|
2. Seal the perimeter of your home
Caulk, weather strip and repair any holes larger than one-sixteenth of an inch around water pipes, baseboards, electrical fixtures, outlets and switches, doors, and windows. Put screens over windows, vents, floor and sink drains.
3. Know your enemy
The first step in natural pest control is to learn about the insect pest. Learn about the insect's life cycle, the habitat it needs to survive and its reproductive patterns. Use a local resource such as your Cooperative Extension office for assistance.
Sarasota County Integrated Pest Management 941-861-9800
Florida Household and Structural Pests
4. Use low-toxic pest control methods
Ants
Follow ant trail to the point of entry and seal them out.
Put down a line of cayenne and black pepper that ants will not cross, or use a "sticky barrier."
Place pet bowls in moats: Fill a pie tin with water and put the food bowl in the middle.
Clean up ants with soapy water—this erases their chemical trails.
Place diatomaceous earth or boric acid in wall voids and cracks or brush it into carpet,
then wait 3 days and vacuum. These dusts dessicate ants, causing their death. (See Caution.)
Sprinkle corn meal around the infestation area. Consuming corn meal causes ants to explode.
Create your own bait by mixing one teaspoon boric acid with 1/3 cup apple-mint jelly. Dab in
areas where you have seen ant activity. Place one to three dabs per 25 sq. feet and replenish
every 3 days. Be cautious that children and animals do not consume the bait.
Dump boiling, soapy water on outdoor mounds to kills ants, or dig up the mound to move it. |
Fleas
Vacuum with a strong vacuum cleaner and change the bag immediately after. Place a flea collar in
the vacuum or vacuum up some cornstarch to kill the fleas. Use steam cleaning in extreme
infestations.
Groom pets daily with a flea comb. After each stroke, pick the fleas out of the comb.
Create a flea trap by placing a light over a pie tin of soapy water. Fleas will jump towards the light
and drown in the water. Turn the light off for 10 seconds every 5-10 minutes. If no fleas are caught
after one week, move the trap to a new location.
Give pets a B-complex vitamin or small amounts of brewer’s yeast to reduce flea bites.
Use diatomaceous earth, silica aerogel or boric acid as a light dusting on furniture, rugs
and pet bedding. Vacuum it up after a few days. (See Caution, below). |
Roaches
Get rid of piles of old newspapers and keep woodpiles, trash and leaves away from the home.
Do not leave crumbs, soaking dishes or pet food out overnight.
Place sponges and dishrags in airtight containers, and avoid overwatering plants.
To check for roaches, place sticky traps in corners, countertops, inside cupboards and under
sinks in each room. Check after 24 hours.
Create a roach trap by filling a mason jar with water and a small amount of honey. Roaches will
crawl in and not be able to get out.
Boric acid is the best treatment. Apply boric acid to cracks and crevices in the home.
This method kills roaches in 3-9 days.
For serious infestation, blow dessicating dust, such as diatomaceous earth or silica gel into voids
through small holes drilled in the walls. (See Caution, below) |
| Caution: Diatomaceous earth, silica aerogel and boric acid should be used with caution and kept out of reach of children. Use a dust mask during application. |
|
Termites
Build your home termite-proof:
Before constructing your home, remove tree roots and stumps and any other wood scraps from
the site.
A monolithic slab foundation is your best defense against termites. Supported slab and floating
types also work well. A slab on-ground foundation is the most susceptible to infestation.
Choose a poured, reinforced crack-free concrete foundation hinders termite passage. Hollow-
block or brick foundations should be capped with a minimum of four inches of concrete. Make
sure there are 12 inches of clean concrete foundation between soil surface and structural wood.
Use sand grain barriers to keep termites out. Grains that are 1.6 to 2.5 mm are too heavy for
termites to move, yet the spaces between the grains are too small for termites to pass through.
Try Termimish™, a finely wovern, stainless steel mesh barrier for use under and around
foundations.
Create ventilated spaces between the ground and any wood structure.
