By Theresa Ficazzola
Summer is in full swing. That means you’re spending a lot of time outside with your family and friends. Whether you’re grilling, picnicking, eating outside or not, it’s always a good idea to keep an eye out for pesky insects that can derail your fun.
Ants, bees, wasps, flies, mosquitos, and moths can make any outdoor activity uncomfortable and using harmful chemicals on your body and in the air you breath, especially when there’s food around, is not a good idea. So, what can you do to keep bugs away? Try these natural remedies:
- Set up your eating and lounging space in a separate area from a flowering or vegetable garden. This should keep bees and wasps focused on your flowers and plants, not you and your food.
- Create artificial wind by installing a ceiling fan on your porch or setting up oscillating fans near your seating area. The breeze will push flying insects away, as their tiny wings can’t compete with the heavier breeze of the fans.
- Burn citronella or other candles, or light a fire pit, as most bugs do not enjoy the smoke.
- Thoroughly clean your outdoor dining area after a barbecue or any outdoor snacks or meals. Even the tinniest of crumbs are a meal for insects, particularly ants.
- Don’t leave outdoor food exposed or unattended for long periods of time.
- If you have outdoor lights near your doors, shut off the lights for a while before entering or exiting your home to limit the number of nighttime bugs, like moths, mosquitos, and lightning bugs, that can sneak into your house once the door is opened.
- Ensure there is no standing water near your home, as it will attract wasps and is a breeding ground for mosquitos.
- When hiking or spending a lot of time outdoors, even in your own backyard, use a chemical free insect repellant. Then thoroughly check your shoes and clothes before returning home to ensure that no insects, particularly stubborn ones like ticks, don’t invade your home.
- If you have a dog or cat who goes outside, make sure they are bug free, as well. Aside from checking their fur, ensure they take heartworm and flea/tick medication to reduce their chances of getting sick.
Natural Hacks to Deter Bugs
Rather than use bug spray that contains harmful, toxic chemicals to deter bugs, try some of these natural hacks, either inside or outside your home:
- Place small pieces of aluminum foil around your outdoor plants to keep light sensitive bugs from eating them.
- Sprinkle either salt, lemon juice or baby powder around windows and near doorways. Ants hate to walk on salt or cross a line of lemon juice, and they dislike the smell of baby powder. Imagine that!
- Cut up banana peels and mix in your garden’s soil to keep ants and aphids away.
- Place a small bowl of white vinegar and dish detergent on your counter to trap fruit flies.
- Scatter broken eggshells around your vegetable or flower garden to keep slugs away—deer too!
- Sprinkle coffee grounds or a combination of the grounds with orange peel in your garden to keep bugs at bay (they don’t like the smell).
- Rub a citrus peel from an orange or lemon along window sills or corners of a room to deter spiders.
Essential Oils Also Keep Bugs Away
There are many natural insect repellants available today. However, another less well-known option are essential oils, the smells of which, are not pleasing to most insects. These include:
- Peppermint oil
- Lemon eucalyptus oil
- Lavender oil
- Cinnamon
- Citronella oil
- Tea tree oil
- Sweet orange oil
Help Protect the Planet, Too
Now that you’ve protected yourself and your family from summer’s insects, you can help protect our planet by limiting your use of fossil fuels. One of the easiest ways to accomplish this is by installing solar panels on your home in New York or New Jersey. To see if your home qualifies for solar, contact SI Solar today for a no obligation consultation.
