How to get rid of pests: DIY home remedies for pest control

MANILA, Philippines — Mosquitoes, cockroaches, bugs, and ants, these are just some of the common pests we encounter in our homes.

These pests, if not dealt properly, can actually cause a wide range of potential health hazards.

While calling a pest controller can be a good option, it can also cost you a lot of money since the service only lasts for a short period of time. Chemicals from pesticides are “intrinsically toxic," says the World Health Organization, and according to many studies, can cause diseases such as asthma, childhood leukemia, certain cancers and Parkinson’s disease.

If you are not willing to open your wallet for pest control services, or risk of getting sick from chemicals, then why not get rid of pests the natural way?

Here are some common, natural home remedies for pest control:

Garlic

Apart from being a popular cooking condiment, it can also drive mosquitoes away because of its strong scent. Crush a few gloves, boil them in water for a while, fill the finished product in a container, and spray it all over the place.

Catnip

While this plant has “nepetalactone” that attracts cats, it is another story for pests such as bugs, mosquitoes and ants.

Catnip, when combined with vinegar, creates a powerful repellent. In a mason jar, crush at least two cups of catnip leaves, blend with at least three cups of vinegar, and wait for a week or two. After two weeks, transfer it into a spray bottle and voilà – it’s time to bug off!

Essential oils

Everyone loves essential oils, but little critters despise these.

• Cockroaches: You can either use eucalyptus or tea tree oil. In a spray bottle, add ten drops of oil to every three ounces of water, and spray any contaminated areas.
• Spiders: Spearmint or Peppermint can be used to ward off spiders. Likewise, find a spray bottle and add 12 ounces of water to every 15 drops of oil.
• Fleas: Your fur babies should also not be left unprotected. To prevent fleas from attacking them, use any of these oils – lavender, lemongrass or peppermint – add 12 ounces of water to every 15 drops of oil you prefer. Once a week, see to it that you spray your pet’s coats. To guarantee the protection, add two drops of your preferred oil to the shampoo when giving your pet a bath.

Basil

Pests flying around the house can get really annoying. It gets harder the more you try to kill them because of their size. To get rid of flies, put a basil on your doors or windows. If it still enters your house, you can take a portion of it and have it inside.

Other teeny-tiny insects that go uninvited to our homes are ants. They may be small, but when a colony becomes your guest, it can get stressful.

Civil engineer and YouTube content creator Slater Young shared a budget-friendly and effective way of eradicating pests.

To make a solution, the things you’ll be needing are:

• water 
• sugar
• and borax (cleaning agent)

Find a bottle, put ¾ cup of sugar, and add 250 ml of boiling water. Take note: it has to be boiling water for the sugar to be sterilized and to last longer. After shaking the bottle, add another 250 ml of water, but this time, use lukewarm, and add a teaspoon of borax.

A small amount of mixture goes a long way. “It doesn’t kill the ants instantly, but it gives them opportunity to take the poison into their hives – so it kills the whole colony,” he said on his YouTube video.

Once the solution is ready, pour it into small plastic containers and place them in ant-infested parts of your home.

The next time you think of hiring pest control services, you might want to explore these options first. Remember: these pests may go, but they will always come back, so make sure to become resourceful when dealing with them. — Video from Slater Young via YouTube