When we bought our house one of the first things I wanted to do was plant a HUGE garden. But one of the things I didn’t want to do is have to spray my food with pest spray that (supposedly) helps keep pests such as spiders, bugs, bunnies, and mice away from the garden. We also have had a bit of a spider problem since we keep the windows open, but I really didn’t want to spray those chemicals indoors where little hands of visitors or pet paws could touch it and get hurt from the chemicals.
I already knew that pest spray was dangerous for pets and humans alike. When the box says it is hazardous to humans and animals it really concerns me about what is actually IN the product and why I have considered using it in the past! You know what is even more concerning to me? When popular brands such as Ortho don’t even list the ingredients on the label, or have so many poison control warnings that everything simply says “danger! danger!” .
Enter in essential oils to save the day!
There are two things I know work well as a natural pest deterrent, peppermint and vinegar, and when combined, they work miracles!
The recipe is so easy for this (like every essential oil recipe I share!).
- Combine 1 drop of Peppermint oil (I only trust these oils for my family!) to every ounce of vinegar.
- Shake before each use!
Note: Do not use apple cider vinegar, only white vinegar. ACV has a fruity smell that fruit flies love and you may cause more harm if you use it!
See, easy! I spray this around the perimeter of my garden (and even on plants! don’t be a dumbo like me and spray on plants, vinegar is a plant killer! I learned this after coming out to find my lettuce dead the next day!) to keep pests from munching on more of my plants, and around windows and doors inside and outside to prevent bugs from getting inside the house! Mosquitoes also hate peppermint, so this spray is great at keeping those blood suckers at bay.
The smell of vinegar is strong in this recipe, but since I use it mostly outside I don’t mind it. I also am currently obsessed with diffusing Purification oil and Citrus Fresh oil around the house to keep things smelling fresh, so I hardly notice the vinegar smell when I spray it around doors and windows.
Essential oils are truly amazing alternatives to every day harsh chemicals and products. I replaced all of my cleaners with my all-purpose thieves cleaner and haven’t regretted it since. Everyday I’m finding more things in my everyday (especially beauty) routine to replace with oils. If you’re interested in living the oily life then be sure to head over to my Essential Oil page to get 24% off of everything you buy when you sign up as a distributor (with no obligation or requirement so sell anything!) and purchase the best deal in town, the Premium Starter Kit which contains the oils in this recipe!
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Vow !! I really liked this very simple yet very safe idea of pest control. Shall do it at my home too. Thank you!
You’re welcome! Hope it works well for you! It did wonders for our home!
Does the pest control work on mice too. We live in the country, if we leave the garage doors open invariably a mouse will come in.
Yes, Diane! This works awesome for mice!
Spray it around doorways and entryways they could get in and it should work fine! You could also try some peppermint oil straight from the bottle if the problem is severe.
Love this simple recipe. Peppermint oil is a favorite because it works fro so many things. I even plant it around the house to keep critters away.
Carole
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Peppermint is one of the many oils that are SO versatile!
I’ve used Peppermint to keep spiders away. I hate spiders!
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I hate them, too!