Natural Bug Solutions for the Home and Garden

Whether you have bugs in the garden eating your plants or ants have found your cupboard, there are natural ways to get rid of them. Why choose natural pest control? Conventional pest control like bug sprays are made with very harmful toxins which are neither healthy for people or the environment, by using natural methods of pest control you reduce your exposure to these toxins while saving the planet.

Natural Solutions to Bug Problems: Use good bugs in the garden.

It is very frustrating when you are trying to grow your garden and pesky bugs like aphids keep eating the leaves. Instead of using pesticides, consider releasing good bugs into your garden.

What exactly are good bugs? Basically good garden bugs are the ones that eat the bad ones. Ladybugs for example can devour 5,000 aphids in less than a year. It's best to release lady bugs at dusk because fewer of them will fly away. You should also water the plants that have the aphid infestation, as ladybugs will go their first for a drink.

The praying mantis is also a good bug to have in the garden. They eat flies, mosquitoes, spiders, aphids, and leafhoppers. You should lay their eggs to hatch in the Spring time; a word of caution though, one egg could release up to a hundred praying mantis.

You can find ladybugs and praying mantis at your local garden center or online.

Natural Solutions to Bug Problems: Use household products to get rid of indoor pests.

Just because you have a slight indoor bug infestation does not mean you should head straight for the bug spray. Much of the time, these sprays are toxic and can pollute the air in your home. Instead, use some household products to take care of your bug problem.

Ants: If ants are your problem then vinegar is your solution. Ants hate the smell of vinegar. Just spray full strength distilled white vinegar along windowsills, doors, crevices, and countertops.

Fruit flies: Just like ants, fruit flies also hate vinegar. In order to get rid of fruit flies, all you have to do is place small dish in the kitchen filled with white vinegar and a couple of drops of dish soap.

Cockroaches: If cockroaches are the problem you can make your own mixture to kill them. Combine equal amounts of sugar and borax on a plate and place it where you have seen roaches. Just make sure they are out of reach of pets and children.

Moths: Moth balls are full of toxins and they look like candy to your kids and pets. Instead, put some lavender, cedar, or mint in your closet to keep moths away.

By using natural pest control solutions you are not only saving the planet, you are also minimizing your exposure to toxic chemicals. You will be able to breathe easy at the end of the day knowing that your family is not breathing in anything hazardous. Best of all natural solutions also allow you save a lot of money.

Sources:
Bugs that Help Your Garden
Control Indoor Pests Naturally