Nobody wants ants in their home, but everyone deals with them at some point. The summer heat is essentially a giant invitation for ants to come inside the home. That doesn’t mean your home is filthy; rather, it just proves that ants have a willpower to survive. Typically, people use chemical ant treatments to get rid of these pests, but spraying them increases the presence of harmful pesticides and chemicals in the home. Fortunately, there is another way to get rid of ants. 

Before you reach for the natural alternative to chemical sprays and traps, you have to make the home unappealing to ants. Check kitchen cabinets and pantry shelves for crumbs or open food sources and seal them up if they aren’t infested. Keep the sink and food preparation areas clean and free of food scraps or waste. Check the baseboards, windows, and doors and seal them up with the appropriate caulk. Lastly, wash the insides of garbage bins or recycling containers and keep pet bowls free of food. 

Essential Oils Repel Ants

Believe it or not, essential oils help repel ants because they have powerful aromas. The strong fragrances are pungent and ants don’t like them because they interfere with pheromones that ants use for coordination. Essential oils basically mask pheromone trails, and that deters ants from entering the home. You cannot just use any essential oil, though. There are specific essential oils that are more effective than others. Some of the most effective ones are detailed below. 

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint essential oil is high in menthol, which is beneficial for sore throats, headaches, and clogged nasal passageways. It is also an effective ant eliminator because they dislike the minty aroma. Some studies found that it also repels lice, mosquitos, fleas, moths, and spiders. 

Citronella Essential Oil

Mosquitos, spiders, and ants all hate citronella. The aroma confuses their navigation, making it impossible for ants to coordinate. Laboratory tests found that citronella essential oil effectively killed 50% of the ants within 30 minutes after they encountered it. Furthermore, it killed 100% of the ants after 24 hours. 

Clove Essential Oil

You have to be careful when using clove essential oil because too much can harm human senses. This is why you must properly dilute it before using it in the home. Similar to peppermint essential oil, clove essential oil interferes with pheromone trails that ants use to coordinate their movements. Several studies found that it is also effective at killing ants when sprayed on them.

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

Eucalyptus essential oil is very similar to citronella, which is effective against mosquitos and ants. According to anecdotal reports, it also works to repel ants. It’s also included in various insect-repelling candles, which confirms its efficacy against ants. Apply this to an area that ants have infested and they’ll be out of there or dead within a day. 

Tea Tree Oil

Last, but certainly not least, is tea tree oil. Not only can tea tree oil eliminate the scent of ant trails and put a halt to infestations, but the oil can also kill ants when they encounter it. The combination of tea tree oil with peppermint essential oil suppresses scents and kills ants within 24 hours. 

DIY Ant-Killing Spray

Ingredients:

• 6 drops each citronella, clove, eucalyptus, tea tree, and peppermint essential oils
• Distilled water
• 8-ounce spray bottle

Instructions:

• Remove the nozzle from the spray bottle and add six drops of each essential oil to it. 
• Fill the rest of the bottle with distilled water, screw on the top, and shake to combine.
• Make sure that you shake the bottle before each use. You can spray this near windows, doors, or any place that you see ants. 
• Spray as often as necessary. 

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Don’t let the itsy-bitsy sider crawl up the waterspout, or anywhere in your home for that matter. They are intruders and need to remain outside. It’s easy to feel frightened when you suddenly happen upon a spider. Something about those eight-legged freaks give you the chills. They can scale a wall with ease or repel onto your face from the ceiling. You can’t trust them, and the spray in this article will help you keep them out!

It’s worth saying that getting rid of spiders is a complicated task. Some people find that it’s unnecessary, or they want to take the humanitarian route by catching them and putting them outside. You may feel like that about harmless spiders, but do not feel that way about black or brown widows. They are extremely poisonous. 

There’s no reason to be afraid of them if you make the spider spray in this article. It only takes seconds to whip up a batch of it and it’s very effective. We should let you know that spraying this solution around your doors and windows will help to naturally repel spiders. If you spray them with it, they will die on contact. Why don’t spiders like the spray in this article? The ingredients are all powerful!

