Isn’t the weather nice? I love everything about it except one thing. The pests are back. Yup, the flying, crawling, scary, icky pests and insects are trying to make themselves at home in your kitchens, bathrooms, bedrooms, offices and living areas. But, they don’t stay in my place for long. Here’s how to keep a welcoming Scent for humans while driving away insects and rodents.
Cleaning Counters tops and Appliances
I make pest repelling sprays with 50 drops of essential oils mixed with 2.5 ounces of water in a spray bottle to wipe down my kitchen counters and to quickly freshen up my sinks, toilet, and shower doors. (Use rubber gloves to protect your hands).
I drop essential oils right in my kitchen sink and bath tub if I see one insect. This will sent a message that the area is not safe and will discourage others from entering through the pipes.
I mix insect repelling oils with castile soap to make home cleaners (I use about 200 drops per 8 ounces of castile soap and wear rubber gloves when cleaning).
Cleaning Floors
If you are wet mopping, add the essential oils of your choice directly into your floor soap. I sometimes use plain water with essential oils for general touch-up cleaning. If you are using a dry Swiffer mop, put a few drops of pest repelling essential oils on the Swiffer sheet. To get more cleaning ideas, check out The Easy Way to a Clean and Healthy Home
Scenting the Air and Spot Scenting Areas where Rodents Enter
There are a few ways to scent your rooms to keep away flying and crawling insects. You can use the same mister you use for cleaning counters and appliances in the air and on plush furniture (like under the sofa cushions where crumbs tend to fall). You can use a tea light diffuser; see The Many Methods of Aromatherapy to learn how. You may boil a pot of water and add essential oils to it for an easy and safe kitchen fumigation. You may also add a few drops of essential oils to a humidifier.
Laundry and Dishes
I add about 100 drops of essential oils to a load of laundry and mix it right on top of my liquid detergent. I use 25-50 drops in the dishwasher which I place on top of the dishwasher power. Doing this will keep your machines clean and germ free, scent the air of your home as the machines work; and it will kill dust mites and germs in your laundry and cut grease and kill germs on your dishes. To keep your bedding fresh in-between washings you can make a mist using 13 drops of Lavender and 12 drops of Eucalyptus in a 2.5 ounces spray bottle and liberally mist your bedding and pillows.
Spider Mites on Plants
Spider Mites like to feast upon the dead parts of plants and love when you over-water plants. So if you notice any mites on your house plants, first prune all the dead plant material away and be sure that the soil is slightly moist, but not drenched. Next I make strong mister (with about 50 drops of essential oils to two ounces water) and mist my plants daily until the mites retreat. I also place a small cup (or turned over shell) on top of the soil and put essential oils directly in the cup so the oils don’t touch the soil, yet slowly evaporate sending an unwelcome scent to the mites. It is important to do this as soon as you notice the mites or else they will lay eggs and it will be harder to save your plant without a hungry spider to help you, at which point you should move your plant outside and let the spiders do their thing. And once your plants have grown, check out, Free Luxury Bath for Everyone with a Garden! to learn a fun way to use your herbs and flowers. And read, The New Englanders Healing Garden, for more simple gardening tips.
Which oils should you use? Who’s bugging you? Check the list to find the oils to repel your particular pests.
Common Pests and some Essential Oils that Repel them:
Mosquitoes: Basil, Catnip, Citronella, Clove, Cedarwood, Eucalyptus, Lavender, Lemon, Lemongrass Peppermint, Teatree
Spiders: Citrus oils such as Orange, Lemon, Lime and Grapefruit.
Ants: Catnip, Citronella, Cinnamon, Peppermint, Pennyroyal, Spearmint, Teatree
Moths: Cedarwood, Citronella, Hyssop, Lavender, Patchouli, Peppermint, Spearmint
Flies: Basil, Citronella, Clove Bud, Citronella, Eucalyptus, Hyssop, Lavender, Pennyroyal, Peppermint
Head Lice: Citronella, Eucalyptus, Geranium, Lemongrass, Lavender, Pine Needle, Peppermint, Spearmint, Teatree
Ticks: Lemongrass, Lavender, Peppermint, Thyme, Sage
Cockroaches: Catnip, Citronella, Cypress, Eucalyptus, Lemongrass, Pennyroyal, Teatree
Dust Mites: Citronella, Eucalyptus, Teatree
Spider Mites: Citronella, Lemongrass, Peppermint, Wintergreen
Fleas: Citronella, Fennel, Lavender, Lemongrass, Peppermint
Mice: Eucalyptus, Lavender, Peppermint, Spearmint
Rats: Cedarwood
https://youtu.be/I0rYk2DEjH0
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