Need some BUG RELIEF but don't want to use toxins or chemicals? Try some--or all--of these!

Ant Traps

• 1/3 cup molasses or honey
• 6 tablespoons sugar
• 6 tablespoons active dry yeast

Combine all of the ingrediants in a small bowl and mix well, until they form a smooth paste. Spread the paste into small, shallow containers--old plastic bowl lids work well, as do lids off of jars. Set the containers where the ants travel. This works best for medium-to-large ants.

Anti-Insect Air Spritzer

• 2 cups vodka
• 1 tablespoon citronella essential oil
• 1 tablespoon eucalyptus essential oil
• 1 teaspoon geranium essential oil
• 1 teaspoon rosemary essential oil
• 1 teaspoon orange essential oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon essential oil

Mix all the ingredients together in a spray bottle and shake well. Mist into air to keep bugs away. Don't inhale the stuff or get into your eyes! While this isn't toxic in small amounts, large amounts can be deadly to small children and pets--use with care!!

Body Bug Repellant

• 2 tablespoons citronella essential oil
• 2 tablespoons rosemary essential oil
• 2 tablespoons geranium essential oil
• 2 tablespoons eucalyptus essential oil
• 1/2 cup olive oil

Mix all of the essential oils and the olive oil together. Dab on clothing and skin. Avoid eyes and mouth.

Flea Collar

• 2 tablespoons peppermint essential oil
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons rosemary essential oil
• 2 tablespoons white cedar essential oil
• 1/4 cup citronella essential oil
• 2 tablespoons eucalyptus essential oil

Blend all ingrediants well. Soak a natural fiber rope or cloth collar in the mixture and let it dry for several hours. Tie it or fasten it around your pet's neck.

Fly Paper

• 1/4 cup maple syrup
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar

Mix ingredients together in a small bowl. Pour over strips of brown paper and let soak overnight. To hang, poke a hole in one end of a strip and tie a string to it. Caution! Sticky!!

Pest Deterrent

• 1 ounce Murphy's Oil Soap
• 1 ounce hot sauce (Tabasco, etc.)
• 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Put the ingredients in a 22 ounce clean spray bottle. Shake gently to blend and fill the bottle up the rest of the way with water. Works on bugs, squirrels, cats, etc. Won't hurt plants.

More Tips

• To get rid of fruit flies, fill a small bowl with red wine vinegar and a few drops of dish soap. Set it near the fruit, and the fruit flies are attracted to it and drown.
• To get rid of earwigs or pincher bugs, put vegetable oil or any cheap food grade oil into a tuna can. The tuna smell attracts the bugs, the can is low enough so they get in easily, and the oil drowns them.
• Boric acid (20 Mule Team Borax) can be used to control silverfish, roaches and other indoor pests. Dust baseboards, doors, window casings, closets, cracks, bookshelves and openings.
• Some non-toxic plants that repel are bay leaves, cloves, sage, cinnamon, lemon slices, oregano, basil.

Essential oils can be purchased on eBay! See essential oils here