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There is probably no person in the world who would gladly share their dwelling with unwanted visitors from the insect world. And especially because they feed on our blood or our food, which they often contaminate and reproduce faster than anything else in the world.
Ants, cockroaches, fleas living on pets
There must be a solution for all these uninvited creatures that will make them avoid our homes entirely, and without us having to resort to toxic chemicals.
Try these homemade recipes that are gentle on the environment and your wallet.
Ants
They are small and almost harmless, but when they start marching through your kitchen as if it belonged to them, it’s a problem. Depending on your preferences you can either kill them or repel them. We have both solutions.
Repellents to keep them away
Lemon juice:
Spray or squirt lemon juice on the places where ants come from (cracks in plaster, holes in the walls …). This scent will definitely deter them.
Chalk:
It sounds strange, but people claim that by drawing chalk lines at entry points into apartments, ants won’t cross them. The lime in chalk acts as a repellent and gardeners who sprinkle chalk around their plots could also speak of its effects.
Cinnamon and cloves:
One of our grandmothers’ most popular recipes. These two ingredients just need to be combined and scattered around the house.
Cornmeal:
Use cornmeal indoors or outdoors; it works the same as cinnamon and cloves.
Vinegar:
Spray a solution of ½ water, ½ vinegar and this scent will deter ants.
Borax:
Mix it with sugar, water and dishwashing liquid and apply with a spray bottle. This recipe is a total disaster for ants.
Paprika:
Apply cayenne pepper into the openings through which ants enter or into the anthill.
Fleas
They bite pets and even people. To get rid of these little vampires, try the following methods:
Borax:
This versatile powder can be sprinkled on various surfaces and will definitely kill fleas in the apartment. However, be careful using it in places accessible to pets or children. Leave the borax in place for 12-48 hours and then vacuum it up.
Rosemary:
Boil 1 to 2 cups of fresh rosemary leaves in boiling water; after it cools, massage into your pet’s skin and let dry (preferably in the sun).
Spiders
Although venomous spiders do not occur here, we don’t want to see them at home. Here’s how to get them where they belong – outside, far from your house.
Add 5 – 10 drops of peppermint oil to a mixture of 200 ml water and 1/4 teaspoon of ordinary dish soap, shake well and spray into corners, gaps between furniture, seams and on window frames.
Mites
They cause allergic reactions and skin irritation. Here’s how to get them out of your home.
Mix 6 teaspoons of eucalyptus oil with 1.5 teaspoons of liquid detergent in a bucket of water and soak washable items in this bath and then wash them as normal. For everything else, just apply and wipe with a clean cloth. If you don’t like the smell of eucalyptus oil, you can replace it with tea tree oil, which is equally effective.
How to get mites out of mattresses
We need:
- 200 ml 3% hydrogen peroxide
- 3 tablespoons of baking soda
- a few drops of liquid soap
Procedure:
- Vacuum the surface of the mattress.
- Mix all the ingredients in a spray bottle and wait until it stops foaming.
- Then close the bottle and simply spray onto the surface of the mattress.
- Leave to act for at least 3 hours in a ventilated room. When the mattress is dry, you can put the bedding back on as usual.
I also found an online guide on how to quickly remove urine stains using vinegar and water!
Mice
All you need is ordinary cotton wool and vinegar. Clean the places where you store food with one part vinegar and one part water. Vacuum your home and clean all rooms to remove food traces that could attract mice and other rodents.
Prepare the cotton balls just before you use them because the smell of vinegar will be strongest. Put on plastic gloves. The cotton ball must be completely soaked. Repeat this technique for as many cotton balls as you need. I placed about 10 around my home – don’t worry, you won’t smell them.
Place the cotton balls in all areas where you see mice or signs of them – for example in cupboards, under the sink, on shelves, behind stoves, and under the kitchen counter. Push the balls into cracks and places through which mice can get into the interior.
Replace the balls when they look dry and no longer smell of vinegar. After a few days the signs of mice disappeared and I didn’t see them in our house all winter. To improve the effect, it is recommended to use mint vinegar!
If you stop finding signs of mice (crumbs, droppings) in your home, the balls have done their job. Alternatively, you can repeat it from time to time as a preventive measure. It’s really a great way to fight mice because it only repels them – they hate the smell of vinegar – and doesn’t kill them. They simply lose interest in coming to your house. The vinegar smell greatly irritates their respiratory tracts and makes it difficult for them to orient themselves.
