Comments on: How to get Rid of Common Indoor Pests the Frugal and Eco-Friendly Way

By: Kerry

Kerry — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 11:57:13 +0000

Maybe it’s the Borax laundry detergent? Check the ingredients. It might work though.

By: Avigayil Morris

Avigayil Morris — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 17:37:33 +0000

Haha. Ya, not pretty.

A note: if you have pets and are getting an extermination done, see if you can send them off to a friend or family for a few days. We have a wonderful friend of my hubby’s who takes care of our cats when we are on holidays, and for both exterminations she took them. Don’t want to poison your pets!

By: Clare

Clare — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 06:15:00 +0000

@Kerry- Thank you so much for sharing your experience and expertise!

By: Clare

Clare — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 06:14:12 +0000

@Kerry- I’ve gotten Borax from the supermarket (In that pale turquoise packaging). I wonder if it’s a different type of Borax?

By: Clare

Clare — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 06:13:32 +0000

@Avigayil- Ughhh… mice on the bed?

By: Clare

Clare — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 06:12:50 +0000

@Angela- Thanks Angela! I’ve actually seen that in Nepal was I was traveling there. It really works!

By: Clare

Clare — Mon, 23 Jul 2012 06:12:17 +0000

@Dakaki- Sorry you feel that way, but I definitely appreciate your comment and the great tips. Good point about the landlord etc. I was looking at it from a homeowner’s perspective which is obviously not a representative perspective!

By: Clare

Clare — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 03:41:32 +0000

@Nat- Thanks for the great tip- I LOVE lavender! I’ll try that for sure.

By: Clare

Clare — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 03:40:42 +0000

@Katy- Reports have indicated that some pets may find the sound irritating, but that they show indication of this if you turn it on. The ultrasonic device has been on in my house for a while and my dog hasn’t noticed it at all.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:13:45 +0000

Borax is OK if it’s definitely out of the pets’ reach. There are no toxic fumes or dust. It kills bugs because they have different coverings than mammals’s skin.

However, Borax is toxic if eaten, so you may have to ask your pharmacist for it because it’s often behind the counter.

I’d avoid this treatment if you have children but, again, if your pets can’t get at it they’ll be fine.

By: Kerry

Kerry — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 20:07:54 +0000

My husband’s an exterminator specializing in bed bugs. He treats infestations by heating homes to about 135 degrees (no chemicals). The heat kills everything and his clients can keep their furniture. Yes, treatments like this are expensive, but think of the cost of replacing everything you own after you throw it out – especially if the bed bugs come back and you have to throw out your second set of furniture! He’s seen people throw out brand new furniture when an infestation returned after being treated by non-professionals.

The problem with chemical and heat treatments is that they only work if you have a detached home. Otherwise the bugs will keep coming back from attached units. That’s a big problem, especially with apartment buildings.

My best (cheap) advice is:

- Don’t bring home furniture that you find discarded by the road side
- Use an anti-bed bug mattress cover (they don’t always work though)
- Wash and fold your clothes instead of leaving them in piles where bugs can multiply. Keep them in plastic bags after you wash them if you have a severe infestation.
- Wash your sheets frequently
- – Use a home steam cleaner to blast your sofa cushions periodically
Report any problems to your landlord and keep bothering them until they take action. If they don’t respond, contact your local health department.

Most of all, remember that bed bugs affect people from all ethnic and economic classes. My husband treats public housing and private mansions. He keeps telling me that these infestations would be less severe if people acknowledged that they had a problem instead of being embarrassed to get help quickly. Talk to your neighbours. Are they having problems too? If so, work together to find a solution to this problem before it gets out of hand.

By: Avigayil Morris

Avigayil Morris — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 19:52:40 +0000

We had pharaoh ants… found them in our apartment within a month of moving in. The building had to come in and exterminate twice. If the insects are not your fault… as in a pre-existing condition, the building should be responsible for getting rid of them.
I once lived in a basement suite with an infestation of mice. They chewed through everything… including some of my favourite clothing. I found one on the bed once. I ended up moving because we were only catching the babies via traps.

By: Anna Waters

Anna Waters — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 19:39:06 +0000

I sometimes have a problem with fruit flies in the warmer weather. I found a tip online about a little jar or glass with some liquid at the bottom – cider vinegar and a dash of washing up fluid. It works!

By: Katy

Katy — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 17:09:35 +0000

Liked the idea about cinnamon for ants, but checked and cats can be allergic. I am sure that the borax is probably not good for pets too, so I’d add that warning.

Wonder if the ultrasonic device you ordered would also have a negative effect on pets; their hearing is far more sensitive than ours and if it does, as you say, affect mice, it will probably affect dogs and cats.

Thank you Nat for the lavender idea; will try that.

By: Angela

Angela — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 15:42:57 +0000

Actually, I thought the tip about cinnamon and borax was very helpful. Also, you can take a jar, put in honey and water (or another sweet mix), or something savoury (every notice how wasps like to hover around BBQs), then put a lid on it, poke holes in it and set it out away from your picnic area. Wasps, flys will go in and not be able to get out. The also works very well with 2 litre pop bottles.

Here is an excellent site: http://tipnut.com/wasp-trap/

By: Dakaki

Dakaki — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 05:15:30 +0000

This is not a great blog post, especially when related to Bed Bugs. Bed bugs are not simply gotten rid of by Extreme Cold. Bed bugs live in the mattress at times, but they also will live in light switches, wall outlets, and I’ve seen in some cases behind pictures/mirrors if the infestation gets really bad. Due to the spreading nature of bed bugs, don’t mess around. The frugal way is getting an exterminator early so your neighbors don’t get them and your landlord doesn’t start looking to evict.

By: Nat

Nat — Fri, 20 Jul 2012 02:55:25 +0000

We get infested with spiders twice a year, I’m talking 3 per room, replacing their fallen brethren day after day, running around all over the walls and across my duvet as soon as the lights are out. Nightmare stuff. I finally came up with the idea of spraying a natural lavender essential oil air freshener along every edge, corner and vent. I remembered that in some French film (Chocolat?) they had lavender in the window to ward off scorpions. Anyway, from one day to the next the spiders haven’t come back. Amazing. Thought this was a good place to spread the word!