Build with termite-resistant materials such as concrete and steel. Unfinished wood can be
protected from termites by treatment with boric acid applied as a water solution by dipping or
spraying wood.
Grade the site to slope away from the building for good water drainage.
Defend against termites:
Minimize dampness in the home with kitchen and bathroom exhaust fans. Repair leaks and any
sources of moisture.
Replace rotten or damaged wood with insect resistant wood (such as that treated with boric
acid). Cover exposed wood with paint or sealant.
Remove any wood that comes into contact with the home, such as mulch, scrap wood, lumber,
fence posts, trellises, shrubbery, tree branches or firewood.
Move any piles of soil or compost to at least 10 feet from the foundation. |
|
Mosquitoes
Remove all sources of standing water around the home. Drain pet dishes, buckets, gutters, tires,
birdbaths, ponds, tarps and small boats. Fix dripping outdoor faucets.
Stock ornamental ponds with mosquito larvae-eating fish, such as Gambusia.
Place Bacillus thuringensis var. isralensis in standing water to kill larvae. Corn oil can also me
poured into standing water. Use enough to coat the surface with a thin oil screen.
Seal the home, placing screens over all cracks to avoid mosquitoes.
Avoid going outdoors during dawn and dusk. Use natural repellants such as Skin-So-Soft® by
Avon. |
Mice
Seal all holes around the house with steel wool, caulk or plaster and cover them with sheet metal.
Make sure to seal the foundation of the home and install weatherstripping and door sweeps.
Cut tall grass and remove clutter from around the house.
Use snap traps with expanded triggers than snap when a mouse runs over them and can be
adjusted for trigger sensitivity. Set traps at a right angle to the wall, with bait towards the wall.
Handle traps with gloves, as mice are sensitive to the scent of humans.
Look for "humane" traps from which mice can be freed after they are caught.
Sonar mouse repellants, which emit an inaudible, high-pitched noise, are useful for minor
infestations.
Cats can also assist in minor infestations. Females who have been trained by a good "mouser"
are best. |
Find alternatives for all of your pest problems:
Least Toxic Control of Pests in the Home and Garden (Beyond Pesticides)
The Pesticide Advisor (Pesticide Action Network North America)
5. Control garden pests naturally
A diverse native landscape will withstand pest infestations and help to attract beneficial insects. If you plant a vegetable garden, intersperse flowering plants and herbs such as alyssum, cilantro, mustard and marigolds to balance out the insect population. Choose hearty vegetable varieties that grow well under local conditions and can resist pest infestation. Keep plants and soil healthy with compost and mulch. Avoid overhead sprinklers, which promote the spread of bacteria and fungus.
If you have pests, choose natural controls. Use biodegradable soap to wash fungus, bacterial growth and aphids off of plants. Spray plants with a mixture of cayenne pepper and/or garlic in water to prevent further infestations. Pull weeds by hand or use corn gluten, a non-toxic herbicide.
Common Sense Organic Landscape and Garden Care Arcadia, FL 1-877-877-0257
ECO-Tips: Create an Eco-Friendly Yard
6. Choose low-toxic products
There are many safe and low-toxic pest control products which can be used in place or in addition to homemade controls. Look for low-toxic insecticides such as neem oil or citrus oil. Avoid botanical-based insecticides such as pyrethrin which, although it is made from a flower, is a very dangerous poison. Choose insect baits instead of broad-spectrum sprays.
Home Integrated Pest Management Alternatives
7. Hire professionals who practice integrated pest management
If you are unable to control your pest problems on your own or would like professional assistance, look for a pest control company that employs low-toxic, integrated pest management. Talk with the company about your pest issues and discuss low-toxic alternatives. Ask for Material Safety Data Sheets for any product that the company plans to use on your property. When in doubt, talk to your Cooperative Extension agent for assistance.
Find low-toxic pest control anywhere in the U.S.: Safety Source for Pest Management
NaturZone Pest Control 1899 Porter Lake Drive #103, Sarasota 941-378-3334
|