Save money with natural pest control

Ants, rats, mice, oh my! Household pests are an annoyance, and it costs a chuck of cash to take care of them. Just one visit from an exterminator can cost you about sixty dollars! Do something good for your wallet and the environment and read up on a few tips and tricks to repel and prevent pests naturally. 

Ants

• Leave cucumber peels in window seals and ledges to deter the pests.
• Notice where the ants tend to gather, and place a few bags of mint tea in the area.
• Sprinkle ground cinnamon in doorways to prevent them from entering your home.
• Rinse cupboards with a vinegar and water solution.
• If ants are eating all the food in your birdfeeder, rub the outside with petroleum jelly.
• Spray any ants you spot crawling around with soapy water.
• Sprinkle anthills with salt to deter them.

Flies

• Flies love pet food. Keep them away by placing little open containers of sweet basil next to the bag of food.
• Soak an absorbent cloth in eucalyptus oil and store in any area where flies are constantly present.

Mosquitoes

• Remember: Mosquitoes love stagnant water. Remove any sources including: bird baths, pet bowls that have been sitting out for a while or kitchen sinks full of water.
• Keep them at bay while gardening by tying 1-2 scented dryer sheets into your clothing. For whatever reason, they cannot stand them or the odor they give away.
• Plant marigolds in your yard or garden. The scent the flower gives off deters insects.
• Massage eucalyptus oil into skin for a bug spray alternative.
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Mice and rats

• Keep all food items fully sealed in containers.
• Mice and rats hate the smell of peppermint. Plant them outside your home, or in small pots around your home or on the patio,

Roaches

• Roaches love high places like tops of refrigerators and cabenits. Place boric acid on the top of tall appliances. BE SURE TO KEEP OUT OF REACH FROM CHILDREN AND PETS.
• Kill individual roaches by spraying them with soapy water.
• Soak 1-2 pieces of bread in beer and put them in an empty coffee can in areas that are high in roach traffic.
• Catnip (safe for humans and animals) is a well known natural roach deterrent. Place the little sachets you find at pet stores around the house, in places you've noticed them gather. You can also make a spray solution by boiling catnip to make tea.
• Garlic and cucumber are also natural deterrents. Keep these on kitchen counters to keep them out of there.
• Make a non-toxic and natural cockroach dust repellent using the following recipe:

1 cup dried leaves, powdered

1 cup peppermint leaves, powdered

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce

1 tablespoon powdered pyrethrum

1 tablespoon diatomaceous earth

 Bonus tip

• Repel insects by placing birdhouses, birdbaths or other things that attract birds to your property. Many species of birds munch on bugs.