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| Boric acid Sprinkling boric acid in cracks and crevices around your residence allows insects to walk through it and then digest it when grooming themselves. As long as the powder doesn’t get wet, it keeps working for months. Baking soda Mix baking soda with powdered sugar and put it out on small lids. The sugar acts as bait, while the baking soda poisons cockroaches.. Put your insect bait in hard-to-reach hiding places, such as behind the refrigerator. Bye bye ants Find the place where ants are entering your home. Circle the area with a line of a something that has a strong natural scent, like cinnamon, mint, cayenne pepper, or coffee grounds. Ants will stay away Diatomaceous earth An odorless powder available at most garden centers is composed of the fossilized shells of the prehistoric sea creature diatom Once ingested, it causes dehydration and death to insects. Caution From Chris B I discovered last year, after my Mom's townhouse became infested with ants. Her neighbor sprayed her unit (of course the ants left, and went to my Mom's unit). Diatomaceous earth can still be harmful to both humans and pets. When applying it you should wear a dust mask, and that you should only use what is considered "food grade". During our research for a better solution, we discovered chalk has the same effect as Boric acid, and is less harmful to humans and pets. We used "Chalk Lining" chalk, found in Home Depot/Lowes/Amazon, and it comes in several colors. We opted for white, and applied it to the ants point of entry. Ants were gone in two days. We also discovered that if you use sidewalk chalk (the fat kind, often seen in the dollar section), and run a thick line along your entire outside foundation, the ants won't cross it. Additionally, live yeast (can't use dried) put in small containers near ant entry point, they take it back to the nest and feed. It seems that live yeast causes the ants to burst. Garlic Cloves Placed in the ground around plants will deter slugs. and is a natural pesticide against mosquito larvae. Peppermint Oil A good repellent for many insects, especially ants, roaches and flies Spices Basil and bay leaves have been used for centuries as natural insect repellents. In fact, in many parts of the world basil is packaged inside bags of grain to protect them. Sprinkle your spices wherever bugs are a problem. Wall Scent Wipe down your walls with lavender oil. The scent causes bugs to scurry away. |