Household insecticides are so widely used (especially here in Toronto) that we tend to forget that they're as toxic and damaging as the products used in agriculture, that we try to avoid by buying organic products.  In the City of Toronto, there is now a sweeping ban on the use of cosmetic pesticides on private property. Lawn care companies face fines if they use banned products such as herbicides, insecticides, and fungicides. Starting in September 2007, homeowners can also be fined for breaking the bylaw.  With these new bylaws to consider, here are some ecological solutions for getting rid of household pests in and around the house. 

Important Note:

Pests have been around for so long because of their outstanding adaptability.  For best results try alternating between a combination of suggested controls to prevent insects from adapting to them.  TheGreenCity.ca cannot guarantee the efficiency of these controls and will not be responsible for damages made to one's self or property through use of these pest control methods.

A lot of us do not like spider but these insects play a key role in controlling other household pests.

Fruit Flies:

Fruit flies are attracted to light. One way to kill them is to pull the shades down on all your windows, leaving a small opening at the bottom of one window to let light in. Alternatively, you can use a lamp as a source of light. The fruit flies will gather in the lighted area, making them an easy target.

Crickets:

To get rid of crickets, mix some molasses and vanilla extract or lemon juice in water. Crickets are lured to this bait and they drown in it. Be sure to plug up any holes in the house where they are getting in.

Ants:

Aphids on outdoor plants attract ants. You can get rid of aphids by spraying the plants with soapy water. To prevent ants from getting into trees, wrap strips of cloth smeared with natural resin around the trunk.

To get rid of anthills, pour boiling water, soapy water, salted water, or 350 mL of water mixed with 30 mL of boric acid onto them. You can also sprinkle red pepper (not Cayenne), eggshells, bone meal, talcum powder, wood ash, sulphur, blood meal, coffee grounds or diatomaceous earth on anthills. As well, tomato leaves or walnut leaves can be placed on top of the nest to repel ants.

What is diatomaceous earth?  It consists of the fossilized remains of a type of hard-shelled algea, diatoms.  It can be found at many hardware stores in the gardening department.

To keep ants from moving into your house, plant pansies or herbs (mint, marjoram, lavender, fennel) around the house. Find out where the pests are entering the house, squeeze the juice of a lemon in these spots, and leave pieces of rind there. To kill the ants, you can place a bait of boric acid and honey in infested areas. Fresh camphor or sage will keep them out of closets. Carpenter ants can be lured to a deadly bait of peanut butter and boric acid. They usually establish colonies in soft or rotting wood.

What is Boric Acid?  Boris Acid is found native in certain volcanic districts such as Tuscany, the Lipari Islands and Nevada, issuing mixed with steam from fissures in the ground; it is also found as a constituent of many minerals (borax, boracite, boronatrocaicite and colemanite).  You can find Boric Acid at most drug stores as it is used medicinally for its antiseptic and anti-bacterial properties.  If Boric Acid is unavailable, try substituting with Mule brand Borax which can be found wherever laundry detergents are sold.

Houseflies:

Sticky flypaper is still a good way to catch houseflies and it is nontoxic. Electric insect traps are also effective. Attaching white paper towels to the middle of a screen door to resemble a bufferfly may frighten flies away. A cold stream of air in the doorway like that created by an air conditioner keeps flies out of the house. Another way to repel them is to hang fresh hazel or tomato leaves, or marigold near the doorway, or to grow these plants there.

Mosquitoes:

Mosquitoes are hard to control. They breed in damp areas where there is stagnant water. To reduce the mosquito population, drain wet areas around the house. Grow savory and castor oil plants near the entrance to keep mosquitoes away. If you add anise oil to your rinse water when washing clothes, you will not need to use any insect repellent for a while. Do not wear perfume or wash your hair with scented shampoo if you are planning to spend the day outdoors and mosquitoes are out in full force. The smell of citronella and camphor repels these pests, so you could put some on your clothes or skin if you do not mind the smell.

