Natural home remedies to control insect pests and bugs

When it comes to pest control, you can spend a lot of money hiring exterminators or buying smelly (and often toxic) sprays and chemicals for your home, but in some cases, you may not need to go to such extremes. There are many all-natural remedies for insect and pest control, many of which our ancestors have been using with great success for countless generations. You’ll be pleased to know that many of these useful items can be found in the average home.

Although pest control can refer to dealing with pest birds, insects, and rodents, this article will focus on getting rid of insects.

Insect control in the garden

Believe it or not, aluminum foil can keep hungry bugs and slugs out of your vegetable garden. Simply mix strips of aluminum foil into your garden mulch to deter bugs and slugs. Also, since the foil is reflective, it will return light to your plants, giving them a sun boost.

Mothballs are another useful garden insect control device. You’ve probably heard of using mothballs in the closet to protect your sweaters, but you can also use them to kill bugs in pots. Simply place the plant in a clear plastic bag (ie. cleanup bag), add a few mothballs, and seal the bag for a week. When you dig out the plant, it will be free of bugs (and moths will stay away for a while, too). Animals also hate the smell of mothballs, so you can also throw some in your garden and flowerbed, to keep cats, dogs and rodents away.

Did you know that onions are also a natural pesticide? Here’s an easy-to-make concoction that will repel insects (and animals, too) on your flowers and vegetables: Use a blender to puree 4 onions, 2 garlic cloves, 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper, and a quarter of gallon of water Set the mixture aside, and then dilute 2 tablespoons of soap flakes to 2 gallons of water. For the entire contents of your blender, give it a stir and you have an eco-friendly insect repellent to use on your plants.

Black pepper is another home remedy that works very well for garden pest control. If bugs are harassing your flowers, plants and vegetables, simply mix pepper with flour and sprinkle it around your plants. Insects won’t be as eager to chew.

Finally, you can make your own rock dust to get rid of insects in the garden.

Insect control in the house

Dog and cat food, which is often left out all day, can be a great temptation to ants and other insects. An easy way to turn these six-legged intruders off is to place a rim of baking soda around pet food bowls. The baking soda won’t bother your pets (although they probably won’t like the taste), so they won’t be concerned if they do enjoy their food a bit.

Another good household item to get rid of bugs is vinegar. For example, if your last trip to the farmer’s market brought you fruit flies and healthy groceries, then you can make fly traps by filling an old jar halfway with apple cider vinegar. Poke a few holes in the top, screw it back on, and the fruit flies will be attracted and trapped.

These are just some of the easy ways to use simple household items to get rid of bugs. So when you have a problem, don’t be so eager to buy a chemical-filled can of bug spray. Look for natural solutions, and you will most likely find them!