Real Homemaking

Insects that travel into our homes come in many shapes and sizes, but they all have one thing in common: they’re unwanted intruders. Pests can cause all kinds of problems once they get indoors, including contamination, structural damage and health issues, so it’s best to take preventative methods. The good news is that there are many different ways you can combat and eradicate indoor pests.

Keep it clean
If you want to prevent your house from being plagued by indoor pests, keep it neat and tidy at all times. The reason that pests enter our homes in the first place is to look for food. This doesn’t necessarily mean that you need to blitz everything in sight with bleach and detergent. The trick is to focus your efforts on potential trouble spots.

Bathroom basics
There’s no need to go overboard or get obsessive in the bathroom. Cleaning and disinfecting the toilet, tiles and showerhead on a regular basis is all that’s needed. Don’t forget to change your towels since wet ones are very popular with bacteria and bugs. Disinfect sinks, basins, baths and shower plugholes since drains offer a hiding place and free meal to a surprisingly large number of unwanted visitors.

Kitchen focus
The kitchen is the room in your house that deserves the thorough attention. Keep all food preparation surfaces and chopping boards clean and disinfected, and remember to wash and wipe them down after use. Forgotten food attracts larger pests, such as beetles, cockroaches, mice and even rats. Don’t leave food out in the kitchen in the warm weather when flies are common.

Pest identification
If you want to treat your pest problem properly, you need to identify which insects in particular are invading your space. This is crucial, since most interior pesticides are made to destroy certain types of insects. Remember you will have a much greater chance of wiping out your insect infestation if you attack the problem correctly from the get-go.

Insecticide options
There are many non-toxic insecticides available in stores and on the web. This should be your first line of defense, as insecticides can be extremely hazardous to children, pets, and possibly the environment. When searching or asking for these, use the phrase “non-toxic insecticide” and carefully read the labels.

Natural Alternatives

Many pesticides are volatile. That means that they volatilize – or become gaseous. This allows the pesticides to drift throughout the application area to eliminate pests. But this also means that they can contaminate all surfaces in a home.

Simple remedies to eliminate pests:

• For ants, you can sprinkle red chili powder, paprika or dried peppermint (or its essential oil) where the ants are entering. For outdoor pets, place their food bowl within a larger bowl of soapy water.
• For fleas, feed your pet brewer’s yeast in powder (mixed in food) or tablet form.
• For ants, termites, lice, fleas, spiders or roaches, mop or spray floors with Borax. It’s poisonous if ingested, so store and use carefully.
• For ants and fleas, mix 4 oz of a natural soap in 1 gallon of water and spray as needed. Or sprinkle powdered soap around your home’s foundation.

For getting rid of other pests, see the Beyond Pesticides website. They offer this information for free to help spread the word on the toxic hazards and non-chemical alternatives to pesticides. They list many common pests and ways you can safely get rid of them.