Note: We want to be transparent with you and say that essential oils and natural sprays are not as effective as insecticides. They can help repel spiders, but there isn’t a ton of scientific research on their efficacy. 

Peppermint Essential Oil

It’s a known fact peppermint essential oil is a natural pest repellent. Even the plant itself acts as a natural pesticide for intrusive insects. According to anecdotal reports, peppermint essential oil can help get rid of arachnids. It’s unclear why it works, but there are a couple theories. One theory is that they dislike the scent of peppermint, or other strong odors. Because spiders smell and taste with their legs, crawling through fragrant oils is unpleasant. Another theory is that essential oils contain monoterpernoids, which are fumigants. That is why most experts believe that peppermint oil has insecticidal properties. 

Lemon Essential Oil

Spiders tend to avoid the smell of lemon essential oil. This makes it an excellent ingredient for a natural spider spray. This is true for both fresh lemon juice and lemon essential oil. Because lemon essential oil has a more pungent aroma, it is the preferred and more effective choice. Anecdotal research claims that dropping a line of lemon essential oil droplets around an entryway into your home deters spiders from entering. To avoid ruining any surfaces in your home, the essential oils will be diluted in distilled water and a teaspoon of dish soap. 

Another Note: Spiders may get used to the scent of a specific essential oil, so you may have to change up the oils you use. Lavender essential oil, eucalyptus essential oil, cinnamon essential oil, and tea tree oil are great options.

DIY Natural Spider Repellent

Ingredients:

• 2 cups distilled water
• 15 drops lemon essential oil
• 5 drops peppermint essential oil
• 1 teaspoon dish soap

Instructions:

• Add all of the ingredients to a spray bottle and shake well to combine.
• Spray the mixture around windowsills, crevices, corners, and doorways in your home.
• Spiders like to inhabit dark areas, so don’t be afraid to spray in hard-to-reach places. 
• Spray this in the same areas once a week to keep spiders out of the home.

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People love their pillows and mattresses, but they are probably the least clean items in the home. Chances are that people don’t even think about washing pillows or cleaning mattresses. Considering that people spend an average of six to eight hours on their mattresses every night, they deserve regular cleaning, right? That’s the hope, but it’s unfortunately not a reality.

Sheets and mattress protectors can keep a mattress clean to a certain degree, but dead skin cells, hair, sweat, body oils, and dust eventually make their way onto it. All of that sounds gross, doesn’t it? Sorry, but we are not the perfect creatures we think we are, and we need to put in a little effort to keep the house, and the things in them, clean. One of the ways to prevent the mattress from becoming a bacterial haven, and to keep it clean and odor-free, is to use a mattress spray.

What Are Dust Mites?

These microscopic, insect-like pests love dust, in case the name didn’t give that away. They feed on pet dander, dead skin cells, and all of the other tiny particles that comprise dust. Dust mites can actually cause severe allergic reactions, and they can even worsen respiratory symptoms like asthma. They love fabrics or upholstered items, including carpets, curtains, furniture, bedding, stuffed animals, and mattresses. The scary thing is that roughly 10,000 dust mites can exist in one square meter in your average home. 

In order to prevent them from accumulating in your home, it’s wise to keep all of your fabric or upholstered items clean and fresh. Since most people neglect their mattresses, we’re putting a bigger emphasis on that for this article. 

How To Deter Dust Mites From Mattresses:

Before you even decide to clean your mattress, remove all of the bedding and throw it in the wash. When the weather permits, open the windows and allow fresh air into your home. Dust and dust mites easily accumulate in a house with stagnant air that doesn’t circulate. While the sheets are in the wash, it’s time to clean the mattress, which means you bust out the DIY mattress spray recipe below. Spray it onto the mattress and it will help absorb the odors, deter dust mites, and keep the mattress smelling fresh. Allow your mattress at least two hours to fully absorb the spray. After this time, vacuum the top of the mattress and then put your sheets back on. 

