisor, speaker and journalist with expertise in waste management, waste-to-energy, renewable energy, environment protection, conservation and sustainable development. His geographical areas of focus include Asia, Middle East, Africa and Europe. Salman is the Founder of EcoMENA, a popular voluntary organization based in Qatar. He is also the Founder and CEO of BioEnergy Consult, a reputed consulting firm active in biomass, waste-to-energy and waste management segments.
Salman is a professional environmental writer with more than 350 popular articles to his credit. He is proactively engaged in creating mass environmental awareness in different parts of the world.
Salman Zafar can be reached at salman@ecomena.org or salman@bioenergyconsult.com

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