How to Repel Insects: Natural Formulas to Repel Insects

Insects Inside the House: Ants

There is nothing more annoying than trying to enjoy an outdoor activity and then being invaded by insects such as mosquitoes, flies, and ants, just to name a few.  Even more irritating is that one pesky fly that tends to buzz your face or nose while you are trying to sleep. 

Many people are hesitant to use toxic chemical based insect repellent because of the dangers they can cause to the environment as well as the people in near vicinity of these products. 

Ants; it seems no matter how hard we try they always seem to find a way in and march in a single line to the bounty they have found to return it to their nest and then come back for more.  Here are some suggestions as to how to avoid this problem without hiring an exterminator or using toxic chemicals:

• Keep crumbs and spilled substances cleaned up.  If there isn’t anything for them to feed on, they’ll take their party elsewhere to find the goods.
• Fill a bottle with soapy water and should you find an ant invasion, spray them with the water. 
• Ants don’t like cucumbers so leave bits of cucumbers at the places where ants might find their way in.  The more bitter the cucumber, the more it will repel them.
• Other things ants don’t like in which you can place where ants seem to enter are: cinnamon, coffee grounds, citrus oil, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, mint leaves, and cloves. 

Finding the point of entry is a key element to keeping ants from invading your home and looking for a free meal.  In the ant world, word spreads fast and if they find an easy target, they’ll spread the word and soon you’ll be over-run with ants from many colonies.

Insects Inside the House: Cockroaches

Cockroaches are another one of those nasty insects that can be bothersome and embarrassing, as many people equate the presence of cockroaches with an unclean environment.  Even the cleanest of homes can and will have the occasional cockroach.  The problem with roaches is where there is one there may be many.  At the first sign of a single roach you should get in gear and eliminate the problem quickly.  Here are some steps to take to rid your home or apartment of a pending cockroach problem:

• Vacuum completely all areas of the house.  Remove the bag from the vacuum cleaner and seal it in an air tight bag and then dispose of it.  Roaches lay eggs; this is what you are vacuuming up; those eggs can still hatch inside the bag and if you don’t dispose of the bag you will continue to have a problem.
• Wash and mop with strong soapy water.
• Because roaches like high places, putting boric acid on the top of your cabinets will cause the roaches to binge on it and then bring it back to their nest, killing all the roaches in that nest. 
• Catnip is toxic to roaches but not to humans or pets.  Leave little pouches of it in areas where roaches might be found.  You can also make a formula of tea using catnip which then you pour into spray bottles.  Spray the baseboards and areas where roaches may find their way into your home.
• Soapy water kills roaches immediately.  Keep a bottle on hand and spray the roach or roaches directly with the soapy water. 

These are but a few of the natural ways you can rid your home of this most unpleasant visitor.  

Insects Inside the House: Mosquitoes

Summer time would not be complete unless you have been attacked by a gang of mosquitoes.  Many people have declined using repellants with toxins that can possibly harm the environment as well as the person, thus they have researched and experimented with natural repellants that work just as effectively and the only thing they harm are the mosquitoes.  Some suggestions as to how you can naturally repel mosquitoes are the following:

• The oil or juice from garlic is well known to repel mosquitoes; it may also repel others as well, as it is quite pungent, but it certainly suits the purpose in repelling pesky mosquitoes. 
• Certain herbs such as cat mint and rosemary are also known to work quite effectively.  Combine the herbs into a pot of water and let steep for an hour or so.  Pour the contents into a spray bottle and spray the mixture on your skin. 
• Fabric softener sheets are said to work quite well; rub the sheet over the exposed skin and or tuck a sheet into your belt. 
• Other tricks that seem to work are: Vicks vapor rub, Avon Skin So Soft, and taking a B-1 tablet daily. 
• Marigold plants are said to repel many insects; plant these around and near the areas that you will be spending time outside during summertime events, barbeques, or swimming pools. 

The best advice I’ve found concerning mosquitoes is that they are attracted to perfume, deodorants, and hair products.  If you are planning to go hiking, fishing, or spending a great deal of time outside, try to avoid using any of these products before hand.  You should also remember that any type of standing water is an invitation to mosquitoes so be sure to make sure you don’t have tubs or  pots of water sitting around the areas of your yard where you might be entertaining or spending time outside. 

Summer would not be complete without all these pesky insects but there are many ways to reduce or eliminate them without having to resort to toxic chemicals that are harmful to the environment as well as to humans and animals.  You just need to experiment to see which works best for you.