10 Simple Things You Can Do To Rid Your Home Of Pests Without Harming Nature Or The Environment

As the warm summer days continue to trickle in, so do the critters. That's right, folks, the one downside to the glorious summer months is the less-than-glorious insects. Pesky bugs such as mosquitoes, wasps, and horse flies are in full swing. As well as a myriad of other pests. They are the last thing that you want in or near your home and garden. Luckily, there are some simple things you can do to rid yourself of them without harming nature or the environment. Here are 10 simple and natural things you can do to rid your home of pests.

1. Closed For Business

Sometimes, critters such as squirrels or mice make it into your home. Attics are typically the preferred location for their easier access. Additionally, they are places in your home that you do not visit as frequently, thus giving the critters the privacy they crave. A writer for the NY Post shared their simple solution for ridding their attic of an unwanted family of squirrels. Rather than placing those horrendous sticky traps, they listened. They observed that after a few hours in the morning, the squirrels always seemed to flee the attic for several hours. Therefore, they waited, and as soon as the squirrels left, they closed up the opening that they were using to get in. Boom, problem solved—no more straightforward way to rid your home of pests.

2. Be Wary Of Holes

If you do not want various critters entering your home, then you should be mindful of holes in your home. Walk around your perimeter and look for openings. Keep in mind, the openings do not have to be huge. You would be amazed at the tiny spaces that creatures like mice can fit through. Keep an eye on areas around windows and doors, as well as openings near attics and basements. Closing up these holes is a great preventative measure for keeping pests out of your home.

3. Be Mindful Of Standing Water

Rather than spraying your house with harmful pesticides, try to stop insects like mosquitoes from breeding in your yard in the first place. If they aren't breeding in your yard, then there is less of a chance they will enter your home. To help eliminate mosquitoes, don't allow water to collect anywhere on your property. Empty plant saucers, dump trash can lids, and empty anything that collects water. Still water is a mosquito haven.

4. Treat Standing Water

If you have some things in your garden, like bird baths or ponds, that you can't remove standing water from, then it is best to treat them. However, rather than treating it with harsh chemicals, do it with something that will not harm nature instead. You can treat your water with Bti (Bacillus thuringiensis ). According to the EPA, Bti is "a biological or a naturally occurring bacterium found in soils." Rather than harming everything, Bti "contains spores that produce toxins that specifically target and only affect the larvae of the mosquito, blackfly, and fungus gnat."

5. Make Your Home And Yard Unappealing

Another way to rid pests from your home is to keep them from wanting to enter your home or garden at all. A great way to do that is to make your yard look as unappealing as possible. One way to do this is by sealing your trash cans nice and tight. Pests like raccoons love to rummage through garbage that is not securely stored. Additionally, ensuring you have fencing can also limit the number of pests that choose to enter your yard.

6. Keep Entry Points To Homes Closed

This seems a bit self-explanatory, but here we are. If you want to rid your home of pests naturally, keep your doors closed. People often forget things like backsliding and garage doors. If you leave your garage door open, especially at night, you're inviting pests to sneak in. Additionally, if you want to leave your windows open to let in a fresh summer breeze, ensure that you have screens to prevent insects from coming inside.

7. Call For Assistance

If you have wildlife in your yard or home and are uncomfortable moving them, call for assistance. Calling a wildlife rehabilitator is an excellent way to rid your home of pests without harming nature or the environment. Oftentimes, people remove babies or separate them from their parents; both strategies are not good. Or, people will often relocate animals on their own. Not only does that not always work, but it can also disorient the animal or could potentially cause harm to you when handling the wildlife. So when in doubt, call for help.

8. The Many Benefits Of Mint

If you are like me and cannot stomach the thought of bugs in your home, you'll want to get some mint. Mint is one of the most natural ways to rid and prevent insect-related pests from your home. Mint can be used as a repellent against ants, mosquitoes, spiders, and even mice. Ecowatch shares that if you mix 10-15 drops of peppermint oil with water and put it in a spray bottle, you are set to go. Or if that is too much work for you, keep a fresh mint plant in your house.

9. Have Your House Smelling Like A Boutique Hotel

Another scent that many insects can't stand is citrus. Citrus naturally repels ants, spiders, and mosquitoes. Make a homemade spray out of lemon or lime juice and water. Spray countertops, windowsills, and other bug hot spots in your home. Additionally, you can make a little concoction with the leftover rinds. Boil a pot of water on the stove with the leftover lemon, add some orange, cinnamon, and vanilla extract, and your home will smell divine to you and bad to the bugs.

10. Get A Cat

Turns out all of those cat and mouse cartoons were on to something. If you have a mouse problem and don't want to use inhumane traps, a cat can help you out. Not only will they usually catch the mouse for you, but their litterbox can come in handy, too. That's right, Seventh Generation shares that the smell of cat urine will deter mice from entering the home. So, take some used kitty litter and place it around the entry points of the home. Although fair warning, this may deter your guests as much as it does the mice.