Dealing with Pesky Critters
The weather is so good in Australia, it’s not just people that call it home. It is hard to find anyone that has not encountered a spider lurking in the corner of their bedroom or had to deal with an infestation of pantry moths at some stage in their lives. Bugs and insects are part of our natural landscape and despite being clean and keeping an orderly house – there will be times that they find their way in.
Before you reach for a can of insecticide, there are some family and pet friendly alternatives that are equally effective without any harmful side-effects – to you or the environment.
Here’s a few tips to deal with our most common uninvited guests:
Spiders
A little-known fact is that spiders HATE peppermint – they are also not too fond of citrus. Mixing a solution of 2.5 teaspoons of peppermint oil with 1 cup of alcohol (vodka is best) and putting in a spray bottle will do the trick. Or, you can use a citrus oil too. Just mist the room and your bed covers – enjoy the aroma and sleep soundly knowing that you are not likely to be crawled over in the night. Note: we are not suggesting you part with your top-shelf vodka – get the cheapest version you can, and it will work just as well.
Mosquitoes
The bane of most of our lives – universally hated and the carrier of Ross River Fever. Mosquitoes can be deterred with Citronella, Lemon Eucalyptus and Tea Tree. Again – mix with vodka and spray. You can also mix these oils with coconut oil and spread over your skin as a natural insecticide. Of course – these is always Quinine – something that the English colonials in India believed in – hence the habit of drinking Gin and Tonic at sundown. However, we are not sure how many of these you need to drink to be effective!
Silverfish
Silverfish are attracted to moisture and are often found in moist, dark areas like bathrooms, laundries and kitchens. Sprinkling Borac acid in the areas that they crawl over will help you get rid of them. Borac acid is usually available from any soap suppliers.
Cockroaches
This is a novel way of getting rid of Cockroaches, but it does work! Just like many Australian men, they are irresistibly attracted to beer (it’s the hops and sugar). It therefore goes without saying that beer works incredibly well as a trap. Get a glass jar with a rounded inside lip. Coat the inside of the lip with Vaseline and put a slice of beer-soaked bread in the bottom of the jar. They will have no problem climbing in, but the Vaseline will make it impossible to escape.
Pantry moths
This is where prevention is better than cure. Pantry moths can be brought unknowingly into your house with your groceries and you don’t realise they are there until you have an infestation. If you can – place your dry goods in a sealed plastic bag and freeze for a week or so to kill any eggs before transferring to your pantry. If you do find pantry moths – remove everything in your pantry – throw out anything that is open and dried and wash all the shelves with warm soapy water. Spraying with a 50:50 mixture of white vinegar and warm water will help kill off any remaining eggs.
You can also help keep pesky critters away by taking steps not to attract them in the first place – fix dripping taps (insects are attracted to water); ensure that you keep bench tops free of crumbs and food debris; rinse out food containers before putting them in your rubbish and regularly clean your kitchen sink drain. A half a cup of baking soda followed by a half a cup of vinegar poured down the sink – wait five minutes and then pour in a kettle full of boiling water will clean out your drain and keep it from becoming a grease trap too.
