Once scout ants find a way in…

Naturally Repel the Critters that Are Making Your Home Their Own

Warmer weather ushers in beautiful days filled with blue skies, sunshine, and fun outdoor activities. While you’re enjoying spring and summer, critters are coming out of hibernation and searching for food and water. You see, there’s another thing warmer weather ushers in: pests. You work hard to keep your home clean, but this doesn’t deter determined insects and rodents that are ready to call your home their home. What’s worse, an exterminator is expensive and over-the-counter pesticides can be dangerous. What can you do? Naturally repel them.

Dangers of Pesticides

It’s no surprise that OTC pesticides are dangerous; after all, they are poison. What’s worse, there are three different ways in which you can be exposed to the poison, and each way can cause harm or even death. Whether you inhale it, get it on your skin, or ingest it, pesticide chemicals are designed to kill bugs; and they will harm you, your family, and your pets, too.

Naturally Repel

Thankfully, there are numerous natural ways repel insects and rodents, and these pest-control measures won’t harm you, your family, or your pets. Not only are these methods risk-free, they’re also less expensive than OTC pesticides or hiring a professional. You clean your home naturally; here’s how to repel the most common pests in the same manner:

Ants: Ants are without a doubt one of the most tenacious insects out there. It only takes a scout ant to find a way into your home before you have your floors and countertops covered with the creepy crawlers. It doesn’t matter if they are looking for food or water; ants become a huge problem very quickly. Fortunately, cinnamon naturally repels ants and has the added benefit of smelling nice. Sprinkle a small amount of cinnamon alongside your baseboards and at all openings and leave the ants outside.

Bats: Prevention is the name of the game when it comes to repelling bats. Simply put, if you don’t give them entrance, they won’t find a way in. To avoid an attic full of bats, check around your house frequently for any openings; this includes vents and your fireplace chimney. Cover all openings with screening material. This prevents not only bats, but also birds, squirrels, raccoons, skunks, possums, and other critters that are better left outside from gaining entry into your home.

Mice: If you’ve seen those plug-in mice repellents at your hardware store and thought cynically, “Yeah, sure, sound isn’t going to drive away mice,” think again. These ultrasonic noisemakers are quite effective in repelling mice, rats, bats, and other rodents. It doesn’t matter if you live in the city or a rural area, ultrasonic rodent repellers are designed to cover anything from small apartments to wide spaces. Just purchase the right ones for your needs and plug them in.

Mosquitos: Mosquito bites can be extremely harmful to your health, and these nasty insects will munch on your pets, as well. Mosquitos are drawn to water, because that is where they breed and lay their eggs, so rule number one in repelling mosquitos is to keep your home and the land around it dry. Get rid of that decorative fountain and birdbath, keep your lawn mown, and don’t let water puddle outside. Inside, use drain screens and keep your doors and windows closed.

Beneficial “Pests”

This might seem like an odd section to add to this post, but there are actually beneficial pests that help keep other pests away from your home. One of them is spiders. If you have spiders, you will want to call in an expert to ensure that they are not harmful. If they aren’t poisonous, it behooves you to consider keeping a few of them around, even if you don’t like them. You don’t want an overpopulation of the creepy critters, so natural prevention is beneficial. Still, allowing a few of them to call your home their home will reduce other annoying pests, including flies. To prevent too many spiders, keep your home clean and free of clutter, and do the same in your garage and storage areas. Keep your yard trimmed and maintained to avoid overpopulation outside and then simply leave them alone. Spiders keep to themselves and aren’t interested in bothering you, so don’t bother them.

Keeping your home free of pests is very important. Your home is your castle, not an insect’s or rodent’s castle, and you want to ensure that you and your family are safe from any pest or the traditionally harmful way of disposing of them. Thankfully, natural pest control is just as effective as chemically-laden pest control, and you can usher in the beautiful spring and summer weather without ushering in all the spring and summer critters.