Now that summer has arrived, homeowners are having to put up with the fact that the warmer weather brings more insects. Nobody wants an infestation of any kind – whether it’s mosquitos sucking your blood while you sleep or tiny fungus mosquitos ravaging your kitchen. So what can you do to get rid of all of these pesky pests?
Sure, there are many insect repellants out there, but they may not be the best for the environment or your health. Skip the insecticides and harmful chemicals and opt for a more nontoxic and sustainable way to get rid of mosquitoes, flies, ticks, and mosquitos.
And should you be exhausted from the now full-time job of naturally ridding your home of mosquitoes, flies, ticks and mosquitoes, you can always buy a safe and non-toxic insect trap from Zevo. Zevo’s products for flying insect traps are simply plugged into a socket. With the help of multi-spectrum light technology and attractants for the body head, this plug-in attracts insects – whether mosquitoes, flies, mosquitoes or whatever you can name – without the help of chemical insecticides and captures them with a sticky adhesive backing. Throw away the dead insects and replace the cartridge.
Are you looking for ways to get rid of other creepy, crawling animals? Read on to find totally natural ways to get rid of various insects!
How to get rid of mosquitoes:
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A mosquito is a small, double-winged species of fly that usually descends in flocks, making it especially difficult to get rid of. Mosquitoes look like mosquitoes in that they are black, have long legs and two small wings.
These disgusting pests either come in from the outside or, it pains us to say it at all, from fruits and vegetables. Say what? Well, adult mosquitoes lay their eggs on unripe fruits and vegetables. When the product is overripe – let’s say it gets overripe and you hold it for too long – the mosquito larvae feed on the rotting organic matter either inside or on the surface of the product. Soon they will be ripe enough to leave the fruit and terrorize your kitchen.
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There are a few remedies you can try at home to get rid of a mosquito infestation: apple cider vinegar, wine, rotten fruit, and when all else fails, bleach is usually enough.
Vinegar won’t kill a swarm of mosquitoes on its own, but it can help catch them. To use an apple cider vinegar trap to get rid of mosquitoes, mix half a cup of warm water with two tablespoons of ACV, one tablespoon of sugar, and a few drops of liquid soap. Place the bowl in the area where you will see the most mosquitos. Both the sugar and the vinegar will attract the mosquitos; then they get stuck in the soap bubbles and cannot fly out again.
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You can also try a wine trap: leave some old, expired wine at the bottom of a wine bottle, then add a few drops of liquid soap. The vinegar smell of the expired wine attracts the mosquitoes, then the soap catches them. Even if mosquitoes escape from the liquid soap, it will be very difficult for them to get back up the wine bottle stem.
A rotten fruit trap can also get rid of mosquitoes. Put an overripe piece of fruit in a glass and cover with vinegar. Roll a piece of paper into a cone shape and place it in the glass. The fruit and vinegar attract the mosquitoes, but the small beetles cannot fly back out of the cone.
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Still dealing with a frustrating mosquito infestation? You could try targeting your drains. Pour half a cup of bleach down the drain where mosquitoes congregate. that should take care of it.
How to get rid of flies:
Flies are pretty annoying. Whether it’s houseflies or fruit flies, both types of winged insects love to rot organic matter. This includes trash cans, rotten food, droppings, or compost heaps so you may find them hanging (or flying) specifically in those areas.
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The most effective way to rid your house of flies is to get rid of their meeting points. You can do this by thoroughly cleaning your home, taking out the trash regularly, cleaning the toilets, taking out the compost regularly, and keeping the pet areas clean.
To catch flies, you can make a mixture of vinegar and dish soap. This mixture is just as effective on fruit flies and house flies as it is on mosquitoes. Mix equal parts of vinegar and dish soap in a bowl and let it sit in the place where flies are most common. The vinegar attracts the flies while the detergent catches them.
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Another way to get rid of flies naturally at home is by purchasing a Venus flytrap. After all, it’s in the name! Venus fly traps are carnivorous plants that actually eat insects. If your home has a fly problem, the Venus Flytrap will do it for you in a natural, safe, and non-toxic way.
Once you’ve got flies out of your house, you want to prevent them from coming back in the future. You can do this by making a mixture of water and cayenne pepper. Put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray around your house, especially near the doors and windows. The cayenne pepper smell is strong and will keep the flies from getting in.
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You can also plant certain herbs and flowers outside in your garden to keep flies from getting around. Basil and marigolds tend to keep flies away, but you can plant a Venus flytrap outdoors as well.
How to get rid of ticks:
A tick is a relatively small arachnid – usually between 3 and 5 millimeters long – that is an external parasite. These parasites feed on the blood of birds, deer, dogs, and humans on occasion.
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Ticks are dangerous as they are notorious for spreading disease. Most ticks feed on different host animals at every stage of their life. When the tick sucks the blood of an animal host, they also ingest the pathogens of all blood-borne diseases that the animal host may have. When the tick changes host, the tick also transfers these diseased pathogens to the next host and thus spreads the disease. In the US, ticks are known to spread diseases like Rocky Mountain spotted fever, Heartland virus, Colorado tick fever, and of course Lyme disease.
For this reason, many people want to avoid ticks at all costs. But getting rid of ticks can be difficult. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), protecting yourself with an essential oil may not be as easy, but there are some steps you can take to keep ticks from hanging around your yard.
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The CDC recommends the following to avoid ticks in the yard:
- Remove all leaf litter.
- Clear away tall grass and brush around houses and the edges of lawns.
- Place a 3-foot-wide barrier made of wood chips or gravel between lawns and wooded areas to limit migration of ticks to recreational areas.
- Mow the lawn frequently.
- Stack wood neatly and in a dry place to deter rodents.
- Keep play equipment, decks, and patios away from the edges of gardens and trees.
- Keep unwanted animals (like deer, raccoons, and stray dogs) from entering your yard by building fences.
- Remove old furniture, mattresses, or trash from the garden to hide ticks.
If you know you are outdoors in an area where ticks may want to hide, the CDC recommends avoiding high, grassy, brushy, or wooded areas, treating your clothing with 0.5 percent permethrin, and an environmental one Protection Agency (EPA) -registered insect repellent that contains DEET, picaridin, IR3535, lemon eucalyptus oil, para-menthane diol (PMD), or 2-undecanone.
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If you have pets who spend a lot of time outdoors – especially dogs – you should make sure they are treated with tick repellent too. There are oral medications or medical collars; Whatever works for you and your pet is fine as long as you also check your pet for ticks frequently, especially after the pet has been outdoors or gone for a walk.
How to get rid of mosquitoes:
Mosquitoes are some of the most annoying insects around, and while nobody wants to be bitten by these bloodsuckers, the good news is that they’re relatively easy to get rid of.
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Even more good news: no bleach or complicated vinegar and wine traps are required. The most effective way to get rid of mosquitoes is to choose the right plants. Outdoor plants such as basil, catnip, lemongrass, lavender, lemon balm, and rosemary work wonders for repelling mosquitoes. Mosquitoes don’t like the smell of any of these plants. So when they spot the smell on the radar, they’re more likely to steer it the other way.
In addition to planting the right greenery, but also using a home mosquito repellent, you can protect yourself against mosquitos as well. To make your own personal repellant, mix equal parts water and witch hazel, then add 30 drops of citronella essential oil and 10 drops of lemon eucalyptus essential oil. This natural repellant will protect you for up to two hours, but you can spray again if needed.
