J and I have a running joke about my tree hugging tendencies. The joke stems from a visit we made to his recruiter and a question I had about trees. Now, it seems as if care of the environment is a new part of his everyday life. We haven't been married long, but since we've been married, I have seen him really grow into environmentalism.
I firmly believe that insects are a major part of our ecosystem. I do my darnest to not kill them, unless they are causing me immediate harm. J and I have a system of removing insects from our home. We either sweep them out, catch them in a cup with a piece of paper and release them or if they are close to the door we allow them to fly or crawl out.
I'm actually proud of J. He's gone from stomping everything in our house to being pretty good about releasing our little visitors. When I tell people we don't kill bugs in our home, they're often taken aback. Why not just smash them? My question is similar. Why smash someone looking to get a meal, cool off, warm up or trying to get back home? Most insects have a pretty good reason for being in a human habitat. Either it's food (crumbs or other insects), comfort from the elements or sometimes they are just plain lost. I honestly don't see a reason to kill the bugs. I keep most of them out to prevent seeing them all together.
I don't have to release many bugs because I prevent them from coming our habitat in the first place. Cleanliness is a must if you don't want those unwanted critters. I dust, mop and sweep often. Also, I make sure I prevent bugs from wanting to enter my home by making my home unappealing to them.
Certain plants, such as rosemary, basil, cilantro, parsley, and mint are major insect and rodent deterrents. These plants all have pungent smells and have done a surprisingly great job keeping those's guests away. Have I mentioned the savings on herbs when we go shopping? Mint mojitos are a real treat!
Again, I spray this to deter the critters from getting in, I'm not trying to kill them.
As a second, barrier in my home, I spray a wonderful spray. It's not raid or anything crazy like that. It's a mixture of herbs that all pests hate. It's pretty human and animal friendly. Just don't lick it.
1 cup of water
2 cayenne peepers chopped
2 cloves of garlic minced
1 lemon peal
Bring everything to a boil. Take off the heat and let it steep for a few hours to a few days. Strain. Pour into spray bottle. This recipe doesn't make much, because I don't need it. However, one taste of it and unwanted visitors get out of your home. I'm not so sure about humans. lol They walk in, get a taste and leave soon after. Most of the time the smell is enough. Don't worry, humans can't really smell the spray. I also sprinkle the dried cayenne pepper from the store at my front door. A little bit should go a long away. Spray where you need it. I spray around entry ways. Avoid light colored fabrics. Keep pets away from this! It's really quiet harmless to larger animals, but it tastes horrible.
Basically, I prevent unwanted guests by deterring them. I'm not going to spray something that kills on instant contact. That just sounds a bit overzealous. Lola, our dog, is a little to curious for her own good. She tends to smell then lick whatever catches her attention. No way in heck am I letting her lick up a commercial product. She's had a few licks of this and was sent straight to her water bowl for sweet relief. Poor Baby. :(
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