Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Safe Ways To Kill Pests On Your Property Without Toxic Chemicals
Roughly 84% of American homeowners have pests on their property, PR Newswire reports. In fact, nearly 25% have experienced structural damage to their home due to pests. Pests can also spread pathogens that cause disease. So, if you find any unwelcome critters lurking on your property, it’s important to eradicate them immediately. Fortunately, it’s possible to deal with common pests like bed bugs, cockroaches, and ants without resorting to toxic chemicals.
Dealing with bed bugs
Bites on the skin and small bugs or eggs in your mattress or furniture are the main signs of a bed bug infestation. There’s a number of non-toxic steps you can take to keep bed bugs at bay. Washing the infested areas of your home kills bed bugs at all stages of their life cycle. Start by sorting your affected clothing prior to washing it — don’t move from the infested area to avoid transferring pests throughout your home. Put your washing in plastic bags and seal with tape. Empty it straight into the washing machine and place the empty bag into another bag and seal. Wash on the hottest setting possible and tumble dry. As for your home, vacuum your bed and floor thoroughly. Follow up with steam cleaning; it’s a suitable treatment for your mattress, bed frame, curtains, and flooring. For extreme infestations, a bed bug extermination service is recommended.
Get rid of cockroaches
German cockroaches — the most common roach species — are becoming increasingly resistant to chemical treatments. Natural methods are therefore ideal for removing them. Firstly, roaches love greasy food residue, so it’s important to clean the kitchen daily. Moisture and leaky pipes also attract roaches. Check your pipes for leaks and fix any you find. Create a trap for roaches by combining one part sugar with three parts boric acid. Place the mixture in cockroach hotspots like under and behind the oven, dishwasher, sink and refrigerator. The sugar tempts them, while the acid kills them.
Ant infestation
In addition to being annoying, ant infestations can potentially spread bacteria and cause structural damage to your home. Tea tree oil is a natural ant repellent. Make a simple spray by combining two cups of water with ten drops of tea tree oil. You can also add peppermint oil — it’s another natural ant killer. Spray around your home, but keep it away from pets who don’t tolerate essential oils. Coffee grinds, pepper, and cream of tartar can also be sprinkled to keep ants out of your home.
These natural solutions can banish pests from your home. However, if your problem is severe, you may have to use pesticide products or even hire a professional pest control services company to return your home to normalcy.
