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Ants

There are over 12,000 named species of ants and at least double that many that remain to be discovered. And while we may not like them inside our house, ants serve a number of useful functions. Ants are agriculturally important in various parts of the world. 

Here are 3 ways ants can help you:

1) Similar to earthworms, ants do a great job in creating healthy soil. Their tireless tunnel digging aerates and turns over tremendous amounts of dirt, bringing nutrients closer to the surface, and making it possible for rainwater to more completely hydrate the soil. Ants mix different layers and add nutrients, etc. Now a researcher from Arizona State University, Dr. Ronald Dorn, has found that ants are enhancing the breakdown of certain minerals and the movement of carbon dioxide into calcium carbonate (limestone). See this link. The bottom line: ants might be helping to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere.

2) One of the most easily observed and important roles that ants play is to sow seeds. Seed-harvesting ants aid significantly in the dispersal, survival and germination rate of seeds. Ants do this by transporting them to new habitats and storing them in nests that are high in nutrients. In doing so, the newly dispersed seeds can sprout in an environment conducive to growth, protected from both seed predators and drought. This is one reason why many plants, including flowering plants across the country, are able to thrive in the wild. This ant-plant relationship is so symbiotic that many plants wait to bloom or bear fruit until ants become highly active early in the year.

3) Ants are excellent natural exterminators. Many ants will feed on the eggs and larvae of troublesome insects like flies, fleas, silverfish, bed bugs and disease-carrying cockroaches. They also attack their number one enemy—termites. A good way to keep bothersome insects from taking over your yard is to encourage the colonization of ants around the perimeter of your yard. Having a variety of ant species in your yard says that the overall environment of your yard’s ecosystem is in good shape. Ants and other insects provide a good balance.

Here is an article about how ants are just as effective as chemical pesticides for protecting orchards in The Daily Beast, based on research reported in the Journal of Applied Ecology.

So unless ants are entering your home, consider allowing them to preform their important ecological functions in your yard or garden.