The Ingredients

Lavender Essential Oil

A calming essential oil that exhibits powerful antibacterial properties. You may also find that the scent helps promote relaxation, contributing to sounder, more peaceful slumber. 

Distilled White Vinegar

This mild disinfectant helps to deodorize fabrics and works to clean surfaces. 

Peppermint Essential Oil

The minty aroma is not only refreshing, but it also works to repel insects. This is excellent news if you have dust mites!

Eucalyptus Essential Oil

This essential oil is beneficial for the respiratory system, working to improve airways for optimal breathing. It also has air-purifying properties, and it may help to cleanse surfaces. 

DIY Mattress Spray

Ingredients:

• 1 cup water (boiled and then cooled)
• 1 cup distilled white vinegar
• 8 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 8 drops lavender essential oil
• 8 drops peppermint essential oil
• 500ml spray bottle

Instructions:

• Pour the water and vinegar into the spray bottle and then add the essential oils.
• Screw the top on the bottle and shake it vigorously to combine. 
• Spray this mixture directly on the mattress and let it remain there for a couple hours. Remember to shake the bottle before each use. 

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When you have a successful garden that is replete with attractive flowers, fruits, or vegetables, the last thing you want is for them to get plagued by pests. When harmful insects make a home in your garden, you can kiss all those hours spent in the dirt goodbye. That is, unless you catch them in the early stages.

No home gardener wants to rip out all of their plants that took months to grow. At the same time, spraying chemical pesticides on plants is not the ideal method of pest control. You don’t have to contaminate your plants and soil with chemicals because there are natural ingredients that keep pests away.

Cayenne Pepper

This spice is good for more than kicking your food up a notch. In addition to the pain-relieving properties, cayenne pepper can keep bugs and animals out of your garden and house. Cayenne pepper has a potent scent that bugs, cats, rodents, and dogs do not like. According to Geoff Zhender, an entomologist at Auburn University, cayenne pepper is great at keeping bugs away from cabbage plants.

Peppermint Essential Oil

Peppermint is a natural insecticide, and it works to repel fleas, spiders, flies, beetles, ants, and mosquitos. Did you know that the stick bug actually emits a substance that fills the air with the scent of peppermint? It does this to fight off other insect predators because they don’t like the scent. In order for it to be effective, make sure that you purchase 100% pure peppermint essential oil that is free of additives.

Garlic

If you have an aphid problem, garlic is your go-to repellent. Aphids are small insects that adhere to the leaves of plants, creating small holes. Now you know that it wasn’t a caterpillar that ate holes in your leaves! As you know, garlic has a potent smell, which is off-putting to aphids and other insects. You can use it without harming your plants until your pest problem is no longer a problem.

Onion

Home gardeners don’t typically have the luxury or space to plant flowers, fruits, vegetables, or herbs in different locations. People typically plant various plants in the same garden box. To prevent pests from destroying all of the plants, people use companion planting. This is the practice of grouping different plants, some of which work to control pests. Onions are very effective at repelling insects, which is why they are commonly used in companion planting. They are most effective when planted near beets, cabbage, parsnips, chamomile, lettuce, and carrots.

DIY Pest Control Spray

Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion
• 4 garlic cloves
• 2 cups mint leaves (or 20 drops peppermint essential oil)
• 2 tablespoons cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons liquid castile soap
• water

Instructions:

• Finely chop the onion, garlic, and peppermint leaves (unless you are using peppermint oil) and add it all to a blender or food processor with cayenne pepper. Blend until completely pulverized.
• Pour the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, pressing all the juice out.
• Add the blended mixture to a one-gallon container, along with the castile soap. Fill the rest of the container with water.
• Screw the top on the container and give it a good shake. Pour this mixture into a spray bottle and spray it on any plants that are being attacked by bugs.
• Spray on your plants one to two times a week, or after it rains.

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The arrival of summer means warm weather, potential beach days, hiking, and the arrival of mosquitos. Whether engaging in outdoor cookouts, lounging by a lake, or watching your kids play in the backyard, you need a powerful bug spray to repel mosquitos. It can be difficult to find a natural bug spray that is safe for your skin, but you can easily make your own bug sprays.

