
          [tt-forum] Fwd: Pest Control
     Date: 
          Fri, 11 Jun 1999 19:13:25 -0000
    From: 
          pmalchak

>Pest Control                                                
>
>    Helpful predators around the home include frogs,        
>spiders, ladybugs, praying mantis, and dragonflies.         
>Keeping these beneficial creatures around can help you      
>reduce pest populations.                                    
>
>Ants                                                        
>
>    Vinegar. Wash countertops, cabinets, and floor with     
>equal pans vinegar and water to deter ant infestations.     
>
>    Flour and Borax*. Mix 1 cup flour and 2 cups borax in   
>a quart jar. Punch holes in the jar lid. Sprinkle the       
>contents around the house foundation. Keep borax out of     
>the reach of children and pets.                             
>
>    Bonemeal or powdered charcoal or lemon. Set up          
>barriers where ants are entering. They will generally not   
>cross lines of bonemeal or powdered charcoal. If you can    
>find a hole where ants are entering the house, squeeze the  
>juice of a lemon in the hole or crack. Then slice up the    
>lemon and put the peeling all around the entrance.          
>
>    Pennyroyal*, Spearmint, Southernwood, and Tansy.        
>Growing these plants around the border of your home will    
>deter ants and the aphids they carry.                       
>
>
>Fleas                                                       
>
>    Vacuum. Vacuum, remove the vacuum bag, seal it, and     
>dispose of it immediately outside your home.                
>
>    Vinegar. A ratio of 1 teaspoon vinegar to 1 quart       
>water (per 40 pounds of pet weight) in their drinking       
>water helps to keep your pets free of fleas and ticks.      
>
>    Fennel, Rosemary, Red Cedar Shavings*, Sassafras*,      
>Eucalyptus*, or Pennyroyal*. Spread leaves or shavings of   
>these plants under and around the pet's bed.                
>
>
>Flies                                                       
>
>    Prevention: Keep kitchen garbage tightly closed.        
>Sprinkle dry soap or borax into garbage cans after they've  
>been washed and allowed to dry; it acts as a repellent.     
>
>    Orange. Scratch the skin of an orange and leave it      
>out; the citrus acts as a repellent.                        
>
> Cloves. Hang clusters of cloves to repel flies.         
>
>   Mint or Basil. Mint planted around the home repels      
>flies. A pot of basil set on the windowsill or table helps  
>to repel fleas. Keep basil well-watered from the bottom so  
>that it produces a stronger scent. Dried ground leaves      
>left in small bowls or hung in muslin bags are also         
>effective.                                                  
>
>  Sugar and Corn Syrup. Make your own fly paper by        
>boiling sugar, corn syrup, and water together. Place        
>mixture onto brown paper and hang or set out.               
>
>Mice                                                        
>
>    Mashed potato powder or buds. Place instant mashed      
>potato powder or buds in strategic places with a dish of    
>water close by. After eating the powder or buds mice will   
>need water. This causes fatal bloating.                     
>
>
>Moles                                                       
>
>     Castor Oil* and Liquid Detergent. Whip together 1      
>tablespoon castor oil and 2 tablespoons liquid detergent    
>in a blender until the mixture is like shaving cream. Add   
>6 tablespoons water and whip again. Keep this mixture out   
>of the reach of your children and pets. Take a garden       
>sprinkling can and fill with warm water. Add 2              
>tablespoons of the oil mixture and stir. Sprinkle           
>immediately over the areas of greatest mole infestation.    
>For best results, apply after a rain or thorough watering.  
>If moles are drawn to your lawn because of the grubs        
>feeding in the soil, you may be able to rid yourself of     
>both pests by spreading milky spore disease to kill the     
>grubs.                                                      
>
>
>Mosquitoes                                                  
>
>    Prevention. Encourage natural predators such as         
>dragonflies or praying mantises. Eliminate pools of         
>stagnant water. Avoid wearing perfume, bright colors,       
>flowery prints, and bright jewelry as these items attract   
>mosquitoes.                                                 
>
>   Citronella, Tansy or Basil. Plant citronella, tansy or basil around the 
patio   
>and house to repel mosquitoes.                              