  • Use natural ant repellents.
  • Do not use ant bait, or poison sprays like Raid that continue in the toxic waste stream from their point of manufacture to their ultimate destination in landfills or via runoff or sewage into our waterways and oceans.
  • Planting mint around the foundation of the house
  • Vinegar. Clean surfaces in your home with a half-and-half solution of white distilled vinegar and water. As an added bonus, this is a great mixture to use for cleaning in general, replacing detergents which have polluting phosphorus. Vinegar works because ants hate its smell, and the vinegar removes the scent trails they use to get around.
  • Lemon Juice. Just like vinegar, lemon juice also seems to destroy those scent trails that ants follow. Try spraying lemon juice around the places you think ants are using for entryways.
  • Peppermint Oil. Clean off your surfaces really well, and then wipe them down with a clean damp cloth that has a few drops of essential peppermint oil on it. 
  • Spices and Herbs. Place in entryways – cinnamon powder or stick , peppermint leaves, cloves, paprika. Place bay leaves in entryways , cabinets, drawers and containers. Place cloves of garlic around indoor and outdoor ant pathways.
  • Coffee Grounds. Sprinkle your used coffee grounds in the garden and around the outside of your house. If you can locate exactly where the ants are getting in, be sure to put some there. You should see them move away from your home because they dislike the smell of coffee grounds.
  • Essential Oils. When a forager goes out and discovers food, it marks the path from the food to the nest using a pheromone trail. Other ants, who smell with their antennae, then follow the path. Certain botanical scents interfere with these scent trails  – here are a few of the most effective ones:
    a) Peppermint Essential Oil. Not only does this one work, it smells great! To use: Place a few drops on a cotton ball and wipe on baseboards and other entry points. You can also leave a peppermint-infused cotton ball in cabinets and other areas as needed. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone, or see below for how to use it as a spray.b) Tea Tree Essential OilTea tree is a great all-purpose oil to have around. I use it as a disinfectant in homemade cleaners and a general antiseptic.c) Lemon Or Orange Essential OilCitrus oils contain d-limonene, which is toxic to ants. It also masks their scent trails. (Orange, lemon and grapefruit essential oils all contain d-limonene)To use: Place a few drops on a cotton ball and wipe on baseboards and other entry points. You can also leave a citrus-infused cotton ball in cabinets and other areas as needed. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone, or see below for how to use it as a spray.
  • Chalk and Baby Powder. Try drawing a line of chalk or sprinkle baby powder across the spot where the ants are entering your home. It works because talcum powder, an ingredient in both chalk and baby powder, is a natural ant repellent.
  • Cucumber and Citrus Peels. You can repel ants by leaving these peelings in areas of known ant activity. That’s because cucumber and citrus peels are toxic to the types of fungi that ants feed on, so they don’t want to go anywhere near them.
  • Ant Away Spray:1/4 cup purified water
    • 1/4 cup vodka (Used to help suspend the oil in the water. If you don’t have any available you can just use water and shake often)
    • 15 drops peppermint essential oil
    • 15 drops tea tree essential oil
    • 7 drops citrus essential oil (orange, lemon, grapefruit, etc) OR 1-3 drops clove essential oil
    • Pour all ingredients into a small spray bottle.
    • Shake bottle, then spray around baseboards, entry points for ants and just about anywhere you’ve seen ants. If you’re spraying on a food surface, omit the tea tree oil and add 15 drops peppermint oil. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone.
  • Vinegar Spray: Like essential oils, the smell of vinegar repels ants and also masks their scent trails. It is best used with another repellent, like citrus peels or essential oils.
  • How To Make Vinegar Spray:
    • Add 1/4 cup white or apple cider vinegar and 1/4 cup water to a spray bottle. Add 30 drops of one of the essential oils listed above, if desired (If you are using clove oil, I recommend using just a few drops as it is very strong).
    • Shake bottle, then spray around baseboards, entry points for ants and just about anywhere you’ve seen ants. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone.
  • Citrus Peel Spray:
    • Add peels to a pot, then pour in enough water to cover them. Or if you prefer, add 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar.
    • Heat water/vinegar until steaming, then turn stove off. Allow to steep overnight, then strain and pour the liquid in a spray bottle.
    • Shake bottle, then spray around baseboards, entry points for ants and just about anywhere.
  • Dr. Bronner’s Soap Spray. Like diatomaceous earth, soap also dissolves the waxy coating on the outside of the ant.
    • Fill a 1 quart spray bottle almost all the way to the top.
    • Add 1/4 c. peppermint castile soap, attach nozzle, and shake gently to mix.
    • Shake bottle, then spray around baseboards, entry points for ants and just about anywhere you’ve seen ants. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone.
  • Lemon Juice Spray works for the same reason as vinegar. It is best used with another repellent, like essential oils.
    • Add half lemon juice and half purified water to a spray bottle. Optional: Add 15 drops of essential oil for every 1/4 cup. If you are using clove oil, I recommend using just a few drops as it is very strong.
    • Spray around baseboards, entry points for ants and just about anywhere you’ve seen ants. Repeat every few days until ants are completely gone.
  • Locate the source of the ants. When you see ants in your home, try to follow them back to the point where they entered. 
  • Seal as many entry points as possible: weather-strip doors and use caulking to fill gaps in window and door frames and around baseboards, pipes, sinks, toilets, and electrical outlets.
  • The key to ant control is cleanliness: wipe up food spills immediately, wipe down food preparation surfaces with soapy water, remove garbage frequently, clean food debris out of sinks, rinse well any dirty dishes left in the sink, and sweep and mop floors regularly.
  • Store the food most attractive to ants (honey, sugar, etc.) in the fridge or in jars with rubber gaskets and lids that close with a metal clamp, or zip-lock bags. Unless the lid of a screw-top jar has a rubber seal, ants will follow the threads right into the jar. A few layers of waxed paper (not plastic wrap) between the jar and the lid, if screwed down tightly, will work well as a barrier. Transfer other foods, such as cookies, cereals, crackers, etc in paper boxes, to containers with tight-fitting lids or zip locks. Paper and cardboard boxes are not ant-proof.
  • Don’t leave uneaten pet food in bowls. Feed your pet only what it will eat immediately, and then wash the bowl frequently.  If you need to have food on hand available to your pets, put the bowl inside of a larger soup bowl and create a shallow water moat around the bowl.
  • Keep kitchen scraps in a tightly sealed plastic or metal container.Wash glass, tin, and aluminum food containers thoroughly before tossing them into an indoor recycling bin.
  • Move your mulch bucket away from the house.
  • Remove debris near the house, bricks, logs, etc., trim back vegetation.
  • Prune trees and shrubs away from exterior walls, to prevent ants using them as a bridge into the house.
  • Try to cultivate a good relationship with the Daddy-Long-Legs spiders. They are intelligent and make their webs along the ant entry points, usually near the front door and the bathroom window. Let the spiders do their job.


Flies

The muscles that operate fly forewings are well developed and situated in the mid-section of the insect’s thorax. Together, the relatively powerful forewings and the halteres enable these insects to perform amazing feats of flying, and combined with the claws and pads on their feet they can even fly and land easily on ceilings.

It is partly as a result of this flying prowess that the Diptera is such a successful group of insects. There are around 100,000 known species of two-winged flies in the world today.

