by Veronica Bergschneider

Created on: August 26, 2009

Many people wish to control pests on their property in safe, yet effective ways. Fortunately, this can be done in several areas using inexpensive items sometimes found around the home. In the home itself as well as the yard and garden, natural remedies to pests provide safe, effective means to eliminating the plagues.

Vinegar acts as a safe, effective barrier to many insect pests in and around the home. White vinegar, being the least expensive, saves the budget as well. Sprayed around doors and door frames, straight, undiluted white vinegar acts as a natural deterrent to ants and many other crawling insects that would otherwise enter the home looking for food or water. The odor of the vinegar chases away the insects, even after it dries on the surface, although humans do not smell it once it has dried. The pests, anticipating the vinegar on the surface, stay away for some time, and the vinegar can be reapplied any time more pests are spotted.

Vinegar can also be sprayed inside the home if pests have been spotted there since it contains no harmful chemicals that would hurt children or pets. Many people spray the vinegar inside cabinets where certain food items are stored to avoid having chemical residue near these items. In the pantry, airtight containers control pests that might have entered in grocery purchases by suffocating those weevils and other insects as they try to make their way to the top of the container and escape. Once found, the pests, which had been living in the glue on the original boxes or bags of food, can be dumped into the trash and the containers washed for the next purchase of that food item.

On the lawn, a concoction of cheap beer, baby shampoo, and water from the garden hose repels grubs as well as weeds. Depending on the climate, one to two applications of this mixture keeps pests out of the lawn for the entire growing season. In the garden, many people control weed pests by using a weed cloth, which can also prevent grubs and other insect larvae laid under the soil from coming to the surface to eat the plants. Many above ground pests are not able to bear the oils from hot chili peppers, thus making these plants a terrific natural means of keeping insects and other animals away from the produce, plus providing the benefit of spicing up the grower's cooking as the chilies mature and can be cooked.

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