Self Help

Ants: Whenever those pesky ants start marching on the counter, wipe the counter down with undiluted white vinegar. To prevent ants from coming in the house, or getting into cupboards, sprinkle dried mint or red pepper where they are entering the house and in the cupboards. To get rid of anthills, pour 3 gallons of boiling water down them. This is best done when the ants are active and near the surface. Do not do this close to flowers or they will die, too.

Another way to kill ants is to mix a combination of 50 percent borax and 50 percent confectioner’s sugar. Place this on cardboard or a piece of board near the ant hill. The ants are attracted by the sugar and carry the fatal borax/sugar combination back to the nest to feed the queen and other ants. Soon all are dead. A note of caution: Do not place this where children or pets may ingest this mixture. Borax is sold in the laundry aisle at the grocery-store as a laundry additive, not as a pesticide.

Cockroaches: To keep cockroaches out of the cupboards, place some bay leaves on the shelves. Kill cockroaches with a mixture of 1/3 borax, 1/3 cornmeal, 1/3 flour and a dash of powdered sugar. Sprinkle this in crevices under sinks and vanities where cockroaches love to
hide. Remember, keep this away from children and animals.

You can also try this formula for cockroaches: Mix powdered boric acid with sugar and powdered nondairy creamer. I use a mixture of 50 percent boric acid to 25 percent each sugar and creamer. This is inexpensive and relatively safe, but it should be kept away from children and pets. Sprinkle the mixture in all the dark, warm places that cockroaches love - under sinks and stoves, behind refrigerators, in cabinets and closets, and so on. The roaches will walk through the powder they ingest the powder they die.

Insect Repellent: When using insect sprays, especially those containing DEET, try spraying clothes instead of skin - it’s much safer, especially for children. Or Try Vinegar. A wonderful substitute for insect repellent is white vinegar. Apply it to the skin with a cotton ball, applying liberally. Bugs hate the way you taste and the smell of the vinegar disappears once it dries. Great for kids!

Aphids & Spiders on Your Plants: Wash off the plant with a mild solution of dishwashing liquid and water. Try a ratio of 1/4 teaspoon dishwashing liquid to 1 quart water. Flush leaves, including undersides, with the solution. Do not rinse off.