  • Many nectar feeders play a useful pollinating role in the same way that bees do. Hoverflies, for example, are very numerous and colourful, and their hovering flight is a common and welcome sight in both gardens and wild places.
  • Flies that feed on decaying matter (either as adults or maggots) play a useful scavenging role in nature, whether they clear up dung or dead animals. And of course, flies are also food to many creatures.
  • Cloves. Poke about 20 whole cloves into a ripe apple or a piece of citrus fruit, lemon or orange and place it on a plate.
  • Lavender. Grow lavender plants outside, put a bouquet of fresh lavender in a vase, burn lavender oil near entryways and windows.
  • Nasturtiums. This flower keeps more than just flies away including aphids, most beetles and squash bugs.
  • Mint. Grow near windows or other openings in your home
  • Citrus. Many commercial fly repellents contain orange or lemon extracts because citrus oil is a natural bug deterrent. Place the peels in a small cloth on a dish to keep them moist and rub the peels every once in a while to keep the scent fresh.
  • Eucalyptus oil. Put several drops on ribbon or cloth strips and hang them near doors or windows.
  • Basil. Basil is a versatile herb that can be grown in gardens, flowerbeds and indoor pots. Plant basil near the window or entryway. Bay leaves, catnip and marigold are other choices.
  • Pine oil. Dab a few drops on a cheesecloth and place it where you see flies
    You can also soak cotton balls in the oil and place them in a bowl wherever you see flies.
  • Cayenne Pepper. Cayenne pepper is an excellent natural fly repellent and also deters many other insects. Mix one cup of water and one teaspoon of cayenne pepper in a misting bottle and spray it near entryways and wherever you see flies.
  • Other natural fly repellents include lemongrass, peppermint, and cinnamon use these scents in essential oil formulas, potpourris or other forms.
  • Turn on a fan!
  • Flies are naturally attracted to cut fruits, cover or stored in the fridge.
  • Clean Garbage Cans Thoroughly and Frequently and CLOSE the top!
  • Check screens.
  • Install Yellow Light Bulbs outside
  • Clean Pet Feces/Waste in Your Yard
  • Check your compost! Move it away from your home and away from your neighbors home!
  • Here it’s a simple technique using ropes to eliminate flies from structures.
Bees

The honey bee (Apis mellifera) has been in decline over the past few years due to pesticides,  Colony Collapse Disorder, diseases, parasitic mites and other stressors.

Honey Bees are our most beneficial insect. We must do all we can to protect bee colonies, which contribute as pollinators for many of our fruits and vegetables. The annual contribution of honey bees to food production in the United States is estimated to be $10 billion.

From the Natural Resources Defense Council: WHAT’S AT STAKE: One in every three bites of food we eat depends on bees and other pollinators.

8 Ways to Attract Bees and Butterflies  Be a good neighbor to struggling pollinators by turning your outdoor space into a safe haven.

Here is a website where you can order your own bee equipment and start your own hive – Honey Love Organic Beekeeping

If you have bees in your home that you want to have removed, here are two companies that will remove the colony and relocate them:
Bee Catchers Southern California
A Beeman Services

The honey bee (Apis mellifera) has been in decline over the past few years due to pesticides,  Colony Collapse Disorder, diseases, parasitic mites and other stressors.

Honey Bees are our most beneficial insect. We must do all we can to protect bee colonies, which contribute as pollinators for many of our fruits and vegetables. The annual contribution of honey bees to food production in the United States is estimated to be $10 billion.

From the Natural Resources Defense Council: WHAT’S AT STAKE: One in every three bites of food we eat depends on bees and other pollinators.

8 Ways to Attract Bees and Butterflies  Be a good neighbor to struggling pollinators by turning your outdoor space into a safe haven.

Here is a website where you can order your own bee equipment and start your own hive – Honey Love Organic Beekeeping

If you have bees in your home that you want to have removed, here are two companies that will remove the colony and relocate them:
Bee Catchers Southern California
A Beeman Services

What's Killing Our Bees?

How Neonicotinoids Kill Bees

Neonicotinoids: The New DDT?

Guild Save the Queen Scientists debate the mystery of our disappearing bees.

The Silence of the Bugs New York Times, May 2018. Is an insect Armageddon afoot? The Sixth Extinction proceeds apace.

Here is some research concerning neonicotinoids which affect bees and butterflies, from our colleague Carrie Carrier:

I. “Impacts of Neonicotinoids (“neonics”) on Wildlife” 

— this brief but content-rich abstract can be copied/cited almost “as is.” It talks about impacts of neonics on a wide array of wildlife.
— this paragraph from “Beyond Pesticides” address the impacts of “neonics” specifically on Monarchs and bees. 
“…Along with threats from glyphosate use and habitat loss, the use of neonicotinoid pesticides has also been linked to monarch declines. A 2016 study found that the increasing use of neonicotinoid (neonic) insecticides is correlated with a steep decline in butterfly health and reproductive success. This study looked at 67 species of butterfly in Northern California and found a correlation between butterfly population decline and increasing neonic applications, which also appeared to be more severe for smaller-bodied species. According to the researchers, the results suggest that neonics could influence non-target insect populations when applied nearby. Pesticides like neonicotinoids also harm other non-target pollinators like honey bees and other bee species. Studies show an association with decreased learning, foraging and navigational ability, as well as increased vulnerability to pathogens and parasites, in bees….”
 
II. “Impacts of Pyrethroids on Wildlife” – 
— Literature review from 2014. You can cobble together three or four paras on a sampling of wildlife type-e.g. aquatic organisms, bees, etc. (see page 6 of 11, sections 1.3.2 – 1.3.6)
 
Bees: Pyrethroids are toxic to insects including bees as they have a strong repellant action against them by affecting their feeding behavior [35]. This insecticide initially cause knockdown (the inability of the insect to maintain its normal position) followed by recovery or death.
Butterflies

The catastrophic decline of Monarch butterflies has been driven in large part by the widespread planting of genetically engineered crops in the Midwest, where most monarchs hatch. The vast majority of genetically engineered crops are made to be resistant to Monsanto’s RoundUp, a potent killer of milkweed, the monarch caterpillar’s only food source. The dramatic surge in Roundup/glyphosate use and “Roundup Ready” crops has virtually wiped out milkweed plants in midwestern corn and soybean fields.  It is estimated that in the past 20 years these once-common butterflies may have lost more than 165 million acres of habitat — an area about the size of Texas — due to pesticides and loss of breeding grounds.

