Summer’s warm weather brings not just sunshine but also lots of bugs.
These critters are important for nature, but we don’t want them in our homes.
Luckily, you can keep them away without using strong chemicals. Your kitchen has natural things that bugs don’t like.
@mama_mila_ on tiktok shared this with us:
So, according to her, here are 5 top tips on how you can use everyday kitchen stuff to keep bugs away.
1) Use Peppermint to Make Your Home Smell Nice and Keep Bugs Away
Peppermint oil is a natural bug repellent that’s been around for a long time.
Adding a few drops of peppermint oil to your mop water is a safe and effective way to deter a variety of creepy crawlies from entering your home.
The minty scent freshens up your floors while leaving behind a faint aroma that discourages spiders, roaches, ants, ticks, flies, and more.
Not only will your home smell invigorating and clean, but you’ll also be creating a natural bug barrier that keeps these unwanted guests at bay.
2) Don’t Forget to Clean Under the Fridge
Ever wonder why you see roaches and ants scurry out from under the fridge sometimes?
It’s because that forgotten crumb or spilled juice becomes a yummy feast for them.
These little bugs can smell leftover food from miles away, and underneath your fridge is a prime location for them to hide and have a snack.
By cleaning under the fridge regularly, you’ll get rid of their food source and make your kitchen a lot less attractive to these unwanted visitors.
3) Make Moth-Repelling Pouches with Spices
Moths love to munch on clothes, especially things made from wool or fur.
To protect your favorite sweaters and scarves, you can make little sachets filled with bay leaves and cloves.
Bay leaves are those flat, leafy things you might use in soups or stews. Cloves are those small, brown bumpy things that look like tiny nails.
Put a few of each in a small bag made from cloth or even an old sock. Then tie the top closed with a string or ribbon, and hang the sachet in your closet or anywhere you store clothes.
The strong smell of the bay leaves and cloves will keep moths away from your clothes.
4) Cinnamon: A Sweet Aroma, a Bitter Repellent
Ants have a sweet tooth and can’t resist sugary treats. But the smell of cinnamon is like kryptonite to them!
For an ant invasion, grab some cinnamon oil and put a few drops on cotton balls. Scatter these cotton balls near doors, windows, and other places where you’ve seen ants coming in.
The strong scent of cinnamon will act as a natural barrier, repelling the ants and stopping them from entering your home.
Here’s another way to use cinnamon to keep ants at bay: instead of cotton balls, use cinnamon sticks.
These handy sticks not only smell good but also look nice. Place a few cinnamon sticks near entry points or anywhere you’ve seen ant trails.
The ants will get a whiff of that cinnamon scent and head in the other direction.
Remember to replace the cotton balls and cinnamon sticks every few weeks, as the scent will weaken over time.
5) Trap Fruit Flies with Apple Cider Vinegar
Fruit flies are tiny gnat-like insects that love hanging around ripe fruits.
They can be a real nuisance, especially when they start buzzing around your kitchen. To create a fruit fly trap, find a small bowl or cup.
Pour in a little apple cider vinegar, which has a sweet smell that attracts fruit flies. Then add a drop or two of dish soap.
The dish soap breaks the surface tension of the vinegar, making it like quicksand for the flies. They’ll be drawn in by the vinegar’s scent, but once they land on the surface, they won’t be able to escape the soapy water.
Place the trap near your fruit bowl or anywhere you’ve seen fruit flies, and watch them get caught!
Empty the trap and replace the mixture every few days, or more often if it gets full of flies.
Bugs are important outside, but most people don’t want them inside.
By using things like peppermint, cinnamon, and apple cider vinegar from your kitchen, you can keep your home bug-free in a safe and easy way.
These tricks are kind to nature and your wallet.