If you are worried about pests inside your home, there are several natural and humane ways to prevent invasions and trap vermin. In the past, homeowners have used chemical pesticides or poison bait traps to eliminate rats, cockroaches, and other uninvited house guests, but today, we know that natural alternative are safer and a lot healthier for everyone in the home.
Live Plants and Herbal Sprays
Growing live herbal plants such as rosemary and wormwood around a home can deter a variety of insects, including mosquitoes, chiggers, and fleas. Alternatively, you can use the essential oils from a variety of herbs to repel pests. Herbal repellents are easy to mix in spray bottles and apply to a home’s baseboards and window screens.
Using Natural Enemies of Pests
Many types of vermin have natural enemies. For example, you might use cats to scare away rodents. Wild animals, including squirrels and chipmunks avoid invading yards and buildings where there are dogs. To reduce a population of cockroaches, ticks, fleas and more, consider raising backyard chickens or guinea fowl. It’s also important to create wildlife habitat in your back yard to attract birds, lizards, and frogs that will dine on the unwanted insects in your lawn. Even encouraging dragonflies in your yard can cut down on mosquitoes!
Steel Traps
When a home has a visiting raccoon or squirrel, a humane steel trap is an excellent way to capture the animal. The best area to place a steel trap is near a pest animal’s entrance or exit point. After the animal is captured, it requires relocation to a sanctuary or wildlife refuge which your local animal control can often help with.
Blocking Entrances
A home with tiny holes and crevices is easy for pests to invade, but you can block these entrances with liquid caulking or wire mesh. Crevices and holes are often located near a building’s foundation or utility lines, but many insects enter through sewer systems or rooftop chimneys. Make sure to use a drain strainer with wire mesh in all your household drains and have a chimney cap installed.
Keep a Home Clean and Free of Clutter
Most of the unwanted critters in your home are attracted by food sources and nesting areas. If your home is filled with open or easy to enter food containers, then it is at risk of invasion by mice, ants, and rats. Keep your home clean and avoid having clutter where vermin can hide to raise young.
Eliminate Standing Water
Mosquitoes place eggs on top of stagnant water, and if your home’s lawn is littered with open containers that hold rainwater, then you are more likely to receive a mosquito bite. Get rid of children’s wading pools, flowerpots, and old tires that hold water, creating a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Contact an Exterminator
If you are still struggling to get rid of the rodents and insects, it may be time to contact a pest control professional. A knowledgeable exterminator can evaluate your home, outbuildings, and lawn to identify additional causes of pests on your property.
Pests can be a real drag and can cause a lot of damage. Luckily you won’t have to resort to using harsh chemicals or dangerous traps now that you’re armed with information about these natural alternatives.
Brooke Chaplan is a Freelance Writer, writing for Pointe Pest Control and Spider Control Experts. Brooke can be reached at [email protected].