Monarch butterfly numbers have decreased 90% nationwide due to herbicide spraying and genetically engineered crops. Here are three references:

Why Aren’t Monarch Butterflies Listed As Endangered?

8 Ways to Attract Bees and Butterflies  Be a good neighbor to struggling pollinators by turning your outdoor space into a safe haven.

For more information on how to help butterflies, please see the Malibu Monarch Project and the Xerces Society Monarch Butterfly Conservation pages.

The catastrophic decline of Monarch butterflies has been driven in large part by the widespread planting of genetically engineered crops in the Midwest, where most monarchs hatch. The vast majority of genetically engineered crops are made to be resistant to Monsanto’s RoundUp, a potent killer of milkweed, the monarch caterpillar’s only food source. The dramatic surge in Roundup/glyphosate use and “Roundup Ready” crops has virtually wiped out milkweed plants in midwestern corn and soybean fields.  It is estimated that in the past 20 years these once-common butterflies may have lost more than 165 million acres of habitat — an area about the size of Texas — due to pesticides and loss of breeding grounds.

Monarch butterfly numbers have decreased 90% nationwide due to herbicide spraying and genetically engineered crops. Here are three references:

Why Aren’t Monarch Butterflies Listed As Endangered?

Story with video from National Geographic:
www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/2018/12/monarch-butterflies-risk-extinction-climate-change/

8 Ways to Attract Bees and Butterflies  Be a good neighbor to struggling pollinators by turning your outdoor space into a safe haven.

For more information on how to help butterflies, please see the Malibu Monarch Project and the Xerces Society Monarch Butterfly Conservation pages.

Cockroaches

Cockroaches (order Blattodea) are any of about 4,600 species of insects that are among the most primitive winged insects, appearing today much as they do in fossils that are more than 320 million years old.
The word “cockroach” is a corruption of the Spanish “Cucaracha”. Male cockroaches usually have two pairs of wings, whereas females, in some species, are wingless or have vestigial wings.

Cockroaches are generalized insects lacking special adaptations (such as the sucking mouthparts of aphids and other true bugs); they have chewing mouthparts and are probably among the most primitive of living winged insects. They are common and hardy insects capable of tolerating a wide range of climates from Arctic cold to tropical heat. Tropical cockroaches are often much larger than temperate species.

Modern cockroaches are not considered to be descended from a common evolutionary ancestral group, as it has been found based on genetics that some cockroaches are more closely related to termites than they are to other cockroaches.

Some species, such as the gregarious German cockroach, have an elaborate social structure involving common shelter, social dependence, information transfer, and kin recognition. Cockroaches have appeared in human culture since classical antiquity. and live in a wide range of habitats around the world.
They are the favorite food for mice, skunks, raccoons, beetles, spiders, and even some human cultures.

1. Essential oils

Essential oils such as rosemary, peppermint, cedar, cypress, eucalyptus, oregano, clove (eugenol), neem and citrus are oils that effectively keep cockroaches at bay.

Mix 10 to 15 drops of pure essential oil with water in a typical spray bottle. Shake well.
Spray on counters and other surfaces where you’ve seen activity. Add 1 part vinegar to 2 parts water for a stronger solution.

Scientific references:
• Appel, Arthur G. et al. (2001) Repellency and Toxicity of Mint Oil to American and German Cockroaches. Auburn University Department of Entomology and Plant Pathology. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/285651712_Repellency_and_toxicity_of_mint_oil_to_American_and_German_cockroaches_Dictyoptera_Blattidae_and_Blattellidae
• Phillips, Alicia Kyser (2009) Toxicity and Repellency of Essential Oils to the German Cockroach. Auburn University. Retrieved from https://etd.auburn.edu/bitstream/han-dle/10415/1942/thesis%20draft%209.pdf?se-quence=1&ts=1424397356350

2. Crushed bay leaves or coffee grounds.

Sprinkle bay leaves or coffee grounds around areas where you see activity.

3. Catnip

Roaches are sensitive to the chemical nepetalactone, which is the active ingredient. Catnip is a member of the mint family.
Place the catnip in boiling water, let it steep for 10 minutes, allow it to cool, and spray on surfaces, crevices, and cracks.

4. Use trash bags pre-scented with mint or other scents known to repel cockroaches, mice, and other common trash invaders.

