Most of us look forward to the arrival of summer each year. It’s a time for backyard barbecues, pool parties and relaxing in the sunshine. Unfortunately, summer is also a favorite time of year for pesky insects. If you see a cockroach scuttling across the floor or experience an ant infestation, it can be tempting to go to town with chemical sprays to wipe them out.
However, traditional pesticides contain many ingredients that are harmful to all living creatures, not just insects. In order to keep yourself, your family and your pets safe this summer, take a look at your natural pest control strategies for the most common bug invaders.
Ants are some of the most common household insects to deal with during the summer. Drawn indoors by the alluring smells of overripe fruit or sticky jam spills, they’re hard to remove once they’ve chosen your counters as a food source. Though harmless, the sight of dozens of ants crawling around your food isn’t appealing. However, ants are actually averse to the smell of peppermint and making your own natural bug repellent is easy.
In addition to dousing ant-prone areas with homemade peppermint spray, eliminating the ants’ food source is the most effective way to keep these pests at bay. This means being meticulous about cleaning up after every meal. Wipe down kitchen surfaces every night and be sure to sweep and mop at least every few days.
There is perhaps no household pest as hated as the bed bug, and the warm summer weather only encourages them to breed. These crafty critters can actually move to different pieces of furniture throughout the home, so simply getting rid of the infested mattress may not always be enough. Fortunately, the use of diatomaceous earth has proven effective in killing a number of household insects including bed bugs. Diatomaceous earth is a type of sand made from fossilized algae.
infographic by: www.turbotenant.com
