Here is a concise summary of the provided text:
**Title:** 17 Natural Pest Repellents to Keep Your Home Pest-Free
**Summary:**
Ditch chemical-based pest control methods! This list reveals 17 natural alternatives to repel common household pests like mice, spiders, mosquitoes, and ants. The eco-friendly solutions include:
1. **Essential Oils**:
* Peppermint Oil
* Lavender Oil
* Eucalyptus Oil
2. **Herbs and Plants**:
* Basil
* Rosemary
* Catnip
* Marigold
* Lemon Thyme
* Neem
3. **Household Items**:
* Baking Soda
* Dryer Sheets
* Aluminum Foil
* Steel Wool/Copper Mesh
4. **Food Items**:
* Peanut Butter (for traps)
* Cayenne Pepper
**Key Benefits:**
* Non-toxic and environmentally friendly
* Cost-effective
* Easy to implement
* Some solutions also offer additional benefits (e.g., medicinal properties, fragrances)
Here are the key facts extracted from the text, numbered and in short sentences:
**Pest Repellents and Deterrents**
1. Peppermint oil can repel mice and ants by irritating their noses.
2. Basil (lemon and cinnamon varieties) can effectively repel certain mosquito species (e.g., Anopheles gambiae).
3. Lavender scent can repel mosquitoes, house flies, fleas, and moths.
4. Catnip (nepetalactone) can repel ants, mice, and mosquitoes.
5. Rosemary can deter flies and mosquitoes.
6. Eucalyptus essential oil can repel spiders.
7. Baking soda can be used as an insect repellent when mixed with sugar (to bait roaches).
8. Marigold contains a compound (pyrethrum) that repels mosquitoes and flies.
9. Original scented dryer sheets can deter mice.
10. Peanut butter can be used in traps to attract and eliminate mice and rats.
**Health Risks and Precautions**
11. According to the Canadian Center of Occupational Health and Safety, pest repellent chemicals may cause headaches, diarrhea, mental confusion, weakness, loss of reflexes, unconsciousness, or even death in humans.
12. Rodents (mice and rats) can infect people with salmonella, rat-bite fever, and lymphocytic choriomeningitis (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).
**Other Deterrents and Repellents**
13. Ultrasonic repellents emit high-frequency sounds that may deter mice (effectiveness disputed).
14. Borax can kill ants, roaches, termites, spiders, and mold (use with caution: keep out of reach of children, wear protective gear).
15. Steel wool or copper mesh can prevent mice from entering homes by sealing entryways.
16. Cayenne pepper can safely deter wild animals (e.g., rabbits, squirrels) from gardens and repel ants, roaches, and other crawlies from homes.
17. Neem oil (2% mixed with coconut oil) offers 96-100% protection against certain mosquito types (according to the Malaria Research Center, India).
18. Lemon thyme can repel mosquitoes, but requires a skin patch test before topical application.