Eco-Pest Management

We use far too many chemicals hunting down, trapping, and killing bugs. Over 300 pounds of insecticides a year are used — in homes. Homes with kids. Homes with humans. That’s just not ok; not for the planet and not for our own health.

Here are a just few ways to get rid of pests without exposing your family to harmful chemicals.

• Fight ants by not allowing them inside in the first place. Sprinkle chili powder or dry peppermint along doorways and cracks where ants might get inside.
• By the same token you can plant mint by doorways and on windowsills.
• If you see cockroaches sprinkle bay leaves in that area or spray garlic. Blend up some garlic with water and a dash of soap and spray around areas cockroaches frequent.
• To keep flies out use screens, crush citrus peels and leave them in bowls around your home.
• To kill fruit files (I HATE fruit flies) grab an empty liter soda bottle and one banana. First eat the banana for lunch and save the peels. Fill the bottle with water leaving about five inches of free space at the top. Squeeze the whole banana peels into the bottle — it’s tough, but you can do it! Set the bottle where the fruit flies frequent say, the kitchen. This is the least attractive bug catcher ever but I swear it will catch all the fruit flies in your house. Fruit flies are too dumb to understand how to get out of a soda bottle once they dive in after the banana peel (something to do with the curve of the bottle). Once they go in they can’t get out and eventually drown.
• To rid houseplants of little icky pests spray the leaves (if you can spray the leaves — obviously do not spray African Violets) anyhow, spray the leaves with mild soapy water. You may have heard to spray Pyrethrin, which while natural can be toxic. I’d go with soap.

More pest removal at another time (there’s many more options).

Bonus fact of the day:

By the way, in Albuquerque, New Mexico there are cockroaches everywhere. I did some research on them and did you know that they’re actually a cleaner sort of bug. How they like to live is in a clean house and only go to the dirty ones to eat. That may be why you see cockroaches — your house might be too tidy.

Guess it pays to be messy if it keeps out unwanted house guests like cockroaches, mother-in-laws, you know those sorts of pests.

Bonus kid website of the day:

PestWorld for Kids; fun, games, facts, and information about how some pests are adapted for living with us. A great site for kids with lots of icky pest pictures and activities.