Natural Solutions to Things That Bug You (18 page)

Place the ingredients in jar with a well-sealed lid and shake well. Sprinkle a small amount of the mixture in the corners of the cupboards and drawers. You should never see another cockroach or ant again.

ROACH SPRAY

To 1 quart of tap water add 1 crushed clove of garlic, 1 tablespoon of cayenne pepper and 1 small crushed white onion. Place the mixture on the range and allow it to come to a simmer. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture steep for 1 hour before placing it in a sprayer and spraying the locations that the roaches frequent.

DUST THEM OFF

As a last resort insecticidal powder will need to be forced into all cracks and crevices. Check with a pest control company and ask them to use a safe powder that can be used around pets and children.
Remove all pets such as birds, cats, fish and dogs from the premises when dusting is being done.

WORKS ON VAMPIRES BUT NOT COCKROACHES

Some species of cockroach are actually attracted to garlic, so best not to try and use garlic to get rid of roaches.

CHEMICAL KILLER

Silica gel (aluminum silicate) can be used to dust areas where the roaches frequent. It has the ability to scratch their protective coating away and kill them. Caution should be used, when dusting and a mask and gloves should be worn even though the dust is considered non-toxic.

The names of commercial silica gel product are Dri-Die™ and Drione™ and can be purchased in your local garden or agricultural supply stores.

WHY DID THE CHICKEN CROSS THE ROAD?

Probably to get to a cockroach! Chickens love to chase and eat cockroaches and in some countries the chickens are allowed to go in and out of the house freely to control the cockroach population.

PREVENTION IS STILL THE ANSWER

Best to prevent the problem by following a few rules:

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Clean out the back of the refrigerator and any food that has been pushed underneath by children.

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Vacuum regularly.

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Make sure the kitchen floor is always clean.

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Wipe off counters daily.

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Clean out pet food dishes and don’t leave them out at night.

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Your garbage can should have a tight lid.

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Seal all cracks and crevices.

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Fix any leaky pipes since they love a cool drink.

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Repair loose wallpaper since they will eat paste.

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Eliminate any stacks of lumber near the house.

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Remove any foliage that is too close to the house.

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Eliminate stacks of magazines or newspaper. These make great places for them to reside.

HIRE A GECKO

Gecko’s love cockroaches and will chase and consume them when they can find them. They hunt them at night and they are one of their favorite meals. If you let just one gecko loose in an apartment building it will eliminate all the roaches and their relatives in about 7-10 days. However, remember that they don’t like cats and the cat will eat the gecko for dinner.

CHAPTER 4

SPIDERS

SPIDERS

    There are 40,000 species of spiders worldwide and they are all carnivorous. Spiders are beneficial insects and are welcome in most homes. There are only four spiders that are poisonous in the United States, the black widow, the hobo, the yellow sac and the brown recluse. Spiders will consume about 100 bugs every year and you are never more than 12 feet away from a spider at any time. An orb web spider will eat their web daily and spin a new one. Spiders can regenerate their lost limbs. The only thing a spider does is hunt for food and makes new spiders.

Spiders kill more bugs than birds do and the total weight of bugs that spiders consume in one day will be more than the weight of all the humans on earth. In China spiders are so revered that farmers even build them small teepee-like homes to hibernate in during the winter months. Spider’s silk is stronger than tensile steel of the same diameter and is so fine it has been used as cross hairs in gun sites.

Spiders only live for about one year. Their hairy legs contain their organs for hearing, touch and smell. All spiders inject a chemical that liquefies their host and then they suck up the goodies.

99% OF ALL SPIDERS ARE HARMLESS

A FEW OF THE MORE COMMON SPIDERS

ARIZONA BROWN SPIDER

Arizona brown spiders; are about ½ inches in size and is closely related to the Brown Recluse Spider.  Its venom contains powerful cytotoxins that cause large ulcerous soars that are difficult to heal. The Arizona brown spiders are hunters and move from place to place in search of small insects to feed on.