Southern Inspirations Garden Design

Having bugs in your home is just plain disgusting. When you do, your first thought is often to run to the store and get the most powerful chemicals they have available to get rid of the pests. You actually don't have to go so far. There are natural insecticides you can use in your home.

You can use natural insecticide recipes that will be much safer for your family and your pets. For example, you can use boric acid as a safe alternative in many cases. For ants, you can mix the boric acid with sugar; then add water. Next, you soak cotton balls in it and put them in bottle caps. Place them where ants have been seen. Boric powder has often been called "roach powder." Get a squeeze bottle of it, or make up your own. Squirt the stuff along floor boards and behind appliances. Put it anywhere you have seen roaches coming from. It is a great natural insecticide for roaches.

For termites, you can mix boric acid with a non-toxic version of antifreeze called propylene glycol. The glycol is good because it helps the boric acid to go into the wood better. This is a natural insecticide for many types of termites.

You can also use boric acid as a natural insecticide to kill silverfish. You mix 20% boric acid with any inert ingredient. Then you place this natural insecticide in areas like your closets and anywhere you have seen silverfish. Often, silverfish are seen in an attic, so this is a good place to put it as well. Boric acid can be used to make a natural insecticide for surfaces where you might find any crawling bugs, too. You have to boil some water, and then dissolve a small amount of boric acid into it. Wipe this onto surfaces. If the surfaces aren't ones you wash often, you won't have to apply it often.

If you have no luck with boric acid, you might try the natural insecticide Diatomaceous Earth. It is made from the fossilized remains of plankton and other tiny sea creatures. It kills by puncturing the insects' hard covering, or exoskeleton. Then, the insect will be dehydrated by this natural insecticide. Diatomaceous Earth works well to eliminate silverfish, moths and roaches. If an animal has brought fleas into your home, this natural insecticide will take care of them, too. It destroys its victims in as little as one day. Or, it could take as long as two weeks.

Natural insecticide products are being made of many substances. Some of these used in homes are made of orange and/or lemon extracts. These work very well on hard-bodied insects such as ants. Many companies are making products that kill roaches and other common household pests. These companies make natural insecticide available in stores and over the internet. The products they sell are often as effective as synthetic chemical products, if not more effective.