Organic pest control for kitchens is a non-toxic way to maintain the cleanliness of your kitchen. Many products can be made at home for pennies, saving you money as well.
Homemade Organic Pest Control for Kitchens
Since the kitchen has many different kinds of pests, from insects to rodents, it takes more than one plan to control them. One of the most important things that you can do in general is to keep the kitchen clean and food put away.
- Glass containers in the pantry will guard against many types of pests using your storage shelves as a restaurant.
- A variety of household pests breed in clutter. Keep your kitchen as organized as possible.
- Seal up cracks and openings around drains where rodents could find their way inside.
- Keep trash taken out and compost covered.
Flies
Flies carry many kinds of diseases and are difficult to keep out of kitchens. There are a couple of ways to discourage flies from sharing your space.
- Flies hate the scent of basil. Growing basil outside your kitchen door will keep them from congregating around it waiting for a chance to get inside.
- Fly tape or sticky traps hung in an out of the way place can be very effective.
- Half fill a jar with vinegar, a little sugar, and water. Cover it tightly with cheesecloth and then cut a small hole in the cheese cloth that is large enough for a fly to get into. The flies will crawl into the jar and not be able to find their way out.
- Electronic fly traps lure the fly and then electrocute it.
- Be sure to keep garbage cans tightly covered and cleaned out regularly. Clean up any pet feces or rotting vegetable matter from around your home, as flies breed in these items.
Fruit Flies
Getting an infestation of fruit flies can be as simple as bringing in a piece of fruit from the grocery store. Getting rid of them can be frustrating.
- Try adding a half a cup of apple cider vinegar to a jar. Cover the jar and poke small holes in the lid.
- Another type of fruit fly trap is made by cutting a two liter bottle in half. Place some red wine or fruit juice in the bottom half and put the top part of the bottle into it upside down. The pouring spout will create a funnel that will allow the fruit flies to go in, but not get out.
Weevils and Pantry Moths
If you keep flour, cornmeal and other baking products around, you may need to control weevils and other pests that get into grain products. Controlling them can be as simple as adding a few bay leaves to your pantry shelves and one to each canister or bag of flour.
Mice and Rodents
One of the easiest ways to control mice is to use either a conventional trap or a live trap. If you do use a live trap, check it daily and release the hostage far from your home so that he doesn't find his way back inside.
There are also organic mouse bait packs that can be placed under stoves and in out of the way places like their conventional counterparts.
Roaches
Roaches are difficult to get rid of, even by conventional means. Before you decide that poison is the only way, check out these options:
- If you have lizards around your home, you may want to encourage them to stay. Lizards eat roaches and some people even allow them to roam freely.
- Baking soda mixed with sugar can be left out in small containers. This upsets the acid balance in the roach's digestive system and kills it.
- Boric acid is toxic and should be kept away from children and pets. However, dusting it in crevices can be very effective in cutting down the roach population.
Commercial Organic Pest Control
Most garden centers carry a variety of organic pest control for kitchens and other household areas. Read the labels carefully, follow the directions and you should have excellent results with these products.
