Home remedies for pest control

Keeping your home pest-free doesn’t need to be expensive and time-consuming. It’s possible to ward off a variety of common pests by taking advantage of certain household essentials and natural repellents. Here are our top tips for keeping critters under control with home-made remedies. 

Ground coffee 

Your morning cup of coffee can do a lot more than give you a caffeine hit. Used ground coffee can be utilised as a repellent for a range of insects, including mosquitoes, beetles, and fruit flies. It is a very eco-friendly method. Certain compounds within coffee beans are toxic to these pests, so they tend to stay clear. Leave small bowls of used ground coffee in areas where these insects gather, such as on window sills and near fruit bowls, or scatter in the garden.

Vinegar 

A bottle of vinegar is the swiss army knife of kitchen cupboard essentials. One of its numerous uses is as an insect repellent and eliminator. Some insects can’t bear the acetic acid of vinegar, while others are drawn to its pungent scent. Mix a solution of ½ water and ½ white vinegar, and use as a spray around window frames – this will help to keep out ants, spiders, and mosquitoes. Small bowls of the stuff, on the other hand, will entice in fruit flies – unable to resist the tangy odour, they’ll end up drowning in the solution. 

Essential Oils 

Essential oils are a more fragrant way of dealing with pests. Whether burnt or diluted with water for spraying, essential oils repel insects while making your home smell pleasant. Peppermint oil, in particular, has some potent pest-beating qualities – its cool, refreshing notes are enough to drive away spiders, cockroaches, and mice. Lavender is another indispensable essential oil – alongside helping to ease you into a good night’s sleep, it also acts as a repellent towards fleas, ticks, and flies. 

Boric Acid and Sugar 

If you notice a steady line of ants marching into your kitchen in the summer, there are a few simple ways of getting rid of them. Try mixing a teaspoon of boric acid, which can be found in pharmacies and home repair stores, with eight teaspoons of sugar, and stir into a cup of water. Once you have your solution, put some drops on cotton wool balls and leave in the direct path of the ants. They’ll be attracted by the sweetness and will investigate promptly, before ingesting the poison. As the solution is slow to act, the ants will take it back to the colony where it’ll spread amongst the others – getting to the root of the problem.

Instant mashed potato granules

Potato doesn’t spring to the front of your mind when thinking of homemade pest control against mice, but when in instant mash form it can be a potent weapon against pests, especially rodents. If left out in strategic places, like around vents and drain openings, rats and mice will eat these granules. Within a short period of time, the granules will expand in the intestines of the rodents and ultimately kill them. 

Stopping pests from invading your home needn’t be costly or time-consuming. There are many ways to keep them at bay using things you probably have in your cupboard already. When an infestation seems to have gotten out of hand though, we’d always recommend getting in touch with a professional pest controller. 

If you live in or around London and are having trouble with rats, mice, or insects, don’t hesitate to contact Inoculand. Our expert exterminators will be on hand to offer advice and make sure your property is pest-free as soon as possible.