Homemade Pest Control - Natural Remedies For Your Home

Here are several homemade pest control remedies and ideas so you can control and deter pests naturally.

No one wants to share their home with pests, like ants and other insects, nor with mice or other rodents.

However, I also don't want to share my home with expensive, chemically laden pest control products and services either.

Therefore, here are some do it yourself pest control ideas anyone can use to discourage pests from coming into their home in the first place.

This article places the most emphasis on the kitchen, and controlling insects and rodents from coming in there, but many of these same ideas can be used throughout the house.

Further, these ideas work best to deter the pests from coming and living comfortably in your home, more than how to rid yourself of them if they have already gotten really comfortable and have set up residence there.

Keep Your House Clean

All types of pests generally find it easier to live in a home that is not kept clean, because there are more places to hide and generally more food to find and eat.

Some obvious routine actions to take in your home, as part of your homemade pest control plan, especially in the kitchen, is to take out the trash each evening, sweep the floor of crumbs, and wipe down the counters.

Also, make sure you sweep or vacuum often anywhere that people eat food in your house, including couches or the bed. Better yet, tell your family that eating should be done in the kitchen, and not all through the house.

Take Away Their Food Supply As Part Of Your Homemade Pest Control Plan

Speaking as a person who lives very close to corn fields I have had to learn the hard way to keep all the food in our house in closed containers, to help deter mice.

We can get lax, to a certain extent, in the spring and summer once the mice move back to the fields, but once the corn is harvested you know it is time to tighten up the pantry storage, stop leaving bread bags on the counter, and otherwise make as little food as possible available to the rodents.

I have found that I cannot completely prevent mice from coming into the house after the harvest, because they are looking for food, but when they don't find anything readily available they leave to look elsewhere, and don't set up residence in my home.

By the way, a reader has provided a great tip for how to keep mice out of your home from known mouse holes, so check out her tip for this!

Similarly, without a constant and large food supply insects and bugs don't find your house so hospitable so keep everything closed up. That means if it doesn't come in a sturdy package put it in one. Flimsy plastic bags are not enough, especially if they don't even seal shut but are merely closed with a rubber band or clip.

Natural Pest Deterrents - Certain Spices

Besides not providing pests with food or shelter, you also want to deter any that might come looking around that this is not the home for them, and to keep searching for something better. An effective homemade pest control measure used to deter unwanted visitors is to use various types of spices, which they don't seem to like.

Rodents and insects both hate bay leaves. (Makes me wonder why we like to add them to our cooking, sometimes.) Place loose bay leaves in your kitchen cabinets, and also inside the air tight jars you place your grains and beans in.

Similarly, a dried chili pepper is also a natural pest deterrent, and can be placed around to stop insects and rodents from getting too comfortable. Of course, be careful in houses with small children because if they put one in their mouth they will be uncomfortable for a while because the chile will burn their mouth.

Finally, whole dried nutmegs can be placed in flour bins or bags to keep pests at bay.

Essential Oils Can Deter Pests Too

Certain essential oils, which are concentrated forms of certain plants' volatile substances, can also be effectively used as part of your homemade pest control. (To learn more about essential oil uses, check out this essential oil use chart.)

For example, mice hate peppermint essential oil. You can make a solution of 2 cups water and three teaspoons peppermint essential oil and spray this from a spray bottle anywhere you find mouse droppings. Be careful with such a mixture though, because this is highly concentrated and should be handled carefully to avoid skin irritation.

Similarly, to deter mice in the first place you can also place sprigs of fresh peppermint leaves around your kitchen cabinets and pantry.

Another natural pest control for ants is to wipe down counters with 6-8 drops of either peppermint or citronella essential oil. You can also sprinkle a couple of drops of the oil where the ants are coming into the house, such as on the windowsill or on the edge of the counter, where it touches the wall, to deter them.

Of course, if the ants have already invaded here's a natural homemade ant killer recipe you can use to get rid of them.

What Are Your Do It Yourself Pest Control Tips?

I have given some helpful hints and advice for homemade pest control, but I know there are lots more effective ideas and tips out there.

If you use a home remedy for pest control please share your home remedy pest control tips here so we can all get even more ideas that will work in our homes. You can also check out the tips that have already been submitted.

Photo by Migraine Chick from Flickr CC

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