READILY available kitchen ingredients can be used to deter pests from crawling into your home, says an expert.
He shared various organic solutions that can be used to get rid of unwanted critters, as well as a tip for preventing garden weeds.
Ants are an important part of biodiversity but can be annoying when they disturb the soil around plant roots — or waltz right into your home.
According to Gardeners’ World, this disturbance can cause damage to the plant such as wilting.
Some species of ants are also known to sting or bite.
Jamie Jones is an outdoor living specialist and the founder of Open Space Concepts.
Speaking to The U.S. Sun, he revealed the natural ways to keep homes and yards free from unwanted insects and weeds.
ATTACK ANTS
“Ants can be a common problem in the summer months but you can help to deter them from coming inside your home or garden room with several natural remedies, without harming them,” Jones said.
“Ants hate the smell of citrus, so save your orange and lemon peel and scatter them around entry points such as your window sills, doorways, and corners of your room.
“Alternatively, soak cotton wool pads in peppermint oil and place around these corners to help repel the insect.
“You can also place these around bins or the compost corner, to help keep ants at bay.
“For a natural way to deter ants from coming into your home, sprinkle coffee grounds around the perimeter of your home.
“This will help to create a ‘barrier’ for the ants, as they don’t like the feeling underfoot.”
Each of the ingredients recommended by Jones is readily available from grocery stores.
Peppermint essential oil is priced at $4.87 at Walmart.
Customers have given it a 4.7-star rating out of 5 and gave rave reviews about how effective it was for their needs.
“Good smell and repels bugs while making my house smell good,” one person wrote.
“I bought this to use around my house as a bug and flea deterrent,” another shopper said.
“It is strong and in the right amount in an enclosed space can be overpowering.
“Otherwise the scent is nice and BONUS, it seems to be working well on our small but persistent insect aggravations.”
Tips for keeping pests from your garden
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- Plant companion plants such as peppermint to repel rats.
- Place Garden Netting Pest Barrier, $8, Amazon, over your flowerbeds.
- Fill open-top containers with beer and place in soil to repel slugs.
- Spray plants with Neem Oil, $9, Target, to repel ants, flies, and spiders.
- Dust your flowerbeds with Diatomaceous Earth, $8.26, Amazon.
- Mix 1 tablespoon dish soap, 10 drops peppermint oil, and 4 cups water and spray on flowerbeds.
- Place eggshells around your plants to protect from slugs and snails.
DEHYDRATE WEEDS
Jones said a kitchen cupboard staple can be used to banish weeds without causing damage to surrounding plants.
“For a natural way to kill weeds from your garden, make a salt solution consisting of one part salt with two parts water,” he said.
“Mix the solution together before pouring directly onto any weeds or in the cracks in your patio.
“This will help to dehydrate the weed as it disrupts its ability to absorb essential nutrients for growth.
“Make sure to do the job on a dry day, so the solution doesn’t wash away.
“Leave it overnight before pulling the root of the weed out the next day.”
