Natural Insect Repellents

Natural Insect Repellents

Insect repellents don’t actually kill insects; they only chase insects away from places or people that use them and reduce the insects’ chances of causing harm. While it is super convenient to grab a chemical repellent (which causes more harm than good) against insects, there are a good number of natural insect repellents that reduces the risks involved with chemical repellents and at the same time get the job done.

The first and most important step to naturally keep insects away is to maintain cleanliness in the home and its surroundings. The house should be dusted, vacuumed and cleaned on a regular basis and surfaces should be cleaned with soapy water so that insects do not create any form of habitat in and around the home. Crumbs and food remains should be properly disposed; waste bins should be kept closed at all times and the wastes should not be allowed to accumulate. Dryer bedding should be used at all times to keep bugs away. Stacks of newspapers, magazines and papers should be avoided to keep cockroaches away.

To keep insects away from yourself, relax. When you are stressed out and sweaty, the body releases hormones and pheromones which insects are basically attracted to. Certain insects are also attracted to flowers and fruits; so endeavor to reduce your use of sprays and shampoos that have fruity scents.

Natural mosquito repellents include getting rid of stagnant water and keeping grasses and shrubs short. Bats are awesome mosquito a consumers; therefore building a bat house near the home keeps mosquitoes away. Eating lots of garlic also keep mosquitoes away. Lemon eucalyptus oil and clove oil (diluted) are equally great natural repellents against mosquitoes.

Turmeric paste diluted white vinegar and citrus peels are highly effective in keeping spiders away from the home at all times.

Filling lemon with cloves and placing them at strategic places in the house; mixing cayenne pepper with water; and placing slices of cucumber in places with risk of being infected, goes a great way in keeping houseflies away from the home.

To get rid of wasps, an essential oil blend of lemongrass, clove and geranium is highly effective. Peppermint oil works a great deal too but growing plants such as basil, oregano, lemon thyme, parsley, fennel, lemongrass, lemon balm and rosemary around the house wards off wasps completely.

Since moths have a natural antipathy for plants like lavender, mint and cedar, placing cedar blocks, mint leaves (or peppermint oil) and dried lavender (or lavender oil) would effectively chase them away from the house.

To keep ants away, lemon juice, peppermint, white vinegar and cinnamon can be effective. Just ensure place them all over the places ants like to hang around and be rest assured your house would be ant free. Chalk is another wonderful ant repellent because it is made of calcium carbonate which interferes with their ability to trace scent trails. Placing cucumber slices around the home is also effective in repelling ants from the house.

Chalk and diatomaceous earth keep fleas out while vinegar is helping in repelling gnats from the home. Bush flies, biting midges and mosquitoes are effectively kept away by tea tree oil.

In a nutshell, the most effective way of keeping insects and buzzing pests away from the home is first keeping the house and its surrounding very neat and then growing plants that repel these insects.