>
>
>Moths                                                       
>
>    If you can see moths, these aren't the ones to worry    
>about. Moths that cause damage to clothes are too small     
>to notice. It is the larvae of these moths that eat         
>fabric. Prevention. Store items in a clean condition; moth  
>larvae especially like areas soiled with food stains.       
>
>    Rosemary, Mint, Thyme, Cloves, and Ginseng (optional).  
>Chicago area weavers and spinners use 1/2 pound rosemary,   
>1/2 pound mint, 1/4 pound thyme, 1/4 pound ginseng          
>(optional), and 2 tablespoons cloves. Mix and put in        
>cheesecloth bags and place in closets or drawers.           
>
>    Dried Lavender or Rosemary and Mint. Make sachets of    
>dried lavender or equal portions of rosemary and mint.      
>Place in closets, drawers, or closed containers to          
>mothproof garments.                                         
>
>    Rosemary, Sage, Mint, Dried Lemon Peel, and Cinnamon.   
>Mix handfuls of first three ingredients. Add a little       
>lemon peel and a pinch of cinnamon. Place in muslin bags.   
>
>   Molasses, Vinegar, and Yellow Container. To trap       
>moths, mix 1 pan molasses with 2 pans vinegar and place in  
>a yellow container to attract moths. Clean regularly.       
>
>    Clothes Dryer. Kill moth eggs by running garment        
>through a warm dryer.                                       
>
>Roaches                                                     
>
>    Prevention. Close off all gaps around pipes and         
>electric lines where they enter the house by using cement   
>or screening. Caulk small cracks along baseboards, walls,   
>cupboards, and around pipes, sinks, and bathtub fixtures.   
>Seal food tightly. Rinse food off dishes that are left      
>overnight. Do not leave pet food out overnight.             
>
>    Hedge Apples (Osage Orange). Cut hedge apples in half   
>and place several in the basement, around in cabinets, or   
>under the house to repel roaches.                           
>
>    Flour, Cocoa Powder, and Borax*. Mix together 2         
>tablespoons flour, 4 tablespoons borax, and 1 tablespoon    
>cocoa. Set the mixture out in dishes. CAUTION: Borax is     
>toxic if eaten. Keep out of reach of children and pets.     
>
>    Borax* and Flour. Mix 1/2 cup borax and 1/4 cup flour   
>and fill a glass jar. Punch small holes in jar lid.         
>Sprinkle powder along baseboards and doorsills. Caution:    
>Borax is toxic if eaten. This recipe may not be for you     
>if there are young children or pets in the house.           
>
>    Oatmeal, Flour, and Plaster of Paris. Mix equal pans    
>and set in dishes. Keep out of reach of children and pets.  
>
>    Baking Soda and Powdered Sugar. Mix equal pans and      
>spread around infested area.                                
>
>Slugs And Snails                                            
>
>    Natural Predators. Gardener snakes, grass snakes,       
>ground beetles, box turtles, salamanders, ducks, and        
>larvae of lightning bugs all feed on snails.                
>
>    Clay Pots. Place overturned clay flower pots near the   
>shady side of a plant. Rest one edge on a small twig or     
>make sure that the ground is irregular enough for the       
>slugs and snails to crawl under the rim. They will collect  
>there during the warmest pan of the day. Remove slugs and   
>snails regularly and drop in a bucket of soapy water.       
>
>    Sand, Lime, or Ashes. Snails avoid protective borders   
>of sand, lime, or ashes.                                    
>
>    Tin Can. Protect young plants by encircling them with   
>a tin can with both ends removed. Push the bottom end of    
>the can into the soil. 
>
>http://www.millennium-ark.net                                     
>
 
