There are a number of reasons why you might decide to go ‘humane’ with your pest control; perhaps you don’t want to deal with the aftermath of pest control designed to neutralize, or you don’t want to expose yourself/your children/your pets to pesticides, or maybe you just feel a bit guilty. Whatever the reason, there are a number of things you can do to repel, and remove, pests from your home, humanely.
Preventing entry.
If you’re not sure how, and where, the pests are breaking into your home, you can call in pest control professionals to locate and fill any holes on your property, which insects, such as cockroaches and beetles, as well rodents, such as rats and mice, can use to gain entry into your home. Or, if you’re handy with filler, and have a good idea of where the pests are getting in, you can do it yourself.
Keep lavender in your home.
While lavender smells great to us humans, most insects avoid it. Fleas, moths, and mosquitoes, for example, are all repelled by the odour, and will take measures to avoid coming into contact with it. So, it’s a great plant to keep in your house- and it’s decorative.
Wipe your surfaces with peppermint/eucalyptus oils.
Spiders, mosquitoes, and other bugs are repelled by the scent of these oils; if you leave your window open, it’ll make these bugs think twice about entering your home. More than this, if you rub eucalyptus on your bedstead, you’ll reduce the risk of acquiring a bed bug infestation, since bed bugs can’t stand to be near the stench.
Use ‘humane’ rodent traps when dealing with unwanted visitors.
There are a number of non-violent traps on the market, which you can use to catch any rodents which have managed to make their way into your home. You put a treat in one end of the trap (a blob of peanut butter is recommended) and the rodent is enticed in, at which point the door is triggered and closes behind the rodent. Then, all you need to do is release the pest into the wild. There are a number of benefits to using this sort of trap, besides being the kindest option; you can use the trap more than once, and there’s no dead animal to dispose of.
Keep your house tidy.
When food is left out for too long, or you don’t take the bin out as often as you should, your house will start to smell incredibly appealing to a multitude of mini-beasts. Mosquitoes, flies and fruit flies, will all flock to where there’s a ripe-smelling bin. Similarly, if food is left out on surfaces, or if it’s swept underneath furniture, this attracts bugs such as beetles and ants, as well as a multitude of rodents. Ants, especially, can become a huge problem, since they are apt to create nests wherever they see fit and wreak destruction on your furniture, and to the structural integrity of your home. Lastly, clutter and accumulations of dirt can be attractive to certain pests, as prime egg-laying spots and nesting sites. So, if you take steps to ensure that your house stays tidy and clean, you can reduce the attractiveness of it as a home to these small invaders.
So, if you’re reluctant to use a less humane form of pest control, and want to avoid using harsh chemicals, such as pesticides, in your home, there are- as you can see -a number of things you can do to prevent, repel and remove any pests that you’re currently dealing with, naturally and without causing harm.
That being said some pests just need to be taken care of as quickly as you can such as termites before they damage your home. These options are also great as supplementing efforts if you use a local pest exterminator. It also works vice versa if you are doing these items and can’t get rid of them hiring a local pest exterminator is a great addition.
Overall it is important to keep your home protected from bugs and keep your pest problems under control.
About the Author
Rick Blackham is the owner of Mantis Pest Solutions a pest control company in Overland Park, KS. Rick has over 20+ years of experience in pest control through owning his own companies and working for companies such as Terminix and Orkin.