Natural Ways
What does summer mean to you? To most, summer means pool time,
cookouts, county fairs and camping trips. But, if you ‘re like me, summertime
means one thing: bugs. Anytime I go outside during the summer, I am fighting
swarms and swarms of insects that want nothing more than to feast on me! That
is NOT my idea of summer fun!
Since I also don’t like using chemical insect repellents that
contain DEET, I am always looking for more natural ways to keep the bugs away
from me, my home and my garden! If you’re like me, read on for some tips to
naturally repel insects, so you can get back to enjoying your summer!
Cedar
If you have moth issues, natural cedar is a great way to keep
them away. Since moths have a natural aversion to cedar, you can buy cedar
blocks (such as these ones) or shavings and place them in your closet or
dresser in order to keep those pesky little bugs from chewing through all your
clothes and other fabrics. For more info on moths, and the havoc they can wreak
on your home, here’s a great article from the Queen of home herself:http://www.marthastewart.com/264609/the-basics-of-mothproofing.
Citrus Peels
Here’s a great tip for keeping
spiders out of your home, and it smells lovely too! You can use the peels
of any citrus fruits to rub down any areas of your house that spiders have been
frequenting, like windowsills or bookshelves. An added perk? Citrus peels also
make a great natural furniture polish for wood surfaces!
Lemon Eucalyptus Oil
Experts say that lemon eucalyptus oil is just as effective as
DEET in repelling mosquitoes! Lemon eucalyptus oil can also be used to prevent
deer tick bites.
Garlic
Want an easy (and tasty!) way to keep the mosquitoes off of you?
Just eat lots of garlic! When your body secretes the garlic, bugs will be able
to sense it, and they will steer clear of you! You can also get the same effect
by sprinkling garlic powder around your home, if you don’t want to battle
garlic breath!
White Vinegar
Do you have an ant issue? Just put some white vinegar in a spray
bottle, and lightly spritz areas where ants like to hang out. Make sure to test
the solution first if you are going to be using it on carpet or a colored
fabric. White vinegar has so
many great uses around the house!
Herbs
If you’re looking for a great way to keep bugs from ever getting
into your house in the first place, plant some fragrant herbs around both the
front and back doors of your house. Not only will these herbs keep insects from
making themselves at home, they will also liven up all your dishes in the
kitchen! Some great choices are catnip, lemongrass, garlic, mint, citronella,
basil and even bay leaves!
Keep A Clean House
Now, this tip isn’t as much fun as some of the others, but
keeping a clean house is a great way to keep pests out. Make sure to dust
regularly, vacuum and wash all surfaces with soapy water frequently to keep
pests from making themselves at home in your home!
Cinnamon
Sprinkling cinnamon around the house is a great way to keep bugs
out. Experts say that if you sprinkle the cinnamon in a line around the bugs’
point of entry, they will not cross it! Another interesting tip? Some folks say
sprinkling cinnamon in kid’s sandboxes can keep bugs from hanging out in there
as well!
Baby Powder
Some folks might not consider baby powder to be a natural
substance, but to me, it’s better than that yucky DEET! Baby powder sprinkled
all around is said to repel bees and wasps, so you might want to think about it
if you have those little suckers hanging around your house!
Chalk
Sounds crazy, but apparently ants are afraid of chalk! Not
really afraid, but it’s true that they will avoid walking through chalk! So, if
you want to keep them out, draw chalk lines around your house, and they will
not want to cross them!
Cucumber Slices
Want to keep ants off your kitchen counters? Just slice up a
cucumber and leave it laying around! Ants hate it, and they will try to stay as
far away as possible!
Dryer Sheets
It might sound like an old wives tale, but it actually works!
Putting a dryer sheet in your pocket while you are hiking, camping, or
gardening can keep mosquitoes, gnats, and other insects out of your way! It
sounds funny, but it’s way easier than slathering on the bug spray, and your
clothes will smell spectacular!
Onion
A common insect repellent trick from the senior crowd? Slice up
some onions, toss ‘em in a bowl of water, and the bugs will run far away! You
can also use onion plants in your garden as “companion plants”, to keep the
bugs from attacking their partner plants!
Vanilla Extract
If you want an insect repellent that doesn’t smell like garlic
or onions, this one can be a great choice! You can mix vanilla extract with
water for a smell good insect repellent! You can also add lemongrass extract,
lavender, or mint extracts to the mixture too, and you will be smelling great
while you fight off the pests!
Wear Light Clothing
While you are probably already wearing light clothing, since
it’s summertime and all, consider wearing light COLORED clothing as well! Mosquitoes
are for some reason attracted to dark colored clothing, so switching up your
fashion choices might actually keep the bugs away!
Relax
Calm down, you’re drawing the bugs! Seriously, though! When we
stress, or sweat, our bodies release hormones and pheromones that the bugs are
attracted to! So, try not to exercise outside,and if you need to stress out, do
it inside in the a/c!
Soybean Oil
Soybean oil is usually used in cooking, but recent research has
shown that it is also a great insect repellent! In a recent study, experts
found that insect repellents made with soybean oil kept the mosquitoes away for
an astonishing 94.6 minutes, which was WAY more than any other plant based
repellent that was tested!
Citronella
Citronella is a lemony grass-like plant that bugs absolutely
hate! You probably already know about it, since it’s found in almost all
outdoor candles, torches and lanterns. It is one of the most powerful natural
insect repellents! You can buy or make the
candles, but you can also plant citronella grass outside of your home, and
you can buy the oil and
rub it directly on your skin!
Use Unscented Toiletries
Bugs are automatically attracted to flowers and fruit, so if you
are shampooing with strawberry-mango shampoo and spritzing with passionfruit
body spray, you’re probably going to be a hot target! If bug bites are a huge
problem for you, try to opt for unscented or fragrance free body products.
Build A Bat House
Yes, this option might sound a little crazy, but if you are at
your wit’s end with the bugs, you can simply let someone (or something!) with a
little more experience take over. Building a bat house and attracting bats to
live near your house can pretty much annihilate the mosquito population! Bats
can eat up to 3000 mosquitoes in a single night, so you might want to consider
hiring them to do your dirty work! Interested? Here’s a great post to get you
started:http://www.thisoldhouse.com/toh/how-to/intro/0,,20165965,00.html.
Get Rid Of Standing Water
Mosquitoes like to live in standing water, so you might be
inadvertently inviting them to hang out at your home. That bird bath or kiddie
pool in the yard might look like the Mosquito Hilton! Keep your grass trimmed
short and get rid of any containers that might be harboring standing water, so
your home doesn’t seem so enticing to those little pests!
Trap Em!
You know what they say: If you can’t beat ‘em, trap ‘em!
You can make a great mosquito trap using super cheap materials such as a 2
liter soda bottle, sugar, and water! For instructions on what to do, check out
this helpful post: http://www.thriftyfun.com/tf22399231.tip.html.
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