
Your kitchen is a goldmine of those ingredients. Garlic, onion, chili, pepper, lemon, peppermint, vegetable oil, dishwashing liquid, hot water, essential oils, and even cigarette butts – these are just a few of the things you can use to concoct an eco-friendly spray to kill pests, and they’re cheap and readily available.
How to Make Garlic Mosquito Repellent – House hold ingredients
- Prepare garlic oil by taking an entire head of garlic (peeled) and placing the cloves in two cups of olive oil. Simmer in a pan for 15 minutes, and then allow to cool completely.
- Strain the oil to remove the garlic and any impurities, and discard the solid matter.
- Combine equal parts petroleum jelly and beeswax with the garlic oil. The ratio should be one part garlic oil to 100 parts jelly and beeswax.
- To use, apply to your arms and legs.
How to Make-Environmentally Friendly Ant Repellent
House hold ingredient
- Mix a solution of half vinegar and half water in an empty spray bottle. Use the solution to clean counter tops, windowsills, and baseboards. Spray along the creases of woodwork, around door frames and windows where you notice the ants entering your home. Vinegar is completely safe for pets and humans.
- Sprinkle talcum powder (baby powder) along the baseboards, windows, and counter edges to discourage the ants from foraging for food.
- Mix a solution of 2 tablespoons powdered borax (laundry booster), 1 cup of water, and 2 cups of sugar. Stir the mixture completely and place drops near points of entry, on countertops, and behind appliances. The sugar attracts the ants that consume the borax and take it back to their nest. This solution should be used over the course of a few days. Allow the ants to consume the mixture and return to their nest repeatedly without interference. If the ants aren’t responding to the mixture, try using butter or mayonnaise in place of the sugar. Animals or humans should not ingest this borax mixture.
- Visit your spice cabinet for a very simple and environmentally safe solution to repelling ants in your home. Sprinkle black pepper at entry points or behind canisters on the counter tops. Use cinnamon in the same manner. Sprinkle bay leaves, whole cloves, or cayenne pepper along windowsills and around door frames to discourage ants from entering your home. Peppermint, sage, and spearmint can also be used outside your home to treat the nest area.
- Keep your counter tops clean and avoid eating in other rooms in the house. Crumbs are an ant’s nirvana. Vacuum frequently to remove crumbs from the floor and discourage foraging ants from finding food sources in your home.