If you were born before the year 2,000, you have had plenty of exposure to unhealthy chemicals ranging from over the counter sprays to giant mosquito trucks indiscriminately blasting as they drive. The old mindset of finding the harshest chemical to do the most damage to unwanted creatures needs updated to include natural pest control methods.

The Rise of Natural Pest Control: A Healthier Approach

It hasn’t happened over night, but natural pest control and its associated methods is on the rise. Not only his this a much healthier approach for people, but it is safer and healthier for your pets too. To really put the icing on the celebratory cake of natural pest control, it is better for the environment too. Most amazingly, natural pest control methods tend to be more effective than harsh chemicals when chosen wisely.

Essential oils for natural pest control methods

Essential Oils have been in use for pest control for decades. If they were so effective, why haven’t they taken over? The basic answer is that essential oils cannot be a magic cure all solution. They have their place in effective pest control, but benefit from combinations with other strategic efforts to maximize their efficacy. Here are a few key examples.

• Citronella – great at repelling mosquitoes. Combine it with eliminating water sources that mosquitoes use to breed.
• Peppermint – its strong oder blocks pheromone trails of insects such as ants and masks clear paths to food sources. Mix this with food source reduction and you have a winning combo.
• Clove – wasps show an aversion to clove. Reduce the prey that wasps feed on and clove can help deter even more of them..

Herbal Remedies

Herbs such as garlic, basil, and flowers like marigolds all have properties that can deter pests from entering certain areas or reduce their populations. Herbal remedies are similar to essential oils in their need for multi-faceted control efforts.

The benefit that herbal remedies have over essential oils is you can plant and grow them in specific areas to provide assistance in the pest control efforts. This gives them a much longer useful life than an oil which may needs reapplication as frequently as daily or after a few hours.

DIY Traps

Traps are fantastic pest control equipment that are typically reusable. Keep in mind that not all traps are equal. It is worth a laugh whenever you hear the philosophical comments about building a better mouse trap. When you get in and look, there are loads of improvements continually coming out in mouse traps. These range from better bait containers to making them easier to clean.

If you have a specific pest you want to tackle, always start with researching traps. Read the pros and cons of the trap for that pest in general and then find out which specific traps are most effective and user friendly. Here are a few helpful tips on common pests.

Mouse traps are a natural pest control method

Snap traps are the simplest and easiest to use for most situations. Ensure the trigger is in the path that a mouse would follow along a wall. You want the mouse to be able to enter from either side. Use a bait that is similar to foods the mice typically eat in the area.

Ant traps

Ant traps is a misnomer that should be ant bait stations. When you consider that ants may number in the hundreds of thousands, those tiny discs aren’t going to remove a colony. This is especially true since only a small percentage of ants venture out of the colony. Since they are bait that the ants carry back to the colony, you may have to try a few different types before they will accept one. Ant feeding preferences change frequently.

Moth traps

These traps are based on different pheromones that attract moths. These can be helpful in managing adults, but will not be able to eliminate the larva which will be feeding at the source. Combine moth traps with source food reduction for the win.

Japanese beetle traps

These traps are very effective at collecting beetles. Seeing the bags fill up can be extremely rewarding. The problem is they do not reduce the damage done to trees and only potentially reduce the population for the next cycle. The population reduction is only a potential and not a proven element. Manual removal, direct treatment, or systemic treatments are most effective.

Mole traps

There are many different kinds of mole traps. Whatever kind you use, combine it with an understanding of how a mole moves through the ground. Dig into a mole’s tunnel and you will find out that the peak of the tunnel lies just to the side of the actual tunnel. Moles dig and move through the ground at an angle. Set the trap where it will target frequent traffic areas without interfering with the void of the tunnel.

Organic Pest Control Products

Organic pest control can vary from being a specific agricultural certification to a catch-all for a holistic approach to pest control which may include:

• Biological Pesticides – these include bacteria, fungi, nematodes and viruses that attack the target pest. Some products such as Bt (bacillus thuringiensis) target a narrow range of pests. Others such as Beauveria bassiana target one specific pest (bed bugs).
• Organic Pesticides – is anything that is not synthetic such as essential oils, herbs, diatomaceous earth, neem oil, and pyrethrins. Some of these are more effective than others. Also, keep in mind that just because it is natural, does not mean that it is safer than alternatives (see the Natural-is-better Bias).
• Predation – introducing natural predators to control certain insects can be a way to achieve both control and better diversity. The Rove beetle is a frequent addition to gardens.
• Preventive measures – changing the conditions to be less conducive to pest activity is a control method that should be a standard combination. This can include sealing food in pest-proof containers, changing the lighting to reduce flying insect attraction and subsequently spiders, minimizing moisture collection, etc.

Integrating natural pest control methods with Professional Pest Control

The most important thing to know is that a professional pest control company should be integrating natural control methods with their professional service already. A company like Rove Pest Control seeks the optimal balance among available effective tools. Each individual has different goals and needs to consider. If you want to learn what you can do in your specific situation, our experts are just a phone call away.