The sight of insects crawling in your kitchen area is distressing. There is a risk of contamination as well as bites. But you have pets and kids, so you are unsure which remedy to apply. Safe DIY remedies for kitchen insects can help you to deal with the menace with minimal risks. You use these products daily for other applications. The products include salt, herbs, essential oils, and food-grade diatoms. They can keep off flies, moths, ants, cockroaches, and mites from your kitchen.
Safe DIY Remedies For Kitchen Insects;
1. Salt
We use table salt to season our dishes. Besides the seasoning bit, there are other uses for salt. You can use the chemical to scrub your oven, disinfect and chase away insects. Salt even kills pests. Try it on slimy slugs that invade your kitchen, and watch them melt to death! Besides, insects don’t love the salt taste. Dissolve a tablespoon or two in half a liter of water. Spray the solution on surfaces such as countertops and the floor of your house. The insects will die and also, and the smell and taste will eradicate the insects from your home.
2. Bay Leaves
Bay leaves have a pungent smell when fresh and dry. Though the smell is a secret to many delicious meals, it repels insects. Try bay leaves in your kitchen cabinets and pantry. Place the leaves on top of storage containers or in a bowl inside the cabinet. Moths, ants, and roaches will go away.
3. Hot Pepper/Cayenne Spray
If you didn’t know, cayenne and other types of hot pepper are Safe DIY Remedies For Kitchen Insects. The pepper has capsaicin which irritates soft-body insects. The extract is easy to make as you can use the ground cayenne pepper alongside refined paraffin wax. Once you mix, spray directly on the insects. You can also reach out to corners in your kitchen.
The solution will not spare flies and spiders. Also, you can use hot pepper spray in your garden to kill or keep away armyworms, mites, loopers, and aphids. These are the same bugs that find their way into your kitchen during the dry season.
When spraying cayenne, beware of the irritating capsaicin. It can harm your eyes or get in contact with open foods that don’t go along with pepper. Hot pepper milk, coffee, or honey are not a delicacy. Also, the hot pepper can make your kids and pets scream all day, but they won’t die!
4. Essential Oils
There are many essential oils that you can get to keep off bugs in your home, more so in your kitchen. The oils mix well with water, including lemongrass, citronella, lavender, and citrus. Peppermint, tea tree and catnip are essential oils in stores near you.
Some people also prefer CBD oils to keep insects at bay. All these oils make anti-bug potions to kill and repel insects. A cup of water with 30 drops of oil will do the magic and leave your kitchen smelling lovely. Spray the mixture in the crevices. Also, don’t leave out corners after the daily cleaning routine of your kitchen.
5. Basil
Basil is a common herb you won’t miss in your grocery store, at least if not in your garden. Besides its fragrant and tasty properties, basil is an insect repellant. It is on the list of Safe DIY Remedies For Kitchen Insects. Spraying a concoction of this herb helps, but why don’t you plant the herb in a pot to help you control pest control and keep your culinary art top?
6. Rosemary
Suppose you have insomnia, drink rosemary infusion! The herb is a natural sleep therapy. That’s probably why it will not let insects like mosquitoes and flies buzz around. These tiny terrorists find the rosemary smell quite irritating. They run away from the smell. Plant rosemary hedges around your kitchen and keep most insects away.
7. Vinegar
With dozens of uses, vinegar has become a Mr. fix in many homes. The uses include cleaning, cooking, disinfecting, weed control, weight loss, beauty, and more. The acidic properties kill insects in minutes. You can use both apple cider and white vinegar to spray over the insects or their contact areas. Dilute a cup of vinegar with two cups of water and spray on your kitchen floor and other surfaces.
8. Borax Powder
Borax is among the safe DIY remedies for kitchen insects because it is not toxic to humans. Also, it doesn’t harm your pets. The powder works by drying the insects’ exoskeletal organs. When you sprinkle the powder on your counters and cabinets, the insects crawl over it and die. Though borax is not toxic to humans, it is always safe to avoid much contact. Please do not leave the powder on surfaces your kids and pets can reach and ingest.
9. Lemon Spray
Lemon disinfects and cures! But the smell and taste are poison to those ugly insects that are causing your mind to blow. Squeeze fresh lemon juice in a cup and mix with water. Pour a bottle and spray the mixture on your counters, cabinets, walls, and floor. You can spray over the insects. The little things will die or creep away from the treated area.
10. Cinnamon
The secret to your white or black tea is cinnamon. The herb has a strong scent that is not sweet to insects like flies, ants, and roaches. Use cinnamon in powder form by sprinkling it on your countertops. Also, insert it in crevices, and place it under-sink cabinets where the bugs live.
11. Garlic Spray
This old-age herb has high sulfur content, which acts as an anti-inflammatory. The strong component, which also has an odor, kills insects. Though garlic spices up some foods, the smell and taste are disgusting. A solution from a few crushed garlic cloves and water will kill ants and other crawlers. Even the flies will stay away, but you may have to endure the nasty smell for a while! Like the rosemary, basil, and mint, you can plant a few cloves in a pot to keep insects away from your doorstep.
12. Coffee Grounds
After making a cup of coffee, don’t discard those coffee grounds. They are still valuable. The uses range from making organic fertilizer to keeping critters away. You do not need further preparation. Spread the coffee grounds on the insect path and nest. The pungent smell will drive out the crawlers.
13. Food-grade Diatom
Food-grade diatoms come from a natural substance, diatomaceous earth. So, it is among the safe DIY remedies for kitchen insects. The uses range from purifying water to skin detoxification. There are other uses. Diatomaceous earth is an insect killer as it dries the external skin. The soft-body insects die instantly. Diaton is not toxic to humans, but you must use one with a food-grade label.
Final Thoughts
Whichever route you take to keep off insects from your kitchen, you must remember safety. You have the list of 13 Safe DIY remedies for kitchen insects. Do not wait until the bugs invade your home; prevention is better than cure.
Above all, keep your kitchen floor, cabinets, and countertop clean. Your pantry must always be clean, plus store all your dry foods in airtight containers. Remember to fix any cracks in the walls or windows to prevent insects from entering your house. Stay safe!
