During summer, we might see some uninvited visitors in the house: ants, cockroaches, mosquitos (small flies).
As I don't like to use chemicals. my favorite 'killer' is water. Yes, water kills. I spray the ants with plain water, and instantly get rid of them.
With the cockroach it takes a bit more time. Water seems to disable it from running across the floor, but it can still crawl. After a day or two, I'll find it tough, inactive or even dead. Cockroaches are said to carry disease, so the water method is good but not good enough. I should find a way to dispose of them faster.
Mosquitos are also considered disease carriers. I can handle the bite - usually by applying vinegar on it. I could prevent the bites with clothing covering arms and legs. In my experience, the best mosquito repellent is a fan. I've got a small fan on my desk, and when ON, it definitely keeps mosquitos away.
There are many species of these 'visitors' in Nature. Luckily, mine are of an 'inferior quality' with regards to breeding and damage. It's possible to have zero such visitors, but I live in an old building, with the kitchen facing south, and other enviromental issues.
Anyhow, no need to waste time, and money on chemicals. The natural things we have at home can help provide adequate solutions (garlic powder, baking soda powder, mint, lavender, citronella candles, fans, etc..).
Good post!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Christine
DeleteThis is very interesting and also helpful. I had no idea water would kill ANYTHING! Thanks for sharing these ideas and helpful tips. Wishing you well, my friend. Happy Tuesday night to you.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your kind words. Strange, isn't it? Water is an element vital to Life, and yet I use it to end the life of ants and cockcroaches.
DeleteIn my house I've had sporadic problems with ants, but rarely cockroaches. Mosquitos seldom get inside the house.
ReplyDeleteKeep it that way! it's possible to have your house free of those intruders.
DeleteThat is so interesting about water killing the ants and slowing down the cockroaches. My husband is always concerned about spraying any type of chemicals for insect control because of the dog so I'll have to mention to him about water being effective for the ants and cockroaches. We also get scorpions here (thankfully we only had one in our house one time) so I'm not sure what would be good to kill them. Thanks for this info!
ReplyDeletebetty
I like your definition: "..water killing the ants and slowing down the cockcroaches." - that's exactly what it does. I might use also some diluted vinegar instead of water.
DeleteWater! I would never have thought that would work! We are lucky that we don't get cockroaches, but we do get the rest. Thanks for sharing this!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome.
DeleteWe have very hot summers, so things are a bit different here. But a lot depends on us, on our precautions.
I like open windows and that might let some flies in, mainly in the evening. (At present, I don't have window nets which is negligence on my part).
Interesting as to what you do, certainly helpful. We don't have ants inside in summer or cockroaches, maybe a mozzie or a fly might get inside but it's rare as we have fly-wire screens and doors to help keep them out.
ReplyDeleteHaving fly screens that's very good for keeping mosquitos out. I don't remember what got into me that I discarded the old ones and haven't replaced them with new insect nets.
DeleteI use a fly swatter for anything that crawls on the walls or shelves. But flies and mozzies are too clever to be caught like that. Next summer I will try your technique to get rid of the disgusting mosquitoes.
ReplyDeleteAnything, inclusive a swatter - to get rid of the crawlers.
DeleteFlies and cockroaches are hard to deal with as they are on the move, but not impossible.
Interesting post. I too do not like to use chemical repellent but sometimes it is unavoidable. I will only use it if other methods failed. I agree that fan is the best solution to keep mosquitoes away.
ReplyDeleteRight. Sometimes natural repellents might fail, especially where the garden and yard are concerned. If it's not inside the house, a chemical should be considered.
DeleteGood to know. Oh, those mosquitos. And the ants, they find ways to get into the library (where I work). Thanks so much.
ReplyDeleteAnts are the easy part. Mosquitos require window nets to keep them away. If they are already inside, various smells repel them: mint, lavender, cinnamon, etc..
DeleteThat's a good idea about the water. I seem to be having a group of moths inside and one (only one) very pesky fly that I can't seem to nail. (Now and then I can clap the fly into submission!). You're right about more in the season. I think they come in through the screens.
ReplyDeleteInsects (flying and crawling ones) 'celebrate' mainly in summer. Heat, humidity, dryness - help their activity.
DeleteThe good news is that we can do a lot to keep them away .
Wow, that is good information to know! We get those pests during the summer also, especially the mosquitos. When they bite me they turn into a hugh red circle almost a 2 inch diameter size and it looks like a big bruise! The cockroaches are the only thing that I really mind so I do kill them, squash them, smash them...whatever it takes, but I try to ignore the rest, they are soon gone.
ReplyDeleteIf I try to step on the cockroach, I can't. It's swifter than me. Even with the water sprayer I hardly manage to get to him ; but if I spray the route, it"ll reach him and deactivate him.
DeleteThere is a natural product called Diatomaceous Earth that kills insects or keeps them away.
ReplyDeleteI've heard the name , but I don't know much about it. All I know is that it's some source for silica; it has many uses, among them killing insects by drying them out.
DeleteI have never heard of this!
ReplyDeleteWhat do you mean, Jenn? I'm sure you know about flying and crawling insects, and people's various attempts to dispose of them.
DeleteThank you for the practical post!! Good to know the effectiveness of simply using water. I have used a shallow cup of milk in the outside plants and that also seemed effective.
ReplyDeleteMay it be a summer with less of the buggy variety of visitors. And more of the welcome variety!!... guests such as friends and pleasant visitors to welcome with hospitality!💕😀 All blessings to you , Duta!
We try all sorts of things; sometimes it helps, sometimes not.
DeleteI'll gladly join you in your wish for a summer free of the buggy variety. Blessings to you too.
