House Hold Pests and their Natural Controls
Here is a list of the various pests you can find around your home and
something's you can do to control them.
Ants
Bees
Controlling Bees in environment can be done by following the
following steps:
1. control sources of food and water
2. use any natural Almond soap added to water at 4 tablespoons per quart water.
Spray area. Orange TKO
works well here too.
3. dip cotton balls into any natural Almond soap or any type of essential oil
such as lavender oil or citronella oil or Orange TKO
4. Burn Citronella candles
Beetles
There are many beetles which have made our homes theirs, from furniture
beetles to carpet beetles, beetles have settled down to live in the home. Beetles have
become so specialized that they have developed into very distinctly
different then their
wild brothers and sisters. Beetles have a wider range of food sources then most indoor
insects and it is for this reason that you must control their food sources as humanly
possible. Controls methods are the same for beetles as with most insects in your home see
moths. Hand picking if possible works the best since you may have only a few around and
their removal would be simple.
Spiders and Brown recluse spider
.A Natural Spider Spray Formula for inside the house:
To get Immediate Relief from spiders inside the house buy 8 oz bottle of any
natural Peppermint or Lavender Soap, or any other natural soap. Go to your
local drug store and buy 1 oz of Citronella oil, Pennyroyal oil, Cinnamon
oil or any other type of Essential oil like rose oil or tea tree oil. Also
Orange TKO works well here too.
You can also add 1 drop of any of the following (depending on preference to
you) to 1 quart of water:
Citronella Oil, Lavender Oil, Cinnamon Oil, Peppermint Oil, Citrus Oil
(Orange TKO),
Tea Tree Oil . Any of the above oils will kill spiders and other insects on
contact! Test for strength.
Carpenter ants
Centipedes
Controlling centipedes inside the house is really not very
difficult to do,
the key here is to 1..control their food source's and 2..control their environment.
Centipedes require humid places and some thing to prey upon since they are predatory. It
is important to note that centipedes are one of your best friends in both the home and
garden and instead of attacking them you should support them and provide good shelters for
them. Inside the home the house centipede hunts flies, roach eggs, ant eggs, fleas and
their eggs most any thing that it runs into while hunting at night. My suggestion is to
leave them alone!
Chiggers
Controlling chiggers is really a matter of proper prevention methods and
regular maintenance procedures. These creatures are blood suckers that attack animals and
humans. Nature will control them for you under normal conditions. Your best bet is to
1..wear proper clothing when going out doors. 2...Bring alone the following in a kit: 1
bottle rubbing alcohol, 1 quart sprayer, 8 oz bottle
Peppermint soap, water if
possible. Add 1 tablespoon alcohol to quart water in sprayer. Spray around your feet and
pants before you start walking outside. Every hour or so you can mist around your feet and
pants. You can also spray the area your camping at. Spray inside tent , spray before
entering house. Also add 1 tablespoon any natural Peppermint soap or any other nature soap.
Also Orange TKO works well here too.
Crows:
Crows can be deterred from your area by using any of the following
methods:
1. there are many ultra sonic devices available that emit a sound which
most birds do not like.
2. use aluminum foil strips hung from branches and in area.
3. use a loud horn to repel
4. use a motion sensor attached to sprinkler, will turn on when they
approach.
5.here is the best method of all to use.... Soak chickpeas in whisky
over night then feed it to them! They get drunk and they will leave!
Just make sure every one gets to eat. Then do as needed!
Spray inside the house: To get
Immediate Relief from cockroaches inside the house buy 8 oz bottle of
natural Peppermint or Lavender, or any other natural soap. Go to your
local drug store and buy 1 oz of Citronella oil, Pennyroyal oil, Cinnamon
oil or any other type of Essential oil like rose oil or tea tree oil. Mix
the two together and label it cockroach control spray. Add 5 tablespoons
per quart water. Add to sprayer and spray inside house where cockroaches are
seen. spray around the outside of the house. Should be done as often as
needed. This is not a long term solution but will provide you immediate
help. Spray or wipe kitchen counters with this mixture is fine except I
would use less inside, say 1 tablespoon per quart water is fine, stronger if
you have a real bad problem. A separate label for inside is also available.
The essential oil increases the effectiveness of the soap. Keeping the
cockroaches away longer. Spray any areas they are seen in. If you are having
a really bad cockroach problem, try using
Orange TKO at full strength
Crickets
my mother told me that crickets in your house is good fortune! So if you
have crickets in your house go out a bet on the lottery and be happy! If they really do
bother you 1...look for any screens that are torn and repair...2..look for any holes in
the side of the house and under the house that they can enter through..3...spray around
the outside of the house and in the places where they are once a day until they are gone.
Use 1 tablespoon any natural Peppermint soap or
Orange TKO .
Daddy Long legs
another predator( actually a spider) and is a friend of the family and
should be left alone. They will mind their own business if you mind your own business!
Earwigs
predators which are best left alone. If indoors you can remove and dispose
outside. Check for torn screens and other entrances into house. Leave alone in garden and
outdoors as earwigs will not attack your plants only other insects.
Fire ants
ticks are easy enough to control on humans and on our pets. Provide a
regular dusting of your dog with garden grade
DE once per week during tick season. Provide for them a
natural herbal collar and or an electronic collar. Bathe dogs regularly
with a natural Peppermint soap or other type of natural soap.
Orange TKO works well here too but at
a much greater diluted rate.
