Whether you rent or own your home or place of business, you know the importance of pest control in the four-state region of southwest Missouri is of high priority during the summer months. But since bugs of almost any type can eventually enter your home or business, it’s essential to understand the preventative measures you can take.
These mitigation measures help to prevent pests from entering your home or work. You can use any number of options that slow or reduce the presence of insects between chemical treatments.
Eco-Friendly Deterrents
The range of eco-friendly deterrents far exceeds the number of options for cleaning, maintaining, and sealing gaps in your home. We’ll discuss the top natural deterrents homeowners and business owners can easily carry out without harming the environment, animals, or humans.
Supplying a Food Source
Several eco-friendly pest controls are garden-friendly and smell good too. But some sources are effective deterrents. Unfortunately, however, some options can lead to other problems too.
One alternative source is bird seed. But if you’re not careful, you could invite a noxious weed into your yard. So perhaps a better option is to plant things with a dual purpose, like herbs.
Plant Herbs
By planting herbs, you can create a natural guard against mosquitoes. The oils in rosemary or sage act as a natural repellent.
Vinegar Solutions
White vinegar is another kitchen favorite that serves a dual function by effectively deterring ants from following.
To stop other ants from following the ant pheromone trail into your home, mix up a ¼ cup of white vinegar with 10 drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil into 2 cups water. Shake vigorously and spray the vinegar solution around all entry points throughout your home.
If you have uninvited fruit flies, set out a glass of apple cider vinegar covered with cling wrap and puncture with a pen or pencil head. The fruit flies will be drawn in by the apple cidered sweet scent and find it rather difficult to escape once lured inside.
Plant Lavender or Mint
We know old wives’ tales can run amok with natural deterrents. So keep in mind these solutions are meant to serve in two ways: eliminate the presence of insects and use it for cooking in your kitchen.
If you plant lavender or mint outdoors, these two herb plants emit a natural odor not well-loved by eight-legged creatures. But, of course, you can also use both inside your home.
Pinch off a few mint leaves, then crush up and place into two cups of water, and allow it to sit for a day or two before spraying the concoction around entry points. The oils from the mint leaves will send those arachnids running in the other direction.
What’s Next
Although these natural remedies deter and eliminate common household bugs, the process is also daunting. Eco-friendly solutions like those described above are meant only as temporary fixes. For long-term results, it’s best to schedule regular treatments with a local pest control company.
When you are between treatment cycles, you can use the remedies mentioned above to help temporarily manage the occasional stragglers you come across in-between. The Bug-A-Way Team serves the Joplin, Missouri, over into Kansas and Oklahoma, so give Bug-A-Way a call today to get your first pest control treatment schedule.