| No one enjoys a family picnic more than ants, and many times they can find their way into your home and begin a feast that can last for days, or even weeks. The same might be said about mice, slugs and many other insects and pests that risk your food supply and sanity in attempts to get rid of the uninvited guests. People with pets and children in the home are seeking nontoxic pest control methods that can take care of any problem without causing harm to humans or pets. Choosing Plants Carefully Another method of organic pest control is preventative, but using plants that will be naturally resistant to local insects and diseases anyways. Usually, this means growing varieties of plants that originated in the area you live in, sense these varieties have developed resistances that help them survive against local predators. As with many methods of organic pest control, choosing local plants is a way of preventing a pest problem before it starts and before you bring in chemicals. A combination of these techniques, alone or in conjunction with more traditional methods, should keep your garden clearer of pests than it was before. Large farms are beginning to see changes with their soil since beginning organic garden pest control. The same can happen for all of the home gardeners. When people have enough land for a small garden they tend to plant. It can be argued that vegetables are cheap compared to the time and effort of the home gardener. Anyone who has picked a fresh tomato and eaten it straight from the vine will gladly spend the extra time and work taken to grow them. There are natural methods of getting rid of many problems, such as ants, which will not cross a border of flour. Baking soda can be used as nontoxic pest control and is also lethal to ants, as is minute rice or cream of wheat. They will eat this and it expands in their stomach causing death. Keeping Away Flying Insects Herbs can also provide natural pest control by discouraging flying insects to stay away from both you and your things. Basil, for instance, makes an effective repellant for insects. A bowl of basil at the center of a picnic table can help keep the mosquitoes away, and keeping some near your windows and doors in the summertime can help discourage flies from coming near your home. Similarly, growing basil in your gardens can help keep some pests away, giving natural pest control without the use of sprays, and while providing a natural, pleasant herbal scent to the air. They also do not like the smell of eucalyptus and using products in which it is found will keep them at bay. To stop the itch when you do get bit, spray the area lightly with hairspray or use a dab of toothpaste on the bite for relief. |
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