  •  Containers
    • Store food in insect-proof containers such as glass jars or re-sealable plastic containers.
    • Keep garbage and trash in containers with tight-fitting lids and use plastic liners.
  • Remove Moisture
    • Eliminate plumbing leaks and other sources of moisture such as leaky faucets and dripping pipes.
    • Check all bathtub sinks and washing areas.
    • Increase ventilation where condensation is a problem.
    • Consider keeping a layer of gravel about 6 to 12 inches wide around the perimeter of buildings. This reduces moisture, making the area an unpleasant habitat.
  • Keep Them Out
    • Prevent access to the inside of buildings through cracks, conduits, under doors, or through other structural flaws.
    • Seal cracks and other openings to the outside.
    • Use door sweeps and weather stripping on doors and windows.
    • Look for other methods of entry, such as from items being brought inside, especially appliances, furniture, boxes, and items that were recently in storage.
    • Inspect food deliveries before putting them in kitchens.
  • Remove Habitat
    • Trim shrubbery around buildings to increase light and air circulation, especially near vents, and eliminate ivy or other dense ground covers near the house.
    • Remove trash and stored items such as stacks of lumber or firewood from around the outside of buildings that provide hiding places.

1. Sanitation

Cockroaches thrive where food and water are available to them.
Even tiny amounts of crumbs or liquids caught between cracks provide a food source.

Vacuum cracks and crevices to remove food and debris. Be sure surfaces where food or beverages have been spilled are cleaned up immediately.
Vacuuming also removes cockroaches, shed skins, and egg cases, reducing overall cockroach numbers.

Keep trash cans away from doorways. Remove trash, newspapers, magazines, piles of paper bags, rags, boxes, and other items that provide hiding places and harborage.

2. Diatomaceous earth is a white powder made from the fossilized remains of diatoms, a type of algae. Purchase the food-grade product as it is safe for pets and people. Once you’ve thoroughly cleaned your home and cleared or sealed up any possible food sources including crumbs, trash, or pet food, lightly dust where you’ve seen roaches in your home with this product.


Earwigs

Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 familes, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forceps-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded underneath short, rarely used forewings, hence the scientific order name, “skin wings.” Some groups are tiny parasites on mammals and lack the typical pincers. Earwigs are found on all continents except Antarctica.Earwigs are mostly nocturnal and often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night, feeding on a wide variety of insects, decaying matter, and plants. They are beneficial for the garden, eating aphids, mites and nematodes. 

Some earwig specimen fossils are in the extinct suborders Archidermaptera or Eodermaptera, the former dating to the Late Triassic and the latter to the Middle Jurassic. Many orders of insect have been theorized to be closely related to earwigs, though the icebugs of Notoptera are most likely.

  • Plant repelling herbs around the home such as Anise, Buckwheat, Cosmos, Dill, Fennel, and Tansy
  • Buy food-grade diatomaceous earth and sprinkle the white powder along the perimeter of your home or garden.
  • Fix leaking faucets, pipes, drains in and around your house.
  • Dampness is the ideal condition for earwigs to live and reproduce.
  • Prevent this condition by checking your water sources in the bathroom, kitchen, basement, and outdoors to make sure that there are no leaks.
  • Fill in cracks and holes near entrances to your house with caulk.
  • Earwigs are likely to gain access to your home through gaps around your doorways or windows.
  • Use a caulking gun to fill in small gaps. Review yearly.
  • Adjust the outdoor lights to shine away from the house rather than directly onto patios and decks. Earwigs are attracted to lighting and will often find a comfy spot under chair/seat cushions, floor mats, welcome mats, etc.
  • Use sodium lights instead of regular lighting outdoors. Most light bulbs emit a blue wavelength that attracts bugs. Sodium lights, which are often used as grow lamps for seeding plants, emit a more yellow hue. Replace light bulbs on your porch or around your windows with sodium light bulbs. Purchase sodium lightbulbs at hardware stores or online.
  • TCP Yellow Bug Light Bulb will serve for a long time, about 25,000 hours. It is reliable and cost-efficient. You can get comfortable and with bright enough illumination while earwigs are staying away. Typically earwigs perceive the wavelength range between 650 and 300 nm, which means they fail to see the color yellow — making your house invisible to earwigs. 
  • Make sure gutters and drain spouts drain AWAY from the home, rather than near the foundation. 
  • Remove any decaying plant matter around the house, flower beds, household plants, etc. 
  • Clean up debris serving as breeding areas including fallen leaves, plant debris, ripe fruits, lumber, and bricks. 
  • Set a Damp Newspaper Trap. Leave some lightly-rolled damp newspaper around your garden for two or three days. Once the earwigs have moved in, you can move them to a preferred area. You can also use corrugated cardboard. 
  • Attract Natural Predators. Consider making your garden a more attractive home for natural predators like birds and lizards. For example, installing rock piles in your garden can be a good way to attract lizards as it provides cover for them. 
  • Birds are natural predators of earwigs. Attract birds to your garden by installing a bird feeder or bird bath to make the area appealing to them. You can also try planting berry bushes or fruit trees to entice birds. Check drainage and irrigation systems to make sure that they function well. If they do not, you should repair or replace these systems. 
  • When irrigating the plants, do it frequently but more thoroughly. This will assist in reducing the humidity of the soil. Eliminate moist conditions around air-conditioning units and in crawl spaces. Create a dry border along the foundation.