What’s Wrong With Commercial Bug Sprays?

You want to avoid bug bites, but you don’t want to douse your body with horrible chemicals like N, N-diethyl-meta-toluamide (DEET). This is the primary chemical in most commercial insect repellents, but it is not very safe for the body. According to Dr. Abou Donia, a pharmacologist at Duke University, DEET is a controversial chemical. She conducted a rat study and gave them regular human doses of DEET. The neurons in the rats’ brains began to die, which caused loss of concentration, muscle control, learning, and memory.

A different study concluded that children have a higher risk of brain damage after being exposed to DEET. Lastly, it’s interesting that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) deems that DEET doesn’t present any health concerns to adults or children. Take a gander at DEET’s side effects and then see if you believe that statement.

Do Natural Alternatives Work?

It can be tempting to just use what you are used to, i.e. commercial bug sprays that are readily available in stores. Essential oils make for excellent bug repellents, though, and they pose no threat to your health, unless you are allergic to them of course. DEET can harm the central nervous system, and it may even be an endocrine disruptor, while essential oils are chemical-free and can often improve skin health. The other thing to keep in mind about natural bug spray is that you have to reapply it way more than chemical bug sprays for it to be effective.

Now, keep in mind that all essential oils will not repel mosquitos. There are certain scents that are quite off-putting to mosquitos. When they are annoyed, they tend to avoid you and the smell. The best essential oils that repel mosquitos include:

• Citronella essential oil
• Peppermint essential oil
• Lemongrass essential oil
• Neem essential oil
• Eucalyptus essential oil
• Rosemary essential oil
• Basil essential oil
• Bergamot essential oil
• Lemon balm essential oil
• Marigold essential oil

Everyone has different scent preferences, so find the scents that you enjoy and go that route. Lastly, do a small patch test on your arm and wait 24 hours to ensure that you don’t have a negative reaction to the oils.

DIY Bug Spray #1

Ingredients:

• ¼ cup witch hazel
• ¼ cup raw apple cider vinegar
• 20 drops citronella essential oil
• 4 ounce spray bottle

Instructions:

• Pour all of the ingredients into a measuring cup with a spout. Give the ingredients a quick stir and then pour the mixture into the spray bottle.
• Screw on the top of the bottle, give it a quick shake, and it is ready to use. You can use different essential oils with this recipe as well.

DIY Bug Spray #2

Ingredients:

• 30 drops geranium essential oil
• 30 drops citronella essential oil
• 20 drops eucalyptus essential oil
• 20 drops lavender essential oil
• 10 drops rosemary essential oil
• 1 tablespoon isopropyl alcohol
• ½ cup witch hazel
• ½ cup filtered water

Instructions:

• Add the essential oils and the isopropyl alcohol to a glass spray bottle and shake well to combine.
• Pour the witch hazel and water into the spray bottle and shake well.
• Before each use, give it a good shake and then spray.

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Summer is a beautiful season, but there are a lot of bugs that try to attack you in the hotter, more humid regions. Some bugs and pests definitely have their purpose, but others can be hazardous to our health. Mosquitos can carry harmful diseases and flies can transfer over 100 pathogens, which can cause a person to experience digestive discomfort, fever, or cholera.

As a defense mechanism, a lot of people coat themselves with chemical bug sprays during the summer months. These insect repellents typically have an unpleasant odor, and they can also be the cause of allergic reactions. Bug sprays are also not the most beneficial for the environment. In fact, most insect repellent sprays contain DEET, which was developed by the US Army during WWII to fight off fleas, ticks, chiggers, mosquitos, and some types of deer flies. The use of DEET was deemed harmful to the environment, but the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) actually re-approved its use in the 1990s, even though it can interfere with healthy nervous system function. Additionally, reports have linked DEET to seizures, hypotension, hives, or impaired brain cell function.

