Tag
What natural and non-toxic pest remedies can and can’t do, according to the evidence.
Pantry beetles & weevils · Get Rid of Pests
To get rid of weevils, throw out infested rice, beans and grain, freeze anything you want to keep at 0°F for 4 days, vacuum and wash the shelves, and store dry food in sealed jars. Don’t spray food areas.
Rats · Repellents
No smell drives rats out for long: lab rats avoid peppermint and predator odors only briefly. Sealing gaps and setting rat traps costs about $65–87.
Pantry beetles & weevils · Get Rid of Pests
To get rid of drugstore beetles, find the infested food (often spices, pet food or old flour), throw it out or freeze it at 0°F for 4 days, vacuum and wash the shelves, and keep dry food in sealed jars. Sprays aren’t recommended.
Cockroaches · Get Rid of Pests
Not well enough to end an infestation. One small study found baking soda and sugar killed more roaches stuck in jar traps, but extension experts say it does little. A $9 tube of gel bait works better.
Flies & gnats · Get Rid of Pests
Mostly no. Bleach, vinegar, baking soda and boiling water only kill larvae on the surface of the drain slime. Scrub the pipe with an $8–15 drain brush, flush with boiling water, and use a bacterial gel where the brush can’t reach.
Mice & rats · Traps & Baits
A humane mouse trap catches mice alive for $10–30, but it’s only humane if you check it at least every 12 hours and have a plan: released house mice come back or die, and some states ban moving them.
Silverfish · Get Rid of Pests
Dry the room below 60% humidity, trap for a few nights to find the hot spots, then dust cracks with boric acid or diatomaceous earth. Supplies run about $47–52; a pro charges $200–$700.
Cockroaches · Repellents
Roaches avoid citrus, cinnamon, lavender and peppermint oils in lab tests, but no smell kills the ones already inside. A $10 peppermint spray only repels; about $54 of bait, traps and caulk gets rid of them.
Clothes moths · Get Rid of Pests
Find the infested wool, wash it hot or freeze it, vacuum the closet and rug edges, store woolens sealed. About $11 in traps confirms it worked; no mothballs.
Mice · Get Rid of Pests
Vinegar, peppermint and cats won't clear a house. Sealing gaps, snap traps and locked-up food will, with no poison involved, for about $57–71 in supplies.
Mice · Repellents
Mice avoid peppermint and a few other oils in lab tests, but no smell has been shown to clear mice from a home. Sealing gaps and about $60 of traps does.
Fall invaders · Get Rid of Pests
Spray clusters on the outside wall with soapy water, vacuum the ones indoors without crushing them, and seal gaps 1/8 inch or larger before fall. Indoor sprays don’t help. About $15 in supplies.
