The air is getting crisp, school buses are driving by again, and you’re inexplicably craving a pumpkin spice latte. It can mean only one thing… Fall is back! Fall has so much to enjoy… football, cool weather, peace and quiet as the kids head off to school. Don’t get bugged by bugs in your kitchen this Fall. Keep your bug-be-gone methods simple and safe.
Keep it clean
There’s no debate that the most important aspect to an insect free home is keeping it clean. Remove standing water in the sink and keep food and dirty dishes off counters. Put open containers of food in airtight containers or the fridge.
Piles of newspaper and magazines can be a breeding ground for bugs, and excessive clutter makes it impossible to keep your home bug-free.
Go beyond what the eye can see
Keep trash in a container with a lid and take it outside at least once a day. If there’s a spill or a leak in an indoor or outdoor trash can, as unpleasant as it may be, clean and sanitize it.
The furry four-legged members of your family don’t want bugs in their food any more than you do. Seal pet food in an airtight container.
Natural remedies
Bitter cucumber peels will repel ants. And they will not cross a line of cayenne pepper, citrus oil, lemon juice, cinnamon, or coffee grounds, so strategically placing these at their entry point may solve your problem.
Mint will keep ants, roaches, mosquitoes, and flies away. Bonus: mint is a hardy herb that grows quickly just about anywhere you plant it, and it makes a great cocktail ingredient! Bags of mint tea can be used if you are not interested in growing it fresh.
Additional tips
Borax, or Boric acid can be used a variety of ways to keep roaches, ants and other pests away from your home. You’ll want to make a solution: Mix one liter of water, one teaspoon of Borax and a cup of sugar. Place on a cotton ball and set it out of the reach of children and pets. Bugs will carry the bait back to their colonies where it will eventually kill the colony.
Did you know roaches love high places? Here’s a tip: If you put boric acid on TOP of your kitchen cabinets (not inside), if space allows between ceiling and cabinets, the roaches will take the boric acid to their nests, killing all of them.
Another way to use Boric acid is to simply sprinkle it under your appliances and along cracks where the wall meets the floor. The pests won’t die immediately in most cases, but the powder will stick to them, and after a week, you should be good to go.
Boric acid is toxic by mouth – keep away from children and pets.
If you have more tips, share them in the comments below!
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