Eco-Friendly Ways to Beat the Bugs
By: Madeline Davis, researched Celia Lansing
Bugs and insects are an important part of our ecosystem. They play a crucial role in pollination, decomposition, crop production, and healthy soil maintenance. However, despite all the good they do, people are still often uneasy around them. Whether it be for their appearance, their movement, or their bite, bugs are often a point of hatred for people.
As a result, we use bug sprays, insecticides, and pesticides to remove these bugs from our homes and plants. People often use these products not knowing the repercussions they can have; these solutions not only harm the bugs, but the environment around them. Alternatively, even if people are aware, they do not know about ways to keep the insects away without harmful effects on the ecosystem.
It is important to research alternative methods to remove bugs to lessen the chance of hurting the environment. Different insects have different eco-friendly ways that people can use to remove them from their homes and surrounding environment.
Here is a list of eco-friendly ways to beat some of our favorite bugs (without hurting them)!
Wasps
Wasps can naturally be deterred using essential oils. They do not like lemongrass and peppermint essential oils. You can add a few drops around your home, which will deter them without harm!
On the other hand, wasps love protein and sugar. Clean up thoroughly after picnics, barbecues, and other outdoor eating events. Doing this can help reduce the risk of attracting wasps to your area. Make sure to also secure trash cans. This works to prevent wasps and other animals from getting into the food.
Another great way to ward off wasps is to introduce wasp-repelling plants into your environment. These plants can include marigolds, geraniums, pennyroyals, spearmint, thyme, eucalyptus, wormwood, basil, bay leaves, lemongrass, and citronella grass. These plants all help to deter wasps from your backyard, and make it look beautiful too!
If none of these options work, you can also create a false nest! Wasps are very territorial and will not build nests close to an existing one. There are tutorials online detailing how to make them using recycled materials (like paper bags), which help keep both you and any of your animals safe.
Mosquitoes
The most common eco-friendly way to keep out mosquitoes is by buying a mosquito net. Investing in a mosquito net can help keep you and your surroundings safe from these blood-suckers. You can hang them anywhere you need, and it causes no harm to the bugs.
Similar to wasps, mosquitoes are also deterred by specific plants. Plants like lavender, marigold, lemongrass, mint, geranium, and eucalyptus could do the trick.
Although it may seem amateur, simply turning on a fan is another great way to ward off mosquitoes. Mosquitoes do not fly very fast, so turning on a fan could push them away and stop them from flying near you. Not only that, but a fan also removes the odors that some mosquitoes use to locate us. This method is a great way to keep you cool and mosquito-bite free.
If you are looking for something more crafty, you could also make a DIY mosquito repellent. Lemongrass, a mixture of garlic and tea, and cloves stuck onto a citrus fruit are old, sworn-by natural deterrents.
Mosquitoes lay their eggs in empty pools of stagnant water. This includes not just ponds and puddles, but also ditches, buckets, and small openings that could hold water for long periods of time. A great way to keep mosquitoes from your home is to limit the amount of open water around you. Make sure to regularly clean and empty any areas that could hold bouts of water, and check for any leaks or holes in high-watered areas. Preventing the laying of eggs in still water is a great way of preventing mosquito-borne diseases, and keeping mosquitos away from you!
Ants
Ants are one of the most common insects to find in your homes as they are attracted by food and water. The best preventative measure against these bugs is to clean up any food crumbs, both inside and outside your home. While this may seem obvious, cleaning up tables, counters, and floors can help keep ants away. This also includes trash cans, so make sure they are sealed and shut!
Now, although ants are attracted to food, you can also use certain kinds to keep them away. Using vinegar or lemon juice can help get rid of ants. Using sprays with these ingredients on ant trails will push them out of your homes without harming them.
Other techniques are to use mint or cinnamon. Similar to the sprays, introducing mint to areas where ants frequent will repel them. Sprinkling cinnamon along their pathways will also push them away.
You can also apply lines of chalk or baking soda in ant-heavy areas. Many ants will perceive these lines as a “wall,” and will not cross them.
Spiders
Spiders love messy or cluttered spaces, so keeping your spaces nice and clean is a great way to keep spiders from sneaking up on you. Spiders like to hide, and crowded and untidy spaces give them the ability to do so. Keeping all areas of your homes clean removes this hiding place, and can keep all types of spiders away.
Spiders taste and smell through their legs. This interesting fact means that they will not walk over areas that smell strong to them. Spiders hate mint and citrus smells, so adding them to your home is a safe way to keep them away. Apply peppermint oil, citrus oil, or cedar oil to areas where spiders could enter your home. You could also achieve the same effect by rubbing an orange peel in these areas.
White vinegar is also another solution! Mix equal parts white vinegar and water and then add them to places where spiders might get in or create a web. You can hide the smell by adding citrus oil to your concoction, adding a double spider-prevention method in place.
Friendly to Bugs…But Not to all Creatures
These eco-friendly ways to ward off bugs work great to keep both the bugs and the environment healthy!
Many of these techniques suggested using plants and scents to prevent bugs from crawling around. These home remedies work great and will leave your house bug free and smelling good. However, it is important to recognize that these methods may be safe for the bugs, but may not be for pets, other animals, or even other people.
When choosing one of these eco-friendly bug repellents, it is important to research if it is safe for the other animals in or around your house. As good as essential oils smell, they can be dangerous to use around pets. They can also cause problems for people depending on allergies and medical conditions. Please research if a method is safe for your personal use before using it!
Here is also a chart of different plants that can help deter bugs from your home and their potential risks to the common household pets of cats and dogs. Refer to this list if you are concerned about whether a bug-repellent plant is best for your home.
To learn more about eco-friendly ways to repel bugs, or to research potential risks, please visit our sources: