Having unwanted pests in your home can be a nightmare. Between the ruined food, the yuck factor, droppings everywhere, and the chance for disease, pests can be more than just unwanted; they can be downright dangerous. Sure, there are methods like snap traps or poison, but those are messy, inhumane, and hazardous for children or pets. Americans are starting to look for all-natural pest control methods for keeping their families safe from those unwanted invaders, whether they be of the animal or insect variety. This is where essential oils take center stage, they’re an all-natural, humane, and safe alternative to harsh pesticides and chemicals.
Safe, Non-Toxic Pest Repellent
Though using essential oil for pest control has become a much more popular choice over the last few years, it’s nothing new under the sun. Think about it: plants and animals use scent in nature to communicate and convey messages. Flowers use a pleasing aroma to attract pollinators like bees and butterflies or use a pungent odor to deter predators or insects that could possibly harm or consume them. It is these scents from which essential oils are produced. Though they may smell pleasing to humans, certain plant scents smell differently to animals and insects, sending a strong message that screams “stay away.” This is why so many people enjoy the warm, inviting fragrances of essential oils while getting the added benefit of a natural way to repel pests.
How to Use Essential Oils to Repel Against Pests
Using essential oils to rid your home of pests is actually quite simple. First, identify which pest is giving you the most trouble. Different oils work against different pests, so it’s important to find the right essential oil for your particular problem. Once you’ve got the right oil for your pest problem, you can use a few different methods. One of the best techniques is to get an essential oil diffuser, which uniformly disperses essential oils throughout your home, making it perfect for pest control. Since essential oils lose their potency when exposed to air, using a diffuser is a much more efficient method for constant pest control than constantly re-spraying your home.
However, some people do choose the spray method. For this technique, find a sprayer bottle and dilute your chosen essential oil with water. Then, you can spray on the affected areas in your home. Another method is to soak cotton balls in essential oils and then apply the oil under the edges of your cabinets or any other place you think pests might be getting in or attracted to.
Benefits of Using Essential Oils
Using essential oils for natural pest control provides many benefits. For one, essential oils are an all-natural and safe alternative to using harsh pesticides, poisons, or chemicals. They contain dangerous, toxic ingredients that are harmful to children, adults, and pets. Another benefit is that using essential oils is a humane method for pest control. This is more applicable for rodents and larger pests because other practices, like snap traps or poison, are extraordinarily inhumane, and most cause the animal an excess amount of pain. They’re also extremely messy to deal with and can be very unsanitary too.
Essential oils are also very affordable. Hiring a pest control olathe ks service that uses pesticides can be shockingly expensive and introduces unsafe, toxic chemicals into your home. Even if they claim to be safe, it doesn’t feel good to have your family living in a home where there were just toxic clouds of insect gas sprayed everywhere. Essential oils eliminate this problem, and they offer a pleasing and inviting scent, too. They’re safe for kids, pets, and adults, and they’re straightforward to use. Natural pest control that gives your home a delicious scent at the same time? It’s a no-brainer.
Different Oils for Different Pests
There isn’t just one oil that will repel every kind of pest. For example, essential oils that are effective against mice may not be best suited for spider control. When you’re using essential oils for pest control, it’s best to buy the purest grade oil possible, with no synthetic or artificial fillers. Certain oils can also be mixed with other oils or ingredients to make a more effective pest control recipe. Here are some different kinds of essential oils and what kind of pests they are effective against.
Lavender
This familiar and calming scent may be used in hand soaps and lotions worldwide, but it offers so much more than a relaxing fragrance and beautiful purple flowers. Lavender’s lovely aroma is not just a pleasing scent for a shower gel but is also surprisingly effective against repelling insects. Got a problem with moths eating your clothes? Try using a sachet with lavender essential oil as the primary fragrance in your drawers or closet and say goodbye to moth holes in your sweaters. For insects like ants, use lavender oil in your diffuser or place some in a small saucer or dish on the counter. Ants communicate via pheromones and scent trails, so using strong, undiluted lavender oil can muddle their senses, confuse, and repel them, keeping your home ant-free.
Thyme
Thyme is a delicious herb that many people enjoy using to add flavor to their meals. However, it can also be a fantastic way to repel the common housefly, the bane of households everywhere. Another bonus? Thyme can also be effective at repelling mosquitoes. That’s what they call a win-win, folks. Do you have pets? Try using thyme oil mixed with peppermint and tea tree oil, dilute the mixture with water, and spray it on your pet’s coat for an all-natural way to repel insects during the sizzling summer months.
Peppermint
Though you may automatically think of toothpaste or gum when you hear the word peppermint, this herb is actually the perfect choice for a natural insecticide that gives a wonderfully fresh aroma. In fact, one of the active ingredients in peppermint is registered with the EPA as a mosquito repellent, which is why it’s so effective as an insecticide. Try diluting pure peppermint oil in water and using it as a natural bug spray.
Peppermint essential oil pulls double duty, though: it’s also effective as a rodent repellent. Use pure peppermint oil on a cotton ball and swab it on spaces you think mice or rats could enter your home. You can also use a dropper to place an uninterrupted line across doorways or holes where they could be gaining access to your home. Try putting a few drops in your garbage before you take the trash out and put some in the bottom of the bin as well, which helps keep pests away like raccoons and skunks.
Tea Tree Oil
The Australian Tea Tree truly is the superhero of trees. The oil from this tree has so many uses: it’s an incredibly effective green cleaner, it’s perfect for reducing irritation from insect bites, it can heal canker sores inside your mouth, and it’s even an antiparasitic. Tea tree oil can suppress the growth and development of parasites like fleas, lice, or ticks, which is why it’s one of the most popular essential oils used for pest control.
Try Using Essential Oils for All-Natural, Non-Toxic Pest Control
Essential oils don’t just provide an amazing fragrance and a relaxing environment to unwind and destress after a long day. They’re the perfect choice for safe, effective, and all-natural pest control and an excellent alternative to harsh pesticides and poisons. Try using a diffuser or even apply the pure oil to your home’s entry points to repel pests. Switch to using essential oils for a safe, affordable, and natural method to give your home a pleasing aroma and fight against any unwanted pests at the same time.