Summer is here in Texas and Spiders are everywhere along with Fleas and yes, I have even seen a few Roaches. I wanted to share ways to keep fleas, ants, and roaches out of your home for good. I have shared 12 easy methods with you.
I will be trying each of the methods in my home and as I do each one I will come back and share the results with you. If you have other ways to keep bugs out of our home please leave me a comment and I will check them out as well.
Fleas, ants and roaches are common household pests just like the children we have only more annoying. We all know there are many products which claim to kill critters.
Unfortunately most of the products are full of harsh chemicals, some of them require us to leave our home for a few days. Or we have to leave a toxic residue on the carpet meaning our children or pets can’t be on the carpet.
Today I would like to share safer home remedies which can get rid of fleas, ants and roaches. The ingredients in these products promote good hygiene practices.
1. Use dish washing detergent against fleas. Did you know that Dish washing Liquid is like poison to fleas. I can tell you I didn’t but I am willing to try it out.
Try washing your pet with Dawn detergent, which will clean its fur and kill any fleas. Test a small area first, because there are animals which have sensitive skin.
Then make a flea trap by pouring dish washing liquid into a very shallow bowl or plate. Then place a candle in the middle or keep the dish under a lamp.In a week or so, you should see fleas becoming trapped in the viscous liquid.
I will be placing a bowl of this on my Coffee table to catch the fleas around my couch from our dogs climbing up on it. Because I have been getting bitten by these Critters and I am tired of it.
2. Wash and vacuum … everything. To get rid of fleas, you need to get rid of their eggs and larvae. While David and Charlie are out of school this weekend we are going to wash all the clothes and lines in our homes. Which is where the fleas live.
Throw all your bedding, bathroom mats, clothes and soft rugs into the washing machine, paying special attention to your pet’s favorite blankets or cushions. Although, for us I am not going to use our washer and dryer I am taking everything to the launder mat so I can get it everything done at one time.
If you have a pet and the flea problem has been bad, it might be worth throwing out its bed and getting a new bed. Fleas lay eggs in the stuffing as well as the cover. Even though I have hard wood floors I am still going to vacuum my home. You should as well. Make sure you get into any dark spots. Fleas love to live in areas that don’t get a lot of sunlight.
3. Salt your carpet. A layer of salt will dehydrate and kill the fleas living in your carpet. Use finely ground salt, and sprinkle a generous layer over your entire carpet. Leave it for one to two days or as long as you can, and then thoroughly vacuum. I don’t have carpet but my sister does and she has cats so I am going to ask if she will try this step out in her home and let me know how it worked.
4. I would like to show you how to make a natural flea spray. Once you’ve controlled the initial flea population using the steps above, you can make your own natural products to keep the fleas away.
I would like to let you know these do not contain any harsh chemicals and are safe to use around the home. Be careful not to use rosemary oil or powder on your cat; which could have an adverse reaction.
5. You can deter ants with household products. If you can see where ants are coming into your kitchen, you can spread a line of petroleum jelly, or duct tape or talcum powder across the entry point.
Or you can wipe the trails clean with diluted cinnamon oil, or place ground cinnamon or whole cloves near the entry points. Spraying white vinegar, fresh lemon juice or diluted peppermint oil across old ant trails also works to remove their chemical scent.
Then the colony doesn’t continue to use the same path. Try drawing a line with chalk around the entry points, because ants are repelled by calcium carbonate.
When you’re having a picnic, place a water-filled container under each table leg. Then the ants won’t be able to get onto the table at all. I cant believe I never knew this.
6. Bait or trap the ants. Ants are one critter I haven’t had problems with but with Winter here and Charlie and his friends being inside and not cleaning up when they eat this may change.
I plan on trying creating a homemade bait by mixing 1 part borax with 3 parts powdered sugar. The sugar attracts the ants, and the borax poisons them.
The ants will carry the poison back home and exterminate the colony. I also will create a ant trap by pouring a little honey into a shallow dish. The ants are attracted to the sugar but become stuck and can’t get back out. Then if we do end up with Ants I am prepared for them and Charlie has products he can use which will not hurt him.
7. If you can find the ant nest. But be careful: Ants can be aggressive and have painful bites! Which Charlie is allergic to. Ants play an important part in our ecological system, only destroy the nest if other methods have failed.
Pour boiling water into the entry point of the nest; which will flow throughout the tunnels and kill the colony. You can also use a solution of camphor oil and mentholated spirits. Your aim should be to kill the queen, who is responsible for reproducing in the colony.
8. Starve roaches. Roaches can’t live for more than a week without water, make sure you don’t have any leaks in your home. Roaches will be more keen to nibble on liquid baits you leave out for them.
The same goes for food: Make sure your kitchen is totally clean, don’t leave crumbs or food splatters anywhere. Roaches love grease, so give that stove top a thorough wipe. Because living in this trailer we end up with Roaches all the time from people moving in and out.
9. Deter roaches. Like ants, there are natural chemicals and scent roaches can’t stand. These include bay leaves, mint oil, Listerine, cedar, cucumber and lemon. You can mix your own solutions and spray in the affected areas of your house to keep away the roaches.
10. Use roach bait. There are many types of store-bought bait, but you can make your own. One recipe is to use Boric acid, flour and sugar. The method takes a few weeks to work. Because you need to kill a few generations of roaches before the numbers decline significantly, but they say this is effective if you’re patient.
11. Make your own roach spray. How? Just using soap and water. Spray the mixture directly onto roaches. It forms a layer over their shells, effectively suffocating them.
This method works quickly and doesn’t require any harmful chemicals, but be sure to dispose of the roach immediately because it could recover if the mixture dries too quickly.
I can’t wait to try make our own roach spray and see if it works because we always have Soap and I would rather use this than harmful chemicals we purchase in the stores we shop at.
12. Make a roach trap. Roaches need water. They’ll go to great lengths to get water. Partially fill a jar with water and place the bowl where you’ve seen frequent roaches.
They’ll climb in for the water and won’t be able to get back out. You can also make a great “soda bottle trap” based on the same principle. Try putting coffee grounds in with the water; the roaches are attracted to coffee.
I would like to remind you a bad infestation is a health hazard. At some point you may need to use a chemical bug spray or insecticide bomb. Or you might have to call in the professionals. Before you do try these natural home remedies which are better for your family, your pets and the environment.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