No matter how well-sealed, clean, or dry your home is, bugs manage to find their way in the house. Bugs don’t like essential oils, but certain essential oils work better at repelling various insects. Let’s take a look at some essential oils you may want to use:

• Peppermint: Proven to be a natural insecticide, peppermint essential oil is great for repelling mosquitos, ants, fleas, spiders, flies, and beetles.
• Lavender: Lavender essential oil has a calming aroma, but this same aroma can help get rid of fleas, flies, and beetles.
• Lemongrass: Among its many uses, lemongrass essential oil is good for repelling fruit flies, flies, fleas, and mosquitos.
• Eucalyptus: In addition to aiding decongestion, eucalyptus essential oil, can be effective against sand flies, aphids, earwigs, and whiteflies.
• Tea Tree Oil: Tea tree oil is definitely worth keeping on hand because it has multiple uses. It can also repel spiders, mosquitos, ants, and more.

You don’t have to worry about using damaging chemical bug sprays because making “bug away” essential oil candles is incredibly easy. If you feel up to it, you can make a few essential oil blends to add to these candles. Try them out and see if they help. Let us know how you like them in the comments below.

Ingredients:

• Mason jar that holds about 16-20 ounces
• Water
• 1 small lemon
• 1 lime
• 2 sprigs of rosemary
• essential oil of your choice
• floating candles or tea lights (metal casing removed)

Instructions:

• Slice the lemon and lime into thin rounds.
• Fill each mason jar with about 14 ounces of water. You can use less water if you have a smaller mason jar.
• Add the lemon and lime slices and the rosemary to the mason jar. Put about 10-12 drops of your desired essential oil and mix it up.
• Place the floating candle in the jar and light it to help keep the bugs away.

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The sun is out and so are the bugs, especially if you live in a tropical or humid area. The inevitable mosquito bite is imminent because they buzz around on the hunt for your blood. They bite you when you least expect it, and several minutes later you are itching like crazy. Mosquitos suck, literally! Rather than ending up itchy and annoyed, we have some advice to naturally keep mosquitos away throughout the summer.

When it’s time to repel bugs, most people go to the store, buy over-the-counter sprays, and douse themselves in them. Well, that’s all fine and good if you want to poison your skin with toxic chemicals, while also clogging your pores. The skin absorbs toxins, which can ultimately get into your system and lead to a variety of health conditions. This is why it’s integral to always go the natural route.

Mosquitos can be attracted or repelled with scent. For example, acid production on the skin or cholesterol concentration on the skin can attract mosquitos. Pregnant woman or people who are obese can produce carbon dioxide on the skin, which also attracts mosquitos. Since mosquitos can carry fatal diseases (yellow fever, malaria, zika, dengue, Jamestown Canyon, or West Nile to name a few), it is best to resort to vitamin B1 to repel them.

Vitamin B1, also known as thiamin, is a great natural mosquito repellant. It is best to get this through natural food sources, in which it is abundant. B1 supplements can contain other chemicals that won’t give you the benefits of natural B1 sources. By consuming foods rich in vitamin B1, your body gives off a yeasty smell that only mosquitos can detect; and they don’t like it at all.

The Best Vitamin B1 Foods To Eat Include:

• Asparagus
• Sunflower Seeds
• Flaxseeds
• Brussels Sprouts
• Kale
• Romaine Lettuce
• Cabbage
• Spinach
• Black Beans
• Barley
• Lentils
• Lima Beans
• Beet Greens
• Eggplant
• Green Beans
• Broccoli
• Pineapple
• Oranges
• Onions
• Collard Greens
• Summer Squash
• Mustard Greens
• Parsley
• Cucumber

If you want to help yourself even more, you can make an all-natural DIY bug spray. Use a mortar and pestle to mash a handful of fresh parsley. Add the mashed leaves to an airtight container with four ounces of raw apple cider vinegar and store overnight. Strain the liquid into a spray bottle in the morning and use it as you please. Keep it fresh in the fridge. If you want to make it smell better, add a few drops of lemon essential oil to the spray bottle.

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