50+ Natural Ways To Keep Insects Out Of Your Home

50+ Natural Ways To Keep Insects Out Of Your Home. Graphic © herbshealthhappiness.com.
Photo – russavia (Wikipedia) lic. under CC 2.0

We just found a great “mother ship” type list with a ton of natural / non-toxic ways to repel / get rid of numerous different insects – including flies, mosquitos, fleas, dust mites, cockroaches, ants, wasps, moths and more.

I confess. I’m a bit of a softie sometimes when it comes to certain critters – and have my own strange set of “rules of engagement”. Mosquitos and flies I have absolutely no time for and They Shall Perish (by fair means or foul) if they invade My Airspace or attempt landings. We tend to get flies here because of the horses, but have recently found an amazing remedy in the form of predator wasps, which you can purchase by the bag. Gets rid of most of the flies in the summer, really amazing stuff. A form of recycling!

Spiders? I keep a jar on a shelf specially for them – and on sight I will catch them and put them out. I’m a little scared of them, but I also feel a sort of kinship with them. Playing the piano and working on the “world wide web” are somewhat spiderish activities, aren’t they? 😉

Moths? Well, I just adore them and will talk to them in sweet voices as if they are faeries. (well, maybe they are!) This might change, however, if they decide to eat my nice threads.

Recently, however, I have the most peculiar “insect dilemma” and I may need help: I have a small yellowjacket (wasp) nest in the trunk of my car! They have set up camp under the lid of the trunk, and there seem to be about 10 of them in their little nest. I could easily get rid of them with soap water or something nasty, but so far I haven’t had the heart to do it! The variety that comes around here are (this sounds strange) the most chill yellowjackets I have ever come across!! They never fly in my face, never even seem to notice that I exist. I open the trunk and they don’t even fly up, they just sit on their little honeycomb as calm as anything. What’s entertaining is that when I drive out for the afternoon, the ones that were “out on a mission” at the time, must just be hanging out somewhere nearby, as when I arrive, two or three immediately appear and make for their home, just taking its mysterious disappearance and reappearance in their stride!

What’s really strange is that I used to hate yellowjackets. Been stung so many times when minding my own business. But for a very odd reason I find this little nest of them somehow charming. They are literally so mellow that I am not afraid of them, and have noticed their cuteness for the first time. I suppose I shall have to do away with them, although they have never actually gotten inside the cabin, it could cause a problem if they do.

Don’t get me wrong. Sometimes critters absolutely cross the boundaries. Ever tried explaining to a mosquito that we are at the top of the food chain? They will simply laugh as they sink their teeth into you. Mosquitos are our natural predator and enemy and I have no time for them. But with other creatures, for best “karma” or whatever you want to call it, see if you can find a way to put them out / deter them / not attract them first, before administering the “long sleep”…

Ok here is the link to the original giant list of non-toxic pest control tactics: https://eartheasy.com/live_natpest_control.htm