Chemical pesticides have potentially harmful effects on one's health and the environment. Here are some alternative solutions for dealing with pest control.
It might be tough to fight the urge to reach for the bug spray the very moment you spot anything with more than two legs crawling in your home, but research suggests that you could be causing serious harm to yourself if you do succumb to the pesticide’s poisonous persuasions.
“Various sources have cited the potentially harmful effects chemical pesticides can have on one’s health. Avoiding these sorts of products is not only the environmentally responsible choice for homeowners, but it is also a prudent health decision,” explains Regional Director and CEO of RE/MAX of Southern Africa, Adrian Goslett.
To help homeowners make more eco-friendly choices, RE/MAX of Southern Africa lists some of the natural ways to deal with pests invading your home:
Pruning for prevention
Once pests enter your home, it becomes trickier to get them out naturally. The best way to avoid having to resort to harmful sprays is to do what you can to keep pests outside where they belong. Make sure to prune all trees and bushes regularly so that no stray branches create a bridge from the outside in. Keeping flowerbeds tidy also reduces the risks of bugs and pests forming nests and breeding in your backyard.
Build a wall of natural repellents
Certain plants act as a natural repellent for pests. Mint, lavender, and basil are excellent examples of such herbs. Place planters filled with these kinds of repellents outside window sills and any other entry points to the home to try and discourage insects from making their way indoors. You could also polish window and door frames with oil extracts from these herbs.
Practice clean habits
As tough as it is to convince yourself to clean the dishes and take out the trash every night before you go to bed, leaving traces of food out in the open overnight is like sending out a mass invitation for pests to come inside. Rearranging linen and food cupboards regularly is another way to prevent pests from forming nests in cosy, untouched hideaway holes in your home.
Buy organic pest control sprays
Sometimes it does not matter how clean or how thorough you were in your prevention measures. Of course, the best solution would be to catch the critter and let it go far away from your home. But, if you do not have the stomach for this, there are various eco-friendly bug sprays available online and in certain stores.
“Pest problems are one of the surest ways of devaluing a property. Not disclosing the problem is also not a way around it as sellers can be held liable if it can be proven that they deliberately concealed this fact from the buyer. If you do have a pest problem in your home, arrange for a professional exterminator to take care of it for you. Hiring the services of a real estate professional – provided you are upfront and honest with them – can also help you market the home correctly so that you do not put yourself at risk of hiding or falsifying information,” Goslett concludes.
