By Jennifer Noonan
No need to use chemicals—instead, use these herbal, fruity, or soap-laden solutions for problems with pests like ants, mice, and mosquitos.
Block Flies with Basil
Flies hate the smell of basil. To discourage them, place pots of basil at doorways and windowsills and on the kitchen counter. Don’t have enough sun for potted basil? Put dried basil in a small muslin pouch, rubbing it occasionally to keep the scent strong.
Scare Off Spiders with Citrus
Spiders are not fond of citrus. In a spray bottle, mix water and unsweetened lemon or lime juice. Wipe your countertops with the mixture or spray down doorways and windowsills. You can deter spiders in your garden by spreading around lemon, orange, or lime peels.
Avoid Ants with Vinegar
Use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water to wipe down countertops and other surfaces—anywhere you’ve spotted ants. For best results, repeat this several times a day. Doing so destroys the scent trails that ants use to navigate.
Battle Roaches with Borax
Use the classic laundry powder 20 Mule Team Borax to expel roaches from your house. In small containers, mix equal parts borax and sugar, and then leave them around windows, cracks, baseboards, and anywhere else you’ve spotted the bugs. The sugar attracts the roaches while the borax dehydrates and poisons them.
Eliminate Fruit Flies with Dish Soap
Trap fruit flies with this simple approach: Fill a glass three-quarters full with vinegar or cider vinegar, then add six to eight drops of dishwashing liquid, and fill to the top with warm water. Gruesomely effective.
Combat Mosquitos with Catnip
Cats love it. Mosquitoes? Not so much. According to a study from Scientific Reports , catnip essential oil repels mosquitoes more effectively than DEET. Apply undiluted catnip oil to the skin for up to two hours of protection.
Repel Fleas with Salt
Alternately salting and vacuuming your floors will kill flea eggs. But since fleas have a three-day reproduction cycle, you have to be diligent: Salt every day for nine days and vacuum every third day. Don’t forget to empty the vacuum every time, or the live ones will crawl right back out again!
Diminish Dust Mites with Cinnamon Oil
Cinnamon bark oil has been shown to control dust mites. Mix several drops into a 50/50 solution of water and denatured alcohol. Spray bedding, carpets, and any other places where dust tends to collect. Added benefit? Your house will smell like cookies!
Deter Deer with a Bar of Soap
Who could call Bambi a pest? A gardener. Many have had luck deterring deer with a bar of soap, like Irish Spring. Hang it or spike it to a stake near things that deer like to eat. Alternatively, sprinkle shavings or small chunks on the ground.
