Get Rid of Creepy Crawlies Around the Home Using Essential Oils

Eww! Bugs and spiders – I cannot stand them!

Many of you have probably already started stocking up on the Mortein and Aeroguard, which work fabulously, but because our website is all about using cheaper (and more natural) products, we thought we’d provide you with some of those alternatives to deterring pests in and around your home.

We do advise, though, that if you are pregnant or have a serious health condition, that you consult a health professional or natural therapist before using any essential oils, as they may have adverse effects.

1. Ants

via National Pest Management Association

There’re a few different ways you can deter ants from entering your home.

Essential oils such as clove oil, eucalyptus, and peppermint oils are great ant deterrents.

You can put a few drops of these oils (not all together!) on cotton balls and put them around where ants get in. Or you can make up a spray by mixing these ingredients in a spray bottle.

• 3 drops clove oil
• 5 drops lavender oil
• 5 drops eucalyptus oil
• 2/3 cup (150ml) white spirits (vodka or methylated spirits)
• 3/4 cup (200ml) water.

Alternatively, sprinkling some talcum powder or plain flour around ant trails and nests can stop them in their tracks. It’s a good idea to make sure you keep your kitchen and other areas of the house free from food and other things that will attract ants.

Another option is grated cucumber. Place the grated cucumber in the ant’s path, and apparently, they will be gone in 24 hours. Haven’t tried this one, but at least, it’s nice and natural!

2. Centipedes/Millipedes

via Northwest Exterminating

Wipe surfaces such as skirting boards and door and window frames with straight tea tree oil or peppermint oil. Centipedes and millipedes find this overwhelming and will be repelled.

3. Cockroaches

To stop cockroach infestations, try rubbing tea tree oil on shelves and skirting boards, and to keep them out of your cupboards, leave an end of a cucumber on a cupboard shelf until it shrivels.

A good way to trap cockroaches is to grease the inside of a plastic milk or juice bottle with oil and leave about 10cm stale beer in the bottom of the bottle. The cockroaches are attracted to it and will climb in but won’t be able to get out!

4. Earwigs

Fill a small flat container with vegetable oil and place it where you see an earwig infestation. Earwigs are attracted to the oil, some will climb in and drown. Replace the container and oil daily.

5. Fleas

To get rid of fleas in your carpet, try sprinkling either salt or bicarb soda on the carpet then leave it for a few hours before vacuuming it up. These will dry out flea eggs and prevent them from hatching. You may need to do this for a few days in a row. Make a flea spray by slicing a lemon thinly, add it to a pot of about a litre of boiling water, boil for a few minutes then let it sit overnight. Then add it to a spray bottle and spray around flea-infested areas (be careful of your pets as it may irritate their skin if sprayed on them directly). Fleas also hate fresh mint. Crush up a fresh bunch of mint leaves and sprinkle it around where fleas are, leave it for a couple of hours and then vacuum it up!

6. Flies

The ant repellent spray above is also an effective fly repellent. You can also try rubbing lavender oil around window and door frames every few days.

Another fly repellent to try is this add one teaspoon brown sugar, ½ teaspoon black pepper and one teaspoon cream to a bowl. The flies will be attracted to the sweet things, and then the pepper will deter them.

Don’t have any fly spray and you have flies/wasps/bee’s giving you trouble? Get a bottle of hairspray (make sure it’s water soluble) – those bad boys will drop from the sky!

7. Mice

Bait mice by mixing equal parts of flour and plaster of Paris with milk into a dough, then place where mice are (but keep away from kids and pets!). To deter them, but not kill them, just put a few drops of peppermint oil on cotton balls and place around areas of the home where you have seen mice.

8. Moths

To keep moths out of your cupboards, wipe your shelves and cupboard surfaces with lavender or eucalyptus oil, or place some dried cloves or Epsom salts on the shelves.

9. Mosquitoes (and Midgies)

via Wikipedia

Make sure you don’t leave stagnant water lying around. Regularly empty dog water bowls, bird baths, and plant saucers. For a natural repellent, mix equal parts of baby oil, Dettol and eucalyptus oil (or you can just mix 75% baby oil and 25% Dettol) and rub on the skin as needed. Lavender is also a great mozzie repellent. Mix six drops of lavender with 5ml of white spirits, then add it to 150mls warm water. This may be applied to the skin (if using on children, use only three drops of oil).

10. Spiders

Wipe lemon oil around cornices and where you usually find spiders.

11. Wasps

Blast wasps with hairspray (be very careful, though, as wasps were hurt when they sting!) At dusk, spray shaving cream into their nest entry hole and place a plastic bag over the nest. Dispose of the entire package.

You can also try some clove, geranium and lemongrass essential oils (a few drops of each) mixed in a spray bottle with soapy water to repel them.

12. Weevils

Firstly, place items prone to weevils into the freezer for four days. Do this when you bring them home from the supermarket as weevil eggs and larvae can already be present in the packet. This will kill the microscopic larvae and prevent any weevils from hatching. These items include flour, rice, and spices.

Store anything that won’t fit in the freezer in sealable glass or plastic canisters or sealable plastic bags. These include cereals, dried fruits, and biscuits.

If you have had an infestation of weevils in your pantry already, unfortunately, you will have to throw out any of your dry products as mentioned above, vacuum the pantry out and thoroughly clean your pantry shelves with hot soapy water and some drops of eucalyptus, tea tree or citronella oil. Let everything dry and then scatter some bay leaves or clove buds around your pantry to naturally repel any more weevils.

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