This is a guest post. It is never a pleasant feeling when you discover your home has been invaded. It doesn’t matter what has invaded it, the fact is it’s your home! Unfortunately, when you realize you have a problem it will probably already be fairly well developed.

This is not the time to look at preventative measures; you need to find a natural solution to the problem. This is a growing problem as an alarming number of new pests are arriving with visitors to the country. You need to be prepared for virtually anything! Here are my favorite tips to get rid of pests naturally!

Photo Credit: Pixaby

Natural Cures Which Work

It’s very easy to contact a local expert and get them to come and deal with your issue. This is not the cheapest option but it is sometimes the only one you have. IN fact, this is often better than resorting to the bug spray that you can purchase at your local store.

They generally contain DEET which can cause a number of dangerous health issues. But, it is worth trying some of these natural cures first; they can be surprisingly effective:

Photo Credit: Pixaby

The Essential Oil Approach

There are several different aromas that pests cannot tolerate. Burning these oils in your home or
even drizzling a little round the affected area will drive the pests away in a surprisingly little amount
of time.

• Citronella oil is very effective at repelling mosquitoes.
• Tea tree & lavender in equal parts diluted with water kills pests on plants.
• Peppermint oil is effective against ants, beetles, caterpillars, fleas, spiders and lice.
• Cedarwood is great if you are dealing with roaches, snails or even ticks.
• Spearmint is an all rounder; capable of killing off almost all pests.

Diatomaceous Earth

This stuff is fantastic and completely organic. It has no harmful effects on humans but it does stick to insects and other pests. This makes it much harder for them to complete their daily tasks. But it also absorbs water from their bodies, slowly dehydrating them over a period of time.

It can take between a few hours and a couple of days to kill the pests; it depends on what pests you are dealing with.

It is important to note that there are two grades of DE, pool grade and food grade. You need to use the food grade version.

Hot and Dry

Pests love to stay somewhere warm and a little moist. Extreme heat is not their friend and nor is dry air. If you have an issue such as bedbugs then wash everything on a high heat setting; this will kill them.

If you have pests in the walls then start looking at the moisture in your house. Dehumidifiers are great at removing water; this makes it unpleasant for the pests.

Photo Credit: Morguefile

Dishwashing Liquid

This is effective if you have a roach problem. Surprisingly spraying them with a soap and water mix actually blocks their air passages and causes them to die of suffocation. The difficulty with this method is getting it into the heart of their nest.

There are other ways of naturally killing pests but it is also important to understand when the problem is too big; that’s what the professionals are there for!

Have you tried natural products to get rid of pests? I would love to know what has worked for you! Please share in the comments below!