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What are non-toxic pest control alternatives that work?

Regular cleaning
Soapy water
Diatomaceous earth
Herbs and spices

While pesticides are very effective in eliminating the pests at your home, some ingredients they contain are also harmful to animals and humans. If you’re not careful when using these chemicals, there is a chance you will experience itchy, stung skin, or worse, it could affect your central nervous system. To prioritize your safety, you can try this list of non-toxic pest control alternatives. Read on!

Regular Cleaning

Having pests in your home can be prevented by one simple thing—cleaning. Rats, cockroaches, and ants are attracted to food and water. If you have any leftovers from lunch or dinner, you can either get rid of them or store them in airtight containers. This way, no scent will lure these pests.

When keeping a garbage bin inside your home, make sure to always put the lid on every time you throw something in. Aside from cleaning leftovers, it is also a good idea to get rid of clutter. Stacked magazines, cardboard, receipts—these are the perfect areas for bugs to gather in.

If you have bedbugs, ants, or fleas, your best option is to use the vacuum. Clean up rugs, mattresses, and every nook and cranny of your home for these pests. You may not see their eggs because of the minuscule size, but the strong suction will get them all.

Soapy Water

Many people think of ants as stubborn pests. Even when you get rid of them, they manage to return. This happens because they leave a pheromone trail that only other members of the colony can detect. That’s why you will notice that they always crawl on a specific path. If you clean it with soapy water, it will get rid of the pheromones. Mix it with vinegar or coffee grounds for the best results.

If you have pests in your plants, using toxic pesticides can also kill the plant itself. If you have bugs like aphids, mites, and thrips, you can spray soapy water without harming your garden.

To make this non-toxic pesticide spray, you can mix 5 tablespoons of soap per gallon of water. You can also buy ready-made insecticidal soap. Soapy water is also effective in getting rid of ants and cockroaches.

Diatomaceous Earth

This powdered material may look simple, but it is effective as a non-toxic pest control alternative. Diatomaceous earth is made from fossilized remains of tiny creatures which are called diatoms. You can buy this in many formulations, and some products can even help eliminate ticks and fleas in dogs and cats.

When buying diatomaceous earth for pest control, look for a label that says ‘food -grade’. This ensures that the powder is not treated and in its purest form. This is very effective because it dehydrates pests, which leads to their death.

It works because the powder has microscopic abrasive properties that puncture a pest’s skin. The wounds let the necessary fluids from their body out, which are then absorbed by the powder. It is recommended to leave the diatomaceous earth for up to 5 days.

Herbs and Spices

If you have a garden around your house, you can try growing herbs such as mint, basil, lavender, rosemary, and lemongrass. Not only will it make your home smell good, but it can also prevent pests from coming in.

Thai lemongrass can be used as an insect repellant if you plant it. You can also make a simple solution by mixing it with alcohol and applying it to your body. This is effective because it contains the essential oil citronella, which is effective against mosquitoes.

Spices that you may already have can also be effective in preventing pests. If you want to deter ants, you can use garlic or cayenne pepper at entry points of your home. Cockroaches also hate garlic and bay leaves. To prevent flies from contaminating your food, you can put basil and clover in a container and open it whenever you have food on the table.

Key Takeaway

It can be tempting to just buy a pesticide and spray it all over your home to get rid of bugs and insects. While this may be effective, it can also harm your plants, pets, children, and yourself in the process. Chemicals that are usually found in pesticides can also affect air and water quality when used often.

To prevent these from happening, non-toxic pest control alternatives such as regular cleaning, use of soapy water, food-grade diatomaceous earth, and herbs and spices can help you get rid of the pesky pests in your home.

If you’re already experiencing a widespread pest infestation, a professional pest control group like Topbest can help you solve your problem for good. If you’re interested in a free inspection, you can click here.

Dealing with pests is undoubtedly important, the main reason being that they could destroy your home if left unattended. So, at the first sign of a pest – or ideally, even at just the risk of having one – you should contact a pest control service company to deal with it immediately. But then, for some homeowners, that raises the question: what should I know about pest control professionals?

It’s a given that a lot of casual homeowners aren’t well-versed in the intricacies of taking care of their homes in such a way that pests won’t infest them, so it’s imperative that they learn it straight from the professionals. But that begs the question: what makes a pest control pro?

If you’re one of those homeowners who’re looking for a guide on how to evaluate their pest control professional of choice, then here’s our guide on what you should ask:

How long have you been in the business?

Similar to other services from different fields, experience is a common concern when hiring a professional pest control service – or any kind of service, for that matter. It’s one of the few ways you can guarantee the quality of their service, hence, it’s a “must ask”.

After all, working with a well-established, professional pest control service can help you effectively get rid of your pest problems and trust them that they’re doing it with extreme levels of both knowledge and experience – a winning combination, for sure.

What particular treatments will you use? How do you decide on what appropriate treatment is best needed for the issue?

Most homeowners call for pest control because they want to make sure that the pest issue is being properly managed and controlled. With that said, it can be particularly tricky to ask this question given one’s lack of knowledge, leading to the professional’s answer (and explanation) moot.

So, in order to make this as simple and as comprehensible as possible, you could ask alternative questions such as:

What specific pests are infesting my home? Are they common in our area?
How serious is the pest issue?
Can you estimate of how long have they been in my home?
Approximately how long will the treatment take?
Will they come back? How long is the interval?
How frequently should I ask a pest control service to check on my home?

Given the answers you receive from the staff, try to do your homework and compare it with similar pest control service. You can also try doing a canvass with other similar services and narrow down your choices. Once get to do so, ask the following questions.

Do you provide a written quote? Are there any other fees?

When it comes to pest control services, there may be times that you will encounter one that will only provide estimates and would not provide further information beyond that. With this regard, it’s important to ask on whether they provide a written quote that will state their standard service fee and other charges that may be included upon implementation or treatment. In your homework, you may even have encountered shady services that have bad reviews online. This could be a major red flag for any pest control service.

Moving on, when looking for the best of the best, those who offer a free consultation Is a great sign that they know what they’re doing. (We offer this feature!) This will help you better decide for yourself if you’ll consider the service given that the free consultation will give you an initial idea of how they service their clients.

Will you be able to prevent the pests from coming back after you exterminate them?

This is among the many questions pest control services find most important. This is due to the fact that many pest control experts are generally misunderstood with regards to the service itself. While pest control services like Topbest can help manage and control pests in order to exterminate them from clients’ homes, the processes are mainly focused on eradication and then its results.

That is to provide people with a pest-free environment along with the assurance that these pests do not damage properties any further. With Sentricon, used both in the Philippines and abroad, the service is not only able to prevent pests from entering your home but also exterminate them for the better with cleaner treatment that would not harm your household.

Can you provide testimonials of your previous service?

Testimonials are a great way to gauge the validity of a business you’re on the fence about. Hence, if the service you’re talking with can’t provide one, this could be a bad sign. Make sure to check their website first if there’s a page that provides particular testimonials from their previous clients, and if not, inquire personally.

Key Takeaway

Hiring a pest control can often be costly depending on the situation, hence, it’s only significant to ask safe and relevant questions to a service if you’re going to hire them. With their answers and your research combined, you will definitely be able to find one that can provide an effective and safe treatment for your pest problems, and ultimately say goodbye to destructive pests!

Tag: home pest control

4 Non-toxic Pest Control Alternatives That Work