Just like any other home maintenance task, there are plenty of DIY alternatives to preventing and controlling pest infestations in your home. The problem however, is that many of these rumored organic or kitchen-made pest control methods are actually not all that effective. To help you weed out the good methods from the bad, here’s a quick roundup of some of the most common DIY pest control facts, versus fiction.
Myth: Applying soapy water to garden plants helps repel garden bugs.
Fact: Spraying 2 tablespoons of dish soap in a gallon of water on your plants can indeed help handle an aphid or small pest problem. However, this will not suffice for larger plant pests.
Myth: Rubbing down your surfaces with dryer sheets keeps mosquitoes away.
Fiction: While giving your home a good wipe down with just about anything will help remove dust and crumbs that can attract mosquitoes, there’s no scientific evidence that proves dryer sheets are your best option in doing so.
Myth: Some plants have the ability to repel insects.
Fact: Pungent plants, such as French marigolds, can help keep white flies and other insects at bay. Their strong odor is intolerable to certain bugs.
Myth: Pouring boiling water on an ant hill will kill the colony.
Fiction: A nice pot of boiling water will certainly kill off any exposed ants, but those that are deep down within the ant hill will remain unharmed. By the time the water filters down through the dirt it will have cooled off too much to do any real damage.
Myth: You can use orange peels to repel cockroaches.
Fact: It’s true that orange peels are disliked by cockroaches, however, it takes a specific kind to repel them. Green osage orange peels contain a chemical compound that can help keep cockroaches off your countertops. Remember, this will not prevent infestations elsewhere.
At Pest Control Unlimited, we care about the well-being of your family and home. If you live in the Massachusetts or New Hampshire area and are experiencing a pest problem that’s you haven’t been able to tame on your own, give us a call at 888-649-9919 and we’ll set you up with a free on-site estimate right away.
