Tag
What natural and non-toxic pest remedies can and can’t do, according to the evidence.
Fall invaders · Get Rid of Pests
Vacuum or wipe them up with a damp cloth without crushing them, seal cracks around sunny windows, and keep a 3-foot strip of bare soil at the foundation. About $5 in caulk, no sprays indoors.
Flies & gnats · Get Rid of Pests
Remove what they breed in (ripe produce, unrinsed recycling, a sour mop, a dirty drain), then catch the rest in a jar of $1.29 cider vinegar with a drop of dish soap. No spray or exterminator needed.
Flies & gnats · Get Rid of Pests
Let the top 1–2 inches of soil dry, catch adults on yellow sticky cards and water in Bti every 5–7 days for about 3 weeks. Supplies cost about $25.
Fall invaders · Get Rid of Pests
Vacuum them into a knee-high stocking instead of crushing them, then seal the cracks they use before they fly to the house next fall. Indoor sprays don’t help. Supplies run about $15.
Stink bugs · Get Rid of Pests
Vacuum them or knock them into soapy water, set a lamp-and-soapy-pan trap at night, and seal outside cracks before late summer. Indoor sprays don’t help. Supplies run about $11–16.
Flies & gnats · Get Rid of Pests
Identify the gnat, then remove what it breeds in: ripe fruit, wet potting soil or a slimy drain. A $1.29 vinegar trap and $4.97 sticky cards catch the rest; sprays rarely help.
Pantry moths · Get Rid of Pests
Moths in the pantry? Find the infested food, throw it out or freeze it, vacuum and wash the shelves, and move dry goods into sealed jars. About $26 in supplies, no sprays.
