DIY pest control - Common Sense Home

Natural Tick Repellents and Easy Tick Control Tips

March 20, 2018 By Amber Bradshaw 71 Comments

TICKS – Everything you will read about avoiding or repelling ticks will have the word DEET in it. From the CDC to the EPA, they all recommend using DEET to protect yourself and those you love from blood-sucking ticks. Instead, I'd like to discuss Natural Tick Repellents, tick control, and tips to avoid getting bit. We also include recipes for tick repellents for humans and dogs made with essential oils, and how to remove a tick safely.

The Best Ways to Get Rid of Mice in Your House and Garage

April 11, 2017 By Laurie Neverman 145 Comments

If you build it, mice will come. Sooner or later, you'll probably need to get rid of mice or rats. Fall is prime time for an increase in mice in your house, as they look for winter protection, but mice and rats can move in at any time. While small, mice and rats can cause big problems. They chew on everything, causing property damage and potential fire risks when they gnaw on electrical wiring and build tinder dry nests in dark corners. Rodents can spread disease, on their own, through the parasites they carry (their fleas carried the Black Plague) or through their droppings (such as hantavirus). [Read more…] about The Best Ways to Get Rid of Mice in Your House and Garage

Homemade Bug Spray for the Garden – 3 Easy Recipes

June 9, 2016 By Laurie Neverman 6 Comments

Walking down the pest control product aisle in the hardware store or garden center gives me a headache. Sure, I know bugs in the garden and yard can cause trouble, but that doesn't mean we need to wage full out, heavy duty chemical warfare. It's easy to make up homemade bug spray for the yard and garden that use plant compounds and soap to knock back your bugs. [Read more…] about Homemade Bug Spray for the Garden – 3 Easy Recipes

How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally & Why You Should Protect Outside Ants

July 10, 2015 By Laurie Neverman 24 Comments

I'm not quite sure when they moved in. First we were seeing one or two small black ants at a time. They were in the basement near the woodpile, so I thought they were coming from the wood. Then we started seeing an ant or two or three on the main floor, closer to the kitchen. I knew those weren't from the woodpile, and it was past time to do something about the ant problem.

How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally - 3 Ways to Control Ants Without Poisons, Inside and Outside - PLUS - reasons why your home may be getting invaded by bugs.

Borax/sugar water solution placed on a sour cream lid.

Like most of what I do around the home and yard, I wanted an ant control option that was as non-toxic as possible (except to the ants). I hit the laundry room and the pantry and made up the ant bait. I set one spoonful out in both locations, and the next time I checked, both of them were swarming with ants. Yuck! Thankfully, after a few days of frantic bait munching, the numbers have trickled to almost nothing, and our indoor ant problem should shortly be at an end. [Read more…] about How to Get Rid of Ants Naturally & Why You Should Protect Outside Ants