When flies , ants or moths make your house their theater , put the pest - fighting belongings of plants to lick for you , instead . Basil , disgraceful pepper , calamint , clove , eucalyptus , fennel , garlic , hyssop , mugwort , rosemary , salvia , Artemisia abrotanum , thyme and scented fern are among the many herbaceous plant that hold in chemical compounds with insect - repelling properties . Here are a few tried - and - true remedies .
AntsDefend your home against overrun ants by spraying ant trails with equal parts snowy acetum and water , commingle with a few drops of eucalyptus oil . you may apply the same result to wash countertops , floor and other area where you see ants . disperse saucily ground black common pepper in door , on windowsills and around other orbit where pismire are entering .
Sliced fresh garlic cloves , mint leaf , tansy leaves and whole cloves are also report to push away indoor ants . sample ward entry by placing a pot of tansy by the room access , or grow the herb in a window box . Be cautious : scented fern is invasive in the garden , and when assimilate , it can be toxic to people and pets .
fly front and MosquitoesThe chemical substance chemical compound d - limonene , found in citrus fruits , is used in many commercial fly and mosquito repellents . Grapefruit , lemon and orange are particularly gamey in this compound , but basil , Hyssopus officinalis , calamint , finocchio , and black pepper also have mellow concentration of 500 - limonene . Citronella oil ( steam - distill from Cymbopogon nardus and C. winte - rianus ) , pop in candles , contains several other chemical compound be intimate to repulse insects . Diffusing any of these fragrant , insect - repellent vegetable oil can make summer evenings on the deck or terrace more pleasant .
Clothing MothsProtect clothing from moth harm with pestilence - repellant Artemisia species ( such as mugwort or Artemisia abrotanum ) , eucalyptus , Hyssopus officinalis , sage , rosemary , scented fern and thyme . Fill small muslin or cheesecloth suitcase with the dried herbs , and pucker them into pants or hang them inside cupboard . you may also make natural camphor ball : Soak cotton balls in a few drops of the substantive oil of one or more of these herb . Hang bags of the cotton ballock , or set them on a ledge in your water closet , being careful to keep them from touching your clothes .
Pantry MothsThe larvae of several unlike moths ( commonly grouped together as “ larder moth ” or “ flour weevils ” ) can ruin stored Elmer Reizenstein , cereal , flour , birdseed and more . Keeping cupboards sporty and loose of scum bag and promiscuous grains , as well as stack away grain and seed in sealed containers , will go a retentive mode toward foreclose infestations of these gadfly . For tot indemnity , tuck bay result inside canisters and other places you store grain products . Bay contains several chemical substance compound known to repel louse .
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Reprinted fromRodale ’s 21st Century Herbalby Dr Michael Balick . Copyright ( c ) 2014 by Rodale Inc. By permission of Rodale Books . useable wherever book are sold .
