|
Author: TC Thorn Article source: http://www.hotlib.com/. Used with author's permission.
Pesticides are toxic and, while often effective against pests, can be dangerous for your family and pets. Outdoors, sprayed pesticides might drift on a breeze and dust your vegetable garden or your neighbor's yard. Indoors, pesticides can linger in the air, exposing the family to harmful chemicals. For these reasons, many people are turning to nontoxic pest control methods.
Prevention is the best way to control pests, but there are times when even the most thorough preventative measures will not save you from intruders, so this article discusses both preventative pest control methods and nontoxic pest control products.
Preventative Pest Control Methods
Sanitation:
As they say, cleanliness is next to godliness. And it keeps pests out, too. Keeping your home clean is the most effective pest control method. If you don't leave food or dirty dishes lying around the house, animals and insects won't be attracted to the smell. Sweep and vacuum regularly. Remember, just because you can't see crumbs doesn't mean they don't exist. Clean inside pantries and cabinets cabinets, under and around the stove and refrigerator at least once a year.
Screens:
This may seem obvious, but screens on doors and windows are a simple and relatively cheap way to keep insects out of the house. Also, screens on crawlspaces keep rodents from obtaining easy access routes into the house.
Caulking:
By caulking cracks in your house, you can minimize places for insects to hide and nest. Target bathrooms and the kitchen, especially doors and windows.
Nontoxic Pest Control Products
Traps:
There are many kinds of traps available that target many kinds of pests. Some examples are sticky traps for cockroaches, glueboards for mice, flypaper, bug zappers, and traps specifically for rats, gophers, or moles. You can usually pick up traps at your local Home and Garden store.
Pheromones:
Pheromones, essentially insect scent hormones, can be used in traps as bait. By emitting the scent of the female insect, pheromones can be used to lure males into a trap, where they are caught in a sticky glue. Insects are only attracted by pheromones emitted by their own kind, so you need to know exactly what kind of insects you're trying to eliminate and plan accordingly.
Biological Control:
Biological control is more often used in agriculture but can sometimes be used in home and garden situations as well. Basically it means using desirable organisms to eliminate undesirable organisms. For instance, planting certain plants in your garden can deter certain pests. For example, spearmint repels ants. Garlic repels Japanese Beetles. Indoors, spiders eat fruit flies and houseflies, so it may be worth leaving some of those webs around.
Repellents:
There are nontoxic repellents available for pest control. Mosquito repellents are the most popular, but if you look around, you can find repellents that target other pests. Some herbs, like eucalyptus and wormwood, are known for repelling animals and insects. About The Author
TC Thorn writes for http://www.pestinformation.com/ where you can find more pest control information.
Is Love Ever In Vain?
Do you throw good love after bad? If you treat love as a gamble rather than an investment, it's time to start investing in the kind of love that is never in va...
The Classy Way to Do WA
All that driving through desert -- what kind of holiday is that? But Western Australia has much more than stretches of sandy horizon. Doing a road-trip along th...
Soul Band for a Party
In this article Jeff Williams, a professional musician based in London, gives you a glimpse into his world as he describes the events surrounding organizing a s...
Choosing the Best Low Interest Credit Card
With so many low interest credit cards on offer, how do you know which one to choose? Here is a brief guide for choosing your low interest credit card.
14 Top Lead Generation Tactics
Typical marketing practices are not only inapplicable for professional service firms, but they may be dangerously wrong. Many professionals do not know there is...
Fitness For Golf Is A Must For Senior Golfers
Fitness for golf is a common term and senior golfers are getting the gist of it. The secret is out. Fitness for golf has come full circle and all the players ...
Do You Make These Window Replacement Mistakes ?
Whether it's a misguided baseball, or storm damage, sooner
or later most homeowners will have to deal with window
replacement, a chore that is not high on any h...
From Vancouver Down The Oregon Coast To Napa Trip
Spent a fantastic trip going down the Oregon Coast to Napa and Sonoma Valleys, and back again up the Oregon Coast - awesome! It was like a honeymoon!
The Many Benefits of Green Tea Extract
One of the great advancements in nutrition in the twenty-first century is the scientific confirmation of the many benefits of green tea extract. Here are just a...
8 Ways To Increase Your Affiliate Commission
Discover 8 easy ways which will help you to boost your affiliate commission easily.
Clear Your Acne - Naturally!
Most people who suffer from acne go out and spend good money on common over-the-counter acne treatment products. The truth is, most of these products are full o...
How Logic Puzzles Can Help You Become a Better Problem Solver
Logic was once of the great philosophical arts that was taught in every lyceum. It still is a required course for law school in many of the university's curricu...
A Creative Patio
It's ideas, not money that makes life interesting.
How to Raise Creative Kids
"Where did he come up with that?" Kids often amaze us with their imaginative ideas, and we should give ourselves a pat on the back for playing a role in this de...
How to Define a Successful Time Management Strategy
One of the most challenging aspect in life is time management. In the current fast changing environment, time management is very important in both your personal...
Online Poker - The Learning Curve
Experience requires lots of time at the tables. The learning curve takes time and can be expensive. New Online poker players need to pace themselves and play wi...
Body Jewelry and Todays Stars
Body jewelry and body piercing practices have been observed by various groups of people all over the world throughout the centuries. For some tribes it is a rit...
A Guide to Beauty Salon Equipment
Beauty salon equipment is a broad term that applies to various pieces of equipment all having uniquely different functions within the beauty industry. The type...
Low Carb Barbeque Sauce
Is it possible to have a great barbeque without breaking you're low carb diet? Yes! This article will tell you how.
Embroidery Machine Use by New Owners for Good Results
Many new owners of embroidery machines have lots of things to learn in order to get good results. I will try to suggest some of the best ways to learn what new...
Bankruptcy and Debt – New Law May Hurt Katrina Victims
The pending new bankruptcy law may hurt victims of Hurricane Katrina, as bankruptcy filings may require documentation that no longer exists.
Four Corners of a Triangle: Why Organizations Succeed or Fail
Business and non profit organizations represent the interests of many people: the sponsors and the consumers. Any flaws in an organization's capacity and manag...
The Western Cowboy
In the State of Texas the Western Cowboy can be found home on the range. But can you really find a true western cowboy in the state of Texas?
How to Lose Your Money, Fake Your Destiny with Great Success
Everyone talks about how to be successful through hard work and effort. Forget that! I'm going to take a different approach. I'm going to show you how to los...
|
Print this page