One of the greatest problems that can happen to a homeowner is a pest infestation in their house or their garden. While common in all parts of the world, pests are not meant to be in your garden or your home, as they can make your life more difficult by causing damage and posing a huge health risk. Proper pest control is important as it’s going to keep your home and everyone in it safe and healthy, but you don’t want to use a lot of harmful chemicals. Here are some eco-friendly pest control methods you can use instead:

Grow pest-repelling plants

The most common pest-repelling plants are basil, rosemary, lavender, and mint; and their popularity also stems from the fact that they are highly decorative in addition to being aromatic. If you plant these in your garden, they will repel a lot of bugs naturally, and you can also use them inside your house. Lavender is particularly popular for keeping moths out of your closets, and keeping cloths safe. Luckily for these who are keen on gardening, herbs are often called “companion plants” too, as they can be planted not only in vegetable gardens, but all over your yard too; or you can keep them in a pot on your window sill or kitchen counter.

DIY cleaning solution

If you’re hoping to prevent pests from even entering your house, you should make sure to clean daily. Still, a great number of cleaning products include harmful and even toxic chemicals, which is why you might want to consider the alternative. You can easily and effectively clean your entire home with a simple cleaning solution you can make in your kitchen. Pour a cup of vinegar into a bucket (or a bowl) with 4 cups of water, and add 20 drops of essential oil (we wholeheartedly recommend you use eucalyptus or peppermint). Not only it smells good, but you can use it to clean your bathroom, kitchen, and living room too, as it’s perfectly natural.

Luring them away with food

If you do have pests in your home, you might be interested in finding the easiest (and the greenest) way to get rid of them. Cucumber and orange peels as well as coffee grounds work best for repelling pests, and you can even reduce the amount of organic waste you are producing. Orange and lemon peels can be planted in the garden as they fertilize as well as act like an insecticide. In addition to this, you can keep them on counters and windowsills as they successfully keep pests away. Brewed coffee grounds are great for repelling those boring mosquitoes, ants, wasps, and bees, so pour some along the outside of your house.

What if it becomes too much for you?

Sometimes, no matter how hard we try and despite all our efforts, we still end up with a pest infestation that is causing problems in our lives. When you feel like you’re running out of ideas to get rid of those persistent ants, termites, roaches, or rodents, it might be useful to call pest control in Cairns and see what professionals might do for you. Fortunately, many professionals use suitable chemicals and go out of their way to explain exactly how they are using them and what you can and should do afterward. Because they have plenty of experience, they can give you useful advice on how and where to apply pest-repelling chemicals to ensure that your home stays safe and clean in the future.

Pets and pests

Every pet owner knows that regardless of the effort they put into keeping their furry companions safe, sometimes fleas and ticks are just stubborn and can end up in our homes. Even though conventional flea treatments are effective, they can cause serious damage to your nervous system, nausea, and dizziness.  To minimize the use of chemicals in your home, you can clean your carpets and mattresses with steam, and make sure your bed sheets are regularly washed in hot water. Not only will this remove fleas from surfaces, it will also remove their eggs, which is incredibly important too. If you have woolen blankets you do not want to treat with steam, you can always keep them in the freezer instead.

Proper pest control should be one of the imperatives in your household, because that way you are protecting everyone in your family. As pesticides are not particularly safe to use inside the house, you should focus on more environmentally friendly methods to keep the pests away. Depending on the time of the year, you might struggle with more than one persistent kind of pests, but it does not mean you should let them inside your house or your garden. Whenever possible, opt for eco-friendly pest removal methods, and both your family and the planet will be a lot healthier.