Gnats
Gnats can be controlled by using any type of natural soap
or Orange oil. A small
amount of soap will suffocate it. Test for strength by using on one
gnat and see how long it lives. A good strength is 1 tablespoon per
quart water. An excellent natural soap to use is any natural Peppermint Soap.
Orange TKO works well here too.
Mice and Rats
The best bet is to keep every thing as clean as possible.
You can get a female cat and that will solve the problem. You can try
using things like Orange TKO and essential oils to make it smelly for
them since they have very sensitive noses.
House Moths
Two types grain and cloth...larvae of moths eat many items found around the
home. In nature they eat from dead insects to feathers, pollen etc found around their
habitat. In the home they will eat from wool, cotton, clothing, etc. They will also eat
anything made from synthetic or botanical sources. Control moths by controlling these
factors:
1...removal of food sources such as food, drinks, water, sweat or urine stains.
2..Control immediate environment by vacuuming, removing all items once per year and
washing, vacuuming area. Look for larvae and dispose.
3...Check all items before they come into area. Check new clothing, shoe boxes,
newspaper, items being stored. Check all food containers for signs of eggs or if you see
them inside the container, remove and discard. Replace with food
placed inside a glass or
some other type of container which will protect it.
4...Set up traps which attract and trap. An excellent trapping
device is really a flea
trap. One in particular is called the Ultimate Flea trap and it is
basically a small light
that shines on a sticky mat. Insects are attracted to the light and get stuck on the mat.
Works well on moths as well. There are also sticky traps which you hang up or can be
placed around (box trap).
5...set up long term determines such as ultra sonic devices or use
aromatherapy senses
to keep pests out. Try peppermint oil, citronella oil.
Orange TKO works well here too. Other methods of control include
heat (over 120F for four hours) and cold (its a debate as to how low or how long),
microwave is another viable alternative to their removal since it will kill eggs as well
as adults without damage to the clothing etc but more study is required as to how best to
do it. Camphor is often used as a control measure and can be purchased via your local
store. Be careful handling, avoid breathing.
Follow instructions. Do not use if you are very sensitive to orders as camphor has a
very strong odor. Pyrethrum can be used to control moths but care must be taken not to
damage cloth as it will stain a green color. Best dusted around the shelves, under storage
locations and basically out of the way. It will last indefinitely inside.
Bacillus thuringiensis can be used to control both types of moths if used early in the
spring outside before they can make their way inside. Boric acid can be used to
effectively control moths in your home. A light dusting of most clothing with boric acid
before storage will not damage clothing but will protect from moth damage. Use boric acid
in containers to control.
Pantry Moths
There are many pests of stored foods, two of the most common are beetle and
moth larvae's. Also beneficials such as predators of these kitchen pests are known to
inhabit stored foods as well. Cereal boxes are a favorite place for the Angoumois
Grain Moth but also various types of grains, dog food, flour and almost
anything edible. The
fact that the problem went from local pantry to all over the house suggests that you
actually spread them by throwing away a lot of grains, suggests that you probably threw
their eggs around and with any luck they made it through the winter to spring. Chemical
controls are not healthy in the long term. Organic controls work better and last longer.
Causes
A particularly wet spring will encourage larger populations following spring
Infested stored food due to improper packaging and transport. Could be also at factory.
Immediate solutions
A clean up of all stored foods and the immediate area. Place new un
opened packages into sealed containers if possible. Try storing in glass jars. Most people do not
store their food stuffs properly inviting un wanted guess. A good rule of thumb is to go
through all your stored foods at least once per year to avoid any problems. When you first
buy your food items inspect for any opened packages, When you first open
packages inspect
for possible contamination. Use a natural soap and water solution to spray them if you
disturb them from hiding. Use 5 tablespoons per quart water. Dr Bronners Peppermint soap
is the best to use for this purpose but any natural soap will work.
Long term solutions
A light dusting of DE can be done around the shelves. You can place a liner
on top. DE is not harmful if eaten so don't worry. The DE will last until next years
spring cleaning!
You can alternatively make a mixture of 1 part pyrethrum and 1 part DE and use that
as a light dusting on shelves and places where there are being seen. Take a close look
around the house for any holes and other ways they can get into the house. A little repair
here goes a long way.
Traps
Pheromone traps work well in catching them and giving you a good count of
their population. A good sticky yellow trap will also work well. Another home made trap is a bowel filled with vinegar. Just change
regularly. That should do it!
Scorpion
better known predators and one of
the most feared by humans. Scorpions are great predators and should be
left alone. If found
inside remove to outside if possible. Locate torn screens, openings in walls, other ways
they can get inside the house. Use soap mixtures to spray around inside the house. Use
any natural Peppermint soap or
Orange TKO
Silverfish
also booklice Everyone is
familiar with silverfish and have seen them in your home at one time or
another. Very rarely a problem, silverfish eat paper products and are
introduced along with boxes, books, old storages boxes etc. These small
creatures prefer high humanity and cannot survive for long without water of
some kind.. The same methods of control for moths will also work for these
guys. 1..Control food sources 2...control humanity and 3..provide traps to
catch them. See moth control for methods you can use to control them. See
ultimate flea trap. A good trap is to get a bowel and fill half way with
vinegar and place in area where they are found. Check next day. Replace with
new mixture. Vacuuming of areas works well also. Steam cleaning of carpets
or infested areas will go a long way to their removal. Properly store pet
food, grains, etc in sealed containers.
Orange TKO works well here too as it
will kill em on contact if sprayed at strong enough strength..
Tarantulas
see spiders listed above.
Termites
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