Pesticides is the term used for any substance that kill what we consider pests. These include herbicides to kill plants, insecticides, fungicides, and rodenticides.  Pesticides are designed to kill life.  This can make them toxic at some level for us as well. Therefore, it is best to avoid using them whenever possible. A great help is to practice preventative measures including:

• Keeping your home clean
• Storing food in sealed glass or tin containers.
• Installing screens on your windows.
• Storing firewood outside
• Keeping your home in good repair.
• Hanging a fake hornets nest on the house or under the deck to discourage wasps/hornets
• Gardening using organic methods.

Sometimes, however, you will have to deal with ants, mice, fruit flies, or outside, wasps, for example. There are several simple, non-toxic ways to rid your home of these pests.

• If you know where ants are entering, sprinkle cayenne pepper across the point of entry. This will stop ants from entering your home.
• If you can’t tell where ants are entering, put a little pile of baking soda mixed with icing sugar where you have seen ants.  This will eventually eliminate the ants when they take it back to the nest.
• There are many simple ant traps you can make using cider vinegar or wine for example. You can also easily vacuum up the flies.
• Set up a spring or live trap line for mice in the spring and the fall using peanut butter as bait.