Earwigs:

Earwigs like dark, humid places. They are easy to trap. Place some short lengths of garden hose or rolled-up newspaper near your house and fill them with peanut butter, fish oil or vegetable oil. The insects will crawl inside. Earwigs can also be trapped in an inverted flowerpot stuffed with newspaper or peat moss and placed in a tree. A small can filled with bacon or hamburger fat will lure them as well. The morning after you set your traps, shake the captured earwigs into some hot water to kill them. If you find the earwigs' "nest", sprinkle diatomaceous earth or soap onto it.

Slugs and Snails:

Slugs and snails like acid soil and plantain. It is important to monitor your soil's pH and to pull weeds out by hand. Lime, wood ash, salt and small strands of hair irritate these pests, causing them to secrete mucus until they die.

For the same reason, they will not crawl over a rope. To repel slugs and snails, plant some delphinium, foxglove, primrose or garlic. Mulches of oak leaves or pine needles will also keep them away. Lettuce and cabbage leaves or inverted grapefruit halves can be used to lure slugs and snails. Collect these traps at night while the pests are still eating and kill them with salt water or 40 g of alum dissolved in 1 0 L of boiling water. Another way to destroy these critters is to burn traps filled with them. You can place small containers on the ground, protected from the rain, and fill them with beer or honey. The slugs and snails will crawl inside and drown. Repeat regularly. Cats also keep snails away.

Animal Pests:

Cats and dogs, like other animals, become unwelcome pests when they damage property. To keep cute little kittens out of your flower beds, you can plant some Fritillaria, ornamental garlic or even onion bulbs. The odour will repel most animals, especially rodents. Red, black and Cayenne pepper can be used to repel various animals, including raccoons, rabbits and dogs. Fences are another good way to keep curious animals out of your yard.

Mice

Mice cause havoc by feeding on plants under the snow, unseen. You can protect young trees by winding spiral protectors around them (they are available in retail stores), or sticking sections of drainpipe into the ground near the trees. You can also wrap strips of cloth smeared with a mixture of natural resin and melted suet (ratio of 1:3) around the trunk. Certain plants repel mice and keep them from nesting at the foot of trees: amaryllis, mint, lavender, daffodils, narcissus, squill, hyacinth, catnip and spurge. A mulch of thuja bark or savory or oak leaves will keep mice away. Camphor and mothballs repel them as well. When you set out mouse traps be sure to use some anise oil to mask your odour.

Moles

Moles are repelled by hyacinths and castor oil plants. To get rid of these pests, place garlic cloves in their nest, or stick an empty bottle in the entrance to the nest, right side up. The sound of the wind whistling in the bottle will prompt them to move elsewhere.

Rabbits

To keep rabbits away, sprinkle some Cayenne pepper, dried blood or talcum powder on your plants, or spray them with a solution of 30 mL of Epsom salts per 1 L of water. You can also coat tree trunks with decomposed animal manure to repel rabbits. The smell of mothballs or dog hair scattered near plants will also keep them away.

Birds kill insect pests, but they sometimes eat berries and seedlings. Netting draped over plants or trees is the best protection from birds. Scarecrows, scattered onion slices, or brightly coloured rags or milk cartons hung from trees are effective as well. Although ese tricks work for a while, birds quickly catch on to them.

Deer

Although expensive, a high fence around the garden is the best way to keep deer out. You can try growing castor oil plants or foxglove, or you can scatter dog or human hair near your plants. Coat tree trunks with diluted human urine, or spray foliage with 15 to 30 mL of Tabasco sauce dissolved in 4 L of water. Small bars of Ivory soap hung from trees will repel deer for a while.

In summary, many of the suggested controls are easy to use and inexpensive. These common household substances can be used to eliminate insect and animal pests, and they are not harmful to the environment. Furthermore, as mentioned above, various plants keep unwanted pests away, while also enhancing the beauty of your garden and home.

Source: Environment Canada 'The Green Lane' www.qc.ec.gc.ca/ecotrucs/solutionsvertes/insects.htm