Our house and garden is our sanctuary from the hustle and bustle of the world. We can sit back and enjoy the comforts of our home or go out and reap the rewards of our flower and vegetable garden. But sometimes nature has something else in mind. It's not good or bad it is just how the laws of nature work. There are many people that can work within these parameters and others that prefer not to be bugged by mother natures bugs. So here are some homemade easy ideas to deal with the pesky bugs and return your sanctuary and possible your food source back to you.
Slugs and Snails
The following items can be spread around the perimeters of your garden or individual plants.
- Cedar shavings and woodchips
- Sawdust
- Wood ashes
- Crumbled egg shells
- Diatomaceous Earth
- Spray left over coffee onto plants.
- Place out margarine tubs with beer. Snails love beer.
- Place the hair from hairbrush or pet combs under the plants.
- Put sanding disks that are wider than the potted plant base under the plants.
Earwigs Environmental Friendly Traps
Do you have a problem area with earwigs? Just roll up some wet newspaper with a rubber band and place it in the area overnight. In the morning gently collect the newspaper and place it in a plastic grocery bag and tie with a knot then place it in the garbage can. You can continue to do this until you are rid of the pesky insects.
Ant Barriers, Repellents and Eviction Notices
Ants in the house is no fun. Once they are in they make a highway to the nearest food source. Ants are Aphids' best friends, they carry the aphids eggs to new plants that the aphids feed on thus causing damage to garden plants and flowers.
Safe Indoor House Repellents
You can sprinkle pennyroyal, camphor, clove oil, tansy and spearmint in your house. Break up eggshells and place them on a plate to put in your closets or on shelves. Organic repellents include talcum powder, cream of tartar, borax, powdered sulfur and oil of cloves.
If you have no pets or dogs you can sprinkle boric acid on a piece of wood with sugar.
Ant Barriers for Around the Exterior of the House
Spread a line around the house with agricultural lime, bone meal and powdered charcoal.
Garden Paths and Ants
Mix one tablespoon of ground black powder, clove or dry mustard to one cup of white flour. You can sprinkle this on or around pests then sweep into your yard or garden.
Picnic Table Issues
Sick and tired of ants appearing for lunch and carrying away your share of the goodies?
Place a plastic container or water under each foot of the picnic table. By the time they have it figured out you will have finished the fine feast.
Eviction Notice for the Anthill
Mix equal parts of vinegar and water. Spray into the anthill and around any area with ants. Ants hate the smell of vinegar. This can also be used for picnics and children's play areas.
Using natural resources is far better than using chemicals and pesticides in our environment. Try some of these pesky insect solutions to make your home your own and your plants and vegetables more productive.