Earwigs make up the insect order Dermaptera. With about 2,000 species in 12 familes, they are one of the smaller insect orders. Earwigs have characteristic cerci, a pair of forceps-like pincers on their abdomen, and membranous wings folded underneath short, rarely used forewings, hence the scientific order name, “skin wings.” Some groups are tiny parasites on mammals and lack the typical pincers. Earwigs are found on all continents except Antarctica.

Earwigs are mostly nocturnal and often hide in small, moist crevices during the day, and are active at night, feeding on a wide variety of insects, decaying matter, and plants. They are beneficial for the garden, eating aphids, mites and nematodes. 

Some earwig specimen fossils are in the extinct suborders Archidermaptera or Eodermaptera, the former dating to the Late Triassic and the latter to the Middle Jurassic. Many orders of insect have been theorized to be closely related to earwigs, though the icebugs of Notoptera are most likely.

  • Plant repelling herbs around the home such as Anise, Buckwheat, Cosmos, Dill, Fennel, and Tansy
  • Buy food-grade diatomaceous earth and sprinkle the white powder along the perimeter of your home or garden.
  • Fix leaking faucets, pipes, drains in and around your house.
  • Dampness is the ideal condition for earwigs to live and reproduce.
  • Prevent this condition by checking your water sources in the bathroom, kitchen, basement, and outdoors to make sure that there are no leaks.
  • Fill in cracks and holes near entrances to your house with caulk.
  • Earwigs are likely to gain access to your home through gaps around your doorways or windows.
  • Use a caulking gun to fill in small gaps. Review yearly.
  • Adjust the outdoor lights to shine away from the house rather than directly onto patios and decks. Earwigs are attracted to lighting and will often find a comfy spot under chair/seat cushions, floor mats, welcome mats, etc.
  • Use sodium lights instead of regular lighting outdoors. Most light bulbs emit a blue wavelength that attracts bugs. Sodium lights, which are often used as grow lamps for seeding plants, emit a more yellow hue. Replace light bulbs on your porch or around your windows with sodium light bulbs. Purchase sodium lightbulbs at hardware stores or online.
  • TCP Yellow Bug Light Bulb will serve for a long time, about 25,000 hours. It is reliable and cost-efficient. You can get comfortable and with bright enough illumination while earwigs are staying away. Typically earwigs perceive the wavelength range between 650 and 300 nm, which means they fail to see the color yellow — making your house invisible to earwigs. 
  • Make sure gutters and drain spouts drain AWAY from the home, rather than near the foundation. 
  • Remove any decaying plant matter around the house, flower beds, household plants, etc. 
  • Clean up debris serving as breeding areas including fallen leaves, plant debris, ripe fruits, lumber, and bricks. 
  • Set a Damp Newspaper Trap. Leave some lightly-rolled damp newspaper around your garden for two or three days. Once the earwigs have moved in, you can move them to a preferred area. You can also use corrugated cardboard. 
  • Attract Natural Predators. Consider making your garden a more attractive home for natural predators like birds and lizards. For example, installing rock piles in your garden can be a good way to attract lizards as it provides cover for them. 
  • Birds are natural predators of earwigs. Attract birds to your garden by installing a bird feeder or bird bath to make the area appealing to them. You can also try planting berry bushes or fruit trees to entice birds. Check drainage and irrigation systems to make sure that they function well. If they do not, you should repair or replace these systems. 
  • When irrigating the plants, do it frequently but more thoroughly. This will assist in reducing the humidity of the soil. Eliminate moist conditions around air-conditioning units and in crawl spaces. Create a dry border along the foundation.
Fleas

Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that survive as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by consuming blood from their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, are usually brown, and have bodies that are “flattened” sideways or narrow, enabling them to move through their host’s fur or feathers. They lack wings, but have strong claws preventing them from being dislodged, mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood, and hind legs extremely well adapted for jumping. They are able to leap a distance of some 50 times their body length.

Common anti-flea pesticides can make dogs sick with diarrhea, depression, muscle tremors, and respiratory failure. Keep chemicals away from snooping.
Here are a few natural ideas on how to keep your property flea free.

1) Plants That Repel Fleas

Summer is the high season for fleas, here are some plants that will naturally repel. Adding a few new plants to your garden could be well worth the effort. Many of the plants that repel fleas are fragrant herbs.

  • Catnip: If you have a cat, this is certainly a plant you want around your house. It will help to keep fleas off your kitty.
  • Chamomile: Keep other plants calmer, calm yourself and calm down flea activity at the same time with Chamomile.
  • Chrysanthemums: These beautiful flowers put off a natural chemical called pyrethrum that repels fleas, ticks and other insects.
  • Lavender: Beautiful, fragrant and flea repelling
  • Lemon Grass: This is also a mosquito repellent
  • Marigold: This is a multifunctional flower, one of its many benefits is being able to repel fleas.
  • Mint: The sweet smell of mint attracts humans, but it’s overpowering for fleas. Just about any member of the mint family works to keep them away.
  • Rosemary: The herb (not Rosemary Bog or Rosemary Pea) is highly effective at repelling fleas.
  • Sage: This plant is the largest member of the mint family and is good for providing coverage over a larger area.

