Eco-friendly pest control methods or the organic pest control methods are less harmful to the environment. They are not toxic not non-targeted organisms. Unlike inorganic pesticides, biological pest control methods are safer and even child-friendly. There are various eco-friendly pest control techniques as described below. Some examples of eco-friendly pest control
1. Swat and Trap
Fly and vacuum cleaners are true and tried methods of getting rid of occasional pest problems. Some traps such as light zappers, bait, and flypaper are some of the effective techniques. For instance, a convenient way to catch a cockroach is to place a piece of banana inside a jar and then apply some petroleum jelly on the lip of the jar so that the cockroach will not be able to escape. Also to get rid of fruit flies, you can pit apple cider vinegar in a cup. You can then seal the container with a plastic wrap that has a hole in the centre. The fruit fly will easily get inside the cup but will struggle to escape. Bait traps work well, especially when you place them in an area where the pest are found in abundance or likely to congregate.
2. Use of natural predators
This is an effective natural method that will ensure that you get rid of a pest around your house without a hassle. You can invite natural predators to your house, and the number of pests will drastically decrease. For instance, there are many of wild bird species that will feed on pest/insects. If you have bird feeders or birdbaths, then there is a high probability that these birds will pay you a visit. Some others such as hummingbirds are attracted to bright flowers. Most of these birds will in turn feed on the pest around your home thus eliminating your pest problem.
3. Natural and plant-based repellents
In this case, if your pests are insects such as cockroaches, fleas, ants or mosquitoes, cedar oil is a safe and non-toxic repellent. Even though it is repellent to the pests, cedar oil has a pleasant smell and is gentle enough to be applied on human and even on pet skin. To ensure that this method works efficiently well, you can dilute cedar oil with some water and then spray it on the areas that your pests frequently visits. Another effective natural repellent is the citronella oil which is found in bug repellent candles. The oils are good for repelling mosquitoes and even flies. Lemon and eucalyptus oils are also useful for tick control. Some other non-toxic repellents are boric acid as well as Castile soap.
4. Stop inviting pests
Sometimes you may have unintendedly invited pest to your house. The conditions in which you live in or the way you tend your garden can be one of the main reasons you have the pest problem. So it is recommended that you keep your critter habitats, for example, woodpiles far from your house. It is also good that you ensure that the loose window screens and shingles and other entryways are properly sealed to inhibit the possibly of pest entry in your house. Also, ensure that your home is kept clean, this is because loose grains, pet food, food residue and filled garbage cans serve as a source of food to these pests.
1. Safe for children
Eco-friendly pest control techniques are essential especially if you have little ones around your home especially toddlers and babies. The little ones love putting anything in their mouth. Therefore if you are using toxic inorganic pesticides in your home, they can be dangerous especially if your child picks something around the treated area and puts it in his/her mouth. To avoid this, natural/eco-friendly method serve as an alternative and therefore your baby will be able to roam freely.
2. No possibility of resistance
Nowadays, most pests have developed resistance to the inorganic chemical methods. This resistance has been proven to be genetically transferred to the offspring. If resistance is developed, this renders the conventional chemical methods ineffective.
In this case, eco-friendly pest control methods serve as an effective alternative since the pests cannot develop resistance to the natural methods.
3. No adverse effects on your landscape
In case you require to extend your pest control to the outdoors eco-friendly techniques are the most convenient means in this case. For instance, toxic chemical sprays can have negative results on the environment. Some can kill grass and plants; others can influence soil fertility and even poison the ground. Therefore using natural methods will save your yard or garden from chemical exposure and ensure that you have beautiful and scenic landscape.
4. Target specific
Eco-friendly pest controls are only target specific and do not have any negative effects on other organisms or materials. This is not the same case to the chemical pest control methods. Most of the chemical used for pest extermination have been known to affect some beneficial insects other than the target pest. Others have been known to affect the materials they are intended to protect.For instance, some pest control chemicals intended to kill termites that invade the structure of your home have been known to eat away the wood. This means that they are no better than the pest themselves since they cause more destruction even after performing the tasks they were intended to perform.
5. Carbon footprint
Eco friendly pest control methods have a minute impact on the carbon content in the atmosphere. Carbon footprint is the measure of carbon emission to the atmosphere. The use of chemical pesticides contributes to the greenhouse gases in the atmosphere. The gradual increase in greenhouse gases is associated with climate change. The increase in greenhouse gases also contributes to the depletion of ozone layers thus resulting to direct sunlight reaching earth surface which causes a global increase in temperatures. Natural method, such as the use of baits and traps or even repellents have no impacts on the environment. This means that they are safe to use anywhere in your house or landscape.
In summary, one should opt for eco friendly pest control methods due to their numerous advantages as well due to their environmentally friendly nature.