Parabéns pelo seu trabalho e pastagem.
ReplyDeleteThank you Luiz. Appreciate your taking the time to read my blogpost.
DeleteI agree with your goal to fight off these insects with non-chemicals, Duta. However, plain water seems doubtful to me. I have heard that using borax acid in powder form can deter ants in the house and vinegar also has multiple uses. We use the cheapest vodka as a cleaning alternative for a glass stovetop and also remove some carpet stains.
ReplyDeleteI've mentioned some powders and plants that are said to help. What hellps me is water in the case of ants (also slows down cockroaches), and fans for mosquitos. Vinegar helps soothing a bite.
DeleteSome years ago a good friend of ours told us about water and ants, it does work!
ReplyDeleteReading Sandi's comment above I had not heard of Diatomaceous Earth, so did a google search and found an interesting article you may like to read.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-is-diatomaceous-earth
All the best Jan
Thanks for the link to the article. I'll certainly read it. You always find the proper articles that might interest your readers!
ReplyDeleteI consider them all annoying intruders.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the comment; hopefully, you'll need no tricks whatsoever.
Any pest or creepy crawler/flyer in our house gets swatted or squashed. I'll have to try water. Thanks
ReplyDeleteswatted or squashed - for best results. I'm too soft even when it comes to annoying insects.
DeleteI agree that chemicals shouldn't get in the house - I deeply dislike using them. Water does work with ants, you're right. Thankfully we don't have cockroaches, but I still remember them from when I lived in Taiwan in the 80s. We also don't have too many mosquitoes, which I am very grateful for.
ReplyDeleteWe live in a warm climate; during summer it gets really hot, and all kinds of insects might thrive if precautions are not taken to deal with them.
DeleteEstoy de acuerdo en que cuantos menos productos químicos se utilicen mejor, pero a veces...
ReplyDeleteTe comento que por Andalucía el problema de mosquitos y mosca en las casas lo tenemos resuelto con una especie de hoja de ventana a la que llamamos "mosquitera" que se desplaza a través de los raíles del marco de las ventanas, y hecha con una malla muy tupida que permite el paso del aire y la visión del exterior, pero no deja pasar ningún insecto.
Contra las hormigas el agua me va muy bien sobre todo en los patios que es a donde a veces me acuden. Y os voy a decir un truco para cuando comáis a la intemperie en un patio o jardín para que no se suban a la mesa. hay que poner en los pies de cada pata de la mesa, una pequeña tapadera del cualquier envase, las llenas con un poquito de agua y problema resuelto.
Y lo de las cucarachas eso ya es otro cantar porque, aunque gracias a Dios no hay en mi casa a veces me entra alguna voladora en el patio, sí, porque aquí las hay también voladoras, que son más lista que el hambre, y algunas saben hasta hablar inglés, y aunque suelen ser dos o tres en el año y como aquí el agua es un bien escaso, utilizo el sistema del pisotón, con el consiguiente y desagradable "crack", que me dice que ya pasó a mejor vida.
Bueno, perdona porque me he enrollado un poco, pero aquí os dejo algunos consejos que no contaminan, por si a alguien le pueden ser útiles.
Gracias, amiga Duta por permitírmelo, y aprovecho para enviarte desde Sevilla, a 45º C. que tenemos hoy, un cordial saludo.
Yes, window net is a must; it does not let the mosquitos in.
DeleteThanks for the tip with placing the legs of the patio table in small containers filled with water; prevents ants from getting on the table.
I've enjoyed your humour in the paragraph about cockroaches. It made me smile, and that's good.
45C? Oh, My God!
Thanks for the comment, Manuel.
Wishing you the very Best! Blessings !
Just stopping back by to see how you're doing . . . saying hello and hi. Wanted to let you know, I'm thinking of you. Wishing you well, my friend!
ReplyDeleteThanks, dellgirl. I'm ok, thank God. Hopefully, you're well too. Blessings and hugs!
DeleteIt's been too cold here this past week or so for any kind of insect. They've all taken cover elsewhere, I think. I did see an errant fly yesterday...I think he'd lost his way! :)
ReplyDeleteLike us humans, in cold weather they don't get out. If they do, they loose their way like your fly:)
DeleteThanks for the practical tips. I've never heard that water would do all that.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. The elements water and air have many uses, some of them are not known to us; we learn by experience.
DeleteWell done for not using chemicals. We have scenes on all windows and doors and rarely get insects inside but I do have the house sprayed once a year for cockroaches. I ask for the natural product, Pyrethrum, it costs more but its better for the environment.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the name Pyrethrum. I've looked it up and I'll be looking for it in the shops to buy it.
DeleteI've never had any luck with Citronella candles keeping mosquitoes at bay. I use ant traps in the early spring when it's so damp they seem worse. older house also). I've spray things with water...the sprayer in the sink, but all that does is get flush them down the drain, it doesn't kill them unless I'm using really hot water and then I turn on the garbage disposal. Anything crawling on the floor I step on. I use paper towels to clean up, and paper towels to squish anything on the walls.
ReplyDeleteI also use a lot of paper towels to clean up. Messy affair! Hot water is very efficient, but for some unknown reason I prefer to fill the sprayer with tap water.
DeleteI'm with you. No chemicals.
ReplyDeleteAgreed , Catarina.
DeleteI use peppermint oil and water for flying bugs, Cinnamon is good to kill ants outside. Also if you wipe your counters with vinegar and water solutions the ants do not like the smell and leave willing. Peace
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with your methods: water, vinegar, smells that repel the various bugs.
DeleteBy the way, a solution of water and vinegar is a very efficient cleaning agent.