2) Nematodes in the Steinernema genus feed of various garden pests, including young fleas. These beneficial predators are available at garden centers and can be applied to the soil by mixing with water and spraying the liquid across the lawn. Nematodes generally require regular moisture, so water the lawn every two days to ensure their survival..
Here are links to two companies that sells nematodes: FleaBusters and Arbico Organics.

3) Diatomaceous earth is an effective and less toxic option to controlling fleas and ticks in your lawn. Diatomaceous earth contains sharp microscopic edges that will tear open insect larvae — including flea and tick — as they crawl across the soil. These sharp edges are not harmful to you or your pets but will cause the larvae to dry out and die. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in your lawn with a garden spreader. Using a garden spreader will provide an even application of the powder-like material. When purchasing diatomaceous earth, make sure it is the natural food grade DE and not the kind used in swimming pools, which is harmful to humans and animals.

4) Non-toxic Flea Repellent

  • Jet Pet Resort. 30 ways to naturally prevent and get rid of fleas on dogs.
    See “Fleas in the House” section.
  • Fleas and ticks with proper care and cultural control is the best defense.
  • Fleas and ticks are generally prevalent in areas with tall weeds and grass, so keeping your lawn mowed and will help reduce the number of ticks in your yard.
  • Another way to keep ticks and fleas at bay is to protect your pet with flea and tick control. 
  • How to get them off your pet, see pets.webmd.com.
  • Home remedies for flea and tick control at Pet MD.

Flea, the common name for the order Siphonaptera, includes 2,500 species of small flightless insects that survive as external parasites of mammals and birds. Fleas live by consuming blood from their hosts. Adult fleas grow to about 3 mm (0.12 in) long, are usually brown, and have bodies that are “flattened” sideways or narrow, enabling them to move through their host’s fur or feathers. They lack wings, but have strong claws preventing them from being dislodged, mouthparts adapted for piercing skin and sucking blood, and hind legs extremely well adapted for jumping. They are able to leap a distance of some 50 times their body length.

Common anti-flea pesticides can make dogs sick with diarrhea, depression, muscle tremors, and respiratory failure. Keep chemicals away from snooping.
Here are a few natural ideas on how to keep your property flea free.

1) Plants That Repel Fleas

Summer is the high season for fleas, here are some plants that will naturally repel. Adding a few new plants to your garden could be well worth the effort. Many of the plants that repel fleas are fragrant herbs.

  • Catnip: If you have a cat, this is certainly a plant you want around your house. It will help to keep fleas off your kitty.
  • Chamomile: Keep other plants calmer, calm yourself and calm down flea activity at the same time with Chamomile.
  • Chrysanthemums: These beautiful flowers put off a natural chemical called pyrethrum that repels fleas, ticks and other insects.
  • Lavender: Beautiful, fragrant and flea repelling
  • Lemon Grass: This is also a mosquito repellent
  • Marigold: This is a multifunctional flower, one of its many benefits is being able to repel fleas.
  • Mint: The sweet smell of mint attracts humans, but it’s overpowering for fleas. Just about any member of the mint family works to keep them away.
  • Rosemary: The herb (not Rosemary Bog or Rosemary Pea) is highly effective at repelling fleas.
  • Sage: This plant is the largest member of the mint family and is good for providing coverage over a larger area.

2) Nematodes in the Steinernema genus feed of various garden pests, including young fleas. These beneficial predators are available at garden centers and can be applied to the soil by mixing with water and spraying the liquid across the lawn. Nematodes generally require regular moisture, so water the lawn every two days to ensure their survival..
Here are links to two companies that sells nematodes: FleaBusters and Arbico Organics.

3) Diatomaceous earth is an effective and less toxic option to controlling fleas and ticks in your lawn. Diatomaceous earth contains sharp microscopic edges that will tear open insect larvae — including flea and tick — as they crawl across the soil. These sharp edges are not harmful to you or your pets but will cause the larvae to dry out and die. Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in your lawn with a garden spreader. Using a garden spreader will provide an even application of the powder-like material. When purchasing diatomaceous earth, make sure it is the natural food grade DE and not the kind used in swimming pools, which is harmful to humans and animals.

4) Non-toxic Flea Repellent

  • Jet Pet Resort. 30 ways to naturally prevent and get rid of fleas on dogs.
    See “Fleas in the House” section.
  • Fleas and ticks with proper care and cultural control is the best defense.
  • Fleas and ticks are generally prevalent in areas with tall weeds and grass, so keeping your lawn mowed and will help reduce the number of ticks in your yard.
  • Another way to keep ticks and fleas at bay is to protect your pet with flea and tick control. 
  • How to get them off your pet, see pets.webmd.com.
  • Home remedies for flea and tick control at Pet MD.
Moths

Got Moth Balls?

Here are links about why you should never use moth balls.

From Beyond Pesticides:
Gateway to the hazards of moth balls.
Clearing the Air of Toxic Moth Repellents
Moth ball pesticide linked to chromosomal aberrations in children
University of Colorado Scientists Find That Pesticides in Moth Balls Are Carcinogenic

Snails + Slugs

Our constant mantra is that no poison is safe. Read the info here.

Sluggo is a poison that also kills earthworms.

