Diatomaceous Earth for Most Insects Think fleas, ticks, cockroaches and more! All you have to do is sprinkle lightly where you find pests inside or outside of your home and this substance will help keep them at bay.
Peppermint and marigold are good repellents and can work safely inside. Also orange, lemon, lime and other strong citrus fragrances will drive a way pests while freshening a room.
Mix together 1/2 cup chopped peppers, 1/2 cup chopped onion or garlic and 2 cups water. Place in a sealed glass jar and steep in the sun for 24 hours. Strain and place in spray bottle. Effective on most pests including grasshoppers and June bugs.
If all else fails, drinking apple cider vinegar can actually have an effect on the smell of our sweat, making it less interesting for mosquitoes. As mentioned above, drinking cider vinegar can keep mosquitos away from you.
DEET, picaridin, IR3535, and oil of lemon eucalyptus are referred to in this fact sheet as common insect repellents. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends using products with one of these EPA registered ingredients. They can be applied to human skin and some can be used on clothing.
Mosquitoes are turned off by several natural scents, including citronella, peppermint, cedar, catnip, patchouli, lemongrass, lavender and more. You can add some of these plants to your landscaping to fend them off.
Some plants, like lavender, marigold, citronella grass, rosemary, and basil, naturally repel bugs. Lavender is particularly popular as a natural, people-and-pet-safe pest control plant. The aroma of lavender is too strong for small insects and discourages them from flying near the area.
Peppermint essential oil might just be the holy grail of natural pest repellents to leave around your home's entry points, as it can help keep away ticks, spiders, roaches, moths, flies, fleas, beetles, and ants. Use sachets of this oil near your doors and windows or try making a diffuser or spray.
Bugs naturally are attracted to vibrant colors such as orange, yellow, or white. Colours such as blue and green will not register as vividly when viewed in the ultraviolet spectrum, which deters bugs away from those colored items.
Essential oils such as rose geranium, tea tree, eucalyptus, patchouli, citronella, lavender, catnip, lemongrass, palmarosa, and peppermint are all excellent at warding off insects. Vanilla extract diluted in water (equal parts) is hands down my favorite.
Bugs hate the smells associated with repellency, such as lavender, citronella, vinegar, peppermint, and geranium. These oils are considered a natural way of driving away bugs from your home without harming you, your family, and other animals.
If you want to manage a pest infestation, you will want to use the household products that kill pests. Cornmeal or borax baits for ants, diatomaceous earth dusting for crawling pests, vinegar traps for flies, Windex for spiders, and other lethal solutions will give you the chance for getting rid of pests.
Create a fly and wasp repellent.
Upstairs Downstairs Cleaning says that you can use full-strength Pine-Sol as an insecticide or a 4:1 Pine-Sol to water solution spray for staving off wasps and other stinging insects—just steer clear of honeybees!
To make a peppermint oil spray, you need pure peppermint oil, water, and dish detergent. Mix two teaspoons of peppermint essential oil with 1 cup of water and add 3 to 5 drops of detergent. Shake the bottle to mix the solution.
The active ingredients suggested for use in homemade insect repellents may help ward off some bugs, but these formulations are not likely to provide you protection as long-lasting as our top-rated off-the-shelf products.
Both apple cider vinegar and white vinegar are a good base for an insect repellent, as they deter flies and, combined with specific essential oils, will deter mosquitoes and ticks as well. Oils that have excellent repellent properties include geranium, lemongrass, citronella, rosemary and lavender.
1. Thyme. Thyme is an herb you can rely on when insects are bothering your home. The herb deters mosquitoes, earworm, maggot, hornworm, and whiteflies.