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FLEAS, ANTS, AND ROACHES ARE ONE OF THE MOST COMMON AND MOST ANNOYING PESTS. ALTHOUGH THERE ARE VARIOUS PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET WHICH ARE SAID TO KILL THEM OFF, MOST OF THEM ARE PACKED WITH CHEMICALS WHICH DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. IF YOU DON’T LEAVE THE HOUSE FOR A FEW DAYS AFTER USING THEM, THE TOXIC RESIDUE MIGHT AFFECT YOU OR YOUR PETS.
The good news is that there are a many safer alternatives available, using good hygiene practices and common household products. Here are some of those brilliant, easy methods:
1. Use dishwashing detergent against fleas
You can use dishwashing detergent to wash your pet, which will both clean their fur and kill off fleas. Opt for natural formula and make sure you test a small area prior applying it.
Alternatively, you can make a flea trap by putting dishwashing detergent in a bowl or plate. Fleas are attracted to light so place a candle in the middle or keep the bowl under a lamp.
2. Wash and vacuum everything
Getting rid of the eggs and larvae is critical when it comes to getting rid of fleas, so dedicate a whole day to washing everything around the house. Wash all the bedding, clothes, bathroom mats, and soft rugs, too.
3. Salt your carpet
As reported by Rapid Home Remedies, a layer of salt on the carpet will dehydrate and eventually kill the fleas residing in your carpet. Get finely ground salt and sprinkle a layer over the entire carpet. Let it work for at least a day prior vacuuming it thoroughly.
4. Make a natural flea spray
Making your own natural flea spray to keep fleas away is definitely a good idea. There are many recipes available, most of which use citronella and rosemary oil. Both of these ingredients are all-natural and safe to use around the home.
5. Deter ants with household products
WikiHow recommends spreading a line of petroleum jelly, talcum powder, or duct tape across the entry point. You can also wipe all the trials with cinnamon oil or place whole cloves or ground cinnamon near the entry points.
Spraying diluted peppermint oil, fresh lemon juice, or white vinegar across ant trials works well too.
6. Bait or trap the ants
DIY natural recommends making a homemade bait by combining one part borax and three parts powdered sugar. The sugar attracts the ants while the borax kills them. Pouring some honey into a shallow dish is a good idea when it comes to trapping the ants.
7. Find the ant nest
Pour boiling water into the nest, it will flow through the tunnels and kill the ants. Another option is using a solution of camphor oil and methylated spirits.
8. Starve roaches
Don’t leave leaks in the house as roaches cannot live more than a couple of days without water. On the other hand, they are fond of grease, so make sure you clean the stovetop and the kitchen free of food splatters and crumbs. The goal is to starve the roaches.
9. Deter roaches
Home Remedies Care suggests several natural scents and chemicals that roaches cannot stand, including mint oil, cedar, bay leaves, lemon, cucumber, and Listerine. Make your own solution and spray it around the house to keep roaches at bay.
10. Use roach bait
WikiHow shares a recipe using sugar, flour, and Boric Acid. Although this method is very effective, it takes time to work so you need to be patient.
Mix one part powdered sugar, one part flour, and one part boric acid. Sprinkle the powder under the stove, under the fridge, in the backs of the cabinets, etc. The sugar and flour attract the roaches and the boric acid poisons them.
11. Make your own roach spray
Mix soap and water and spray the solution onto roaches. This method helps suffocate them, it works quickly, and it is completely safe to use around the house.
12. Make a roach trap
As already discussed earlier, roaches need water, so they are willing to go long lengths to get it. Fill a jar with water and put it in areas where they typically reside. They will climb in the water and will not be able to go back out.