A man-made chemical called EDTA, a chelating agent that causes the iron phosphate to release its elemental iron easily in the digestive systems of not only slugs and snails but of pretty much anything that eats it, children and pets and earth worms. EDTA or the similar EDDS are the only reason these baits are effective, yet interestingly the label only reads Active Ingredient: Iron Phosphate – 1%, Inert Ingredients – 99%. No mention is made of the presence of another chemical that can turn harmless iron phosphate into a deadly poison. Apparently EDTA was slipped through the cracks in our regulatory system as an “inert” ingredient, and inert ingredients do not have to be listed on the label. Since iron phosphate is harmless, and EDTA is the ingredient that makes it effective, not to mention dangerous.

A review of these products by the Swiss organic certification organization (FiBL) discovered the EDTA content and stated that these products were likely no safer than the metaldehyde baits, that EDTA itself was significantly more poisonous than metaldehyde, and even said they weren’t even sure that it wasn’t the EDTA alone that was killing slugs and snails.

I have found that plant trapping works great. Give them what they want. Would you rather have ice cream for dinner or spinach? Farmers have used plant trapping to attract insects away from the desired crop. For example what I do is place cabbage heads around my garden to which the snails are attracted, and they leave my plants alone. Leave them alone and let them enjoy the cabbages. Soon enough a raccoon or skunk will appear and the population will be wiped out!

Our constant mantra is that no poison is safe. Read the info here.

Sluggo is a poison that also kills earthworms.

A man-made chemical called EDTA, a chelating agent that causes the iron phosphate to release its elemental iron easily in the digestive systems of not only slugs and snails but of pretty much anything that eats it, children and pets and earth worms. EDTA or the similar EDDS are the only reason these baits are effective, yet interestingly the label only reads Active Ingredient: Iron Phosphate – 1%, Inert Ingredients – 99%. No mention is made of the presence of another chemical that can turn harmless iron phosphate into a deadly poison. Apparently EDTA was slipped through the cracks in our regulatory system as an “inert” ingredient, and inert ingredients do not have to be listed on the label. Since iron phosphate is harmless, and EDTA is the ingredient that makes it effective, not to mention dangerous.

A review of these products by the Swiss organic certification organization (FiBL) discovered the EDTA content and stated that these products were likely no safer than the metaldehyde baits, that EDTA itself was significantly more poisonous than metaldehyde, and even said they weren’t even sure that it wasn’t the EDTA alone that was killing slugs and snails.

I have found that plant trapping works great. Give them what they want. Would you rather have ice cream for dinner or spinach? Farmers have used plant trapping to attract insects away from the desired crop. For example what I do is place cabbage heads around my garden to which the snails are attracted, and they leave my plants alone. Leave them alone and let them enjoy the cabbages. Soon enough a raccoon or skunk will appear and the population will be wiped out!

Termites

Beyond Pesticides is a nationwide organization that offers alternatives to pesticides. Please see the recommendations below. Here’s a great compendium of everything you need to know about how to identify termites, the three types, and all the least toxic options.

We do not recommend tenting. Tenting is the most expensive and most toxic way to deal with termites. Sulfuryl Fluoride (Vikane), the commonly used poison, is labeled with the signal word “Danger” by the EPA, meaning that it is in the most acute toxic category of pesticides! All entranceways must be posted with a skull and crossbones sign.

Many materials that are exposed to this poison such as polyester cushion fibers, wool fabrics, and polystyrene insulation, can release it for up to 40 days post fumigation.  The long-term effects of using pesticides around children are questionable.

The EPA has a concern for neurotoxicity associated with inhalation of Sulfuryl Fluoride. The EPA has calculated that children are about five times more susceptible to it than adults – children are at significantly greater risk for neurotoxic effects after fumigation.

Please see this fact sheet from the Journal of Pesticide Reform.

Here is an article from MIT about Sulfuryl Flouride as a Greenhouse gas which lasts in the environment for 35 years. 

Here are 3 companies that have alternatives for termite control:

1) Hydrex

2) Pacific Coast Termite

3) ECOLA

Beyond Pesticides is a nationwide organization that offers alternatives to pesticides. Please see the recommendations below. Here’s a great compendium of everything you need to know about how to identify termites, the three types, and all the least toxic options.

We do not recommend tenting. Tenting is the most expensive and most toxic way to deal with termites. Sulfuryl Fluoride (Vikane), the commonly used poison, is labeled with the signal word “Danger” by the EPA, meaning that it is in the most acute toxic category of pesticides! All entranceways must be posted with a skull and crossbones sign.

Many materials that are exposed to this poison such as polyester cushion fibers, wool fabrics, and polystyrene insulation, can release it for up to 40 days post fumigation.  The long-term effects of using pesticides around children are questionable.

The EPA has a concern for neurotoxicity associated with inhalation of Sulfuryl Fluoride. The EPA has calculated that children are about five times more susceptible to it than adults – children are at significantly greater risk for neurotoxic effects after fumigation.

Please see this fact sheet from the Journal of Pesticide Reform.

Here is an article from MIT about Sulfuryl Flouride as a Greenhouse gas which lasts in the environment for 35 years. 

Here is a company that has alternatives for termite control:

• ECOLA