Natural Ways to Repel 6 Commond Indoor Pests

Natural Ways to Repel 6 Common Indoor Pests

1. Flies and Fruit Flies

• To attract and capture flies, drop mango peels into a long bottle, and leave it open. Or place a little water, a couple tablespoons of cider vinegar and a few drops of dish soap in an empty spice container.

Tip: Decorate the outside of the bottle or spice jar with a scrap of fabric, chalkboard paint or patterned card stock.

• Purchase a decorative fruit fly trap from your local housewares store. Most come with packets of a lure mixture to combine with water.
• Plant basil, mint or lemongrass in small pots in the kitchen.
• Hang decorative sachets of cloves, eucalyptus and clover blossoms around the house.

2. Ants
Sprinkle food grade diatomaceous earth*, black pepper or ground cloves along the ant’s path, or spray ants directly with white vinegar (the scent will also prevent future ant problems).

Tip: Try either of these methods on earwigs, silverfish, cockroaches and centipedes, too.

*Tip: Diatomaceous earth is finely ground sedimentary rock. Find it at your local home improvement store or nursery.

3. Flour MothsStore dry goods in covered containers, and add a bay leaf to each one.

4. MothsHang decorative sachets filled with dried mint, lavender, cloves, thyme or rosemary around your home.

5. SpidersPlant mint or lavender and leave citrus peels outside, and spray doorways with white vinegar mixed with chili pepper oil to deter spiders from entering.

6. TicksPlant rose geraniums in the yard, or dip your pet’s collar in rose geranium oil to prevent ticks from coming inside.