Tag: natural

  • 6 Natural Ways to Rid Bugs from Your Kitchen

    6 Natural Ways to Rid Bugs from Your Kitchen

    BUGS…No matter how hard you try, you’ll probably find a few of them in your kitchen. They sneak in through tiny cracks in your walls, foundation, and may even hitch a ride in on someone’s shoes. Thankfully, once they’re in, you have several methods of getting rid of them that don’t require the use of pesticides. After all, you don’t want those harmful chemicals in your kitchen.

    1) Put a Basil Plant on Your Kitchen Counter

    Basil smells great. Many people find that its aroma adds a little something to air quality in their homes. It’s also a great additive to your foods, as it works well on things like baked chicken and pork chops. This amazing, multi-use plant can even repel any insects that try to find their way indoors. Although humans like the smell of basil, most bugs are turned off by it and will head back outdoors from whence they came. Thankfully, live basil plants are easy to find. They’re sold in the produce section of many grocery stores.

    2) Place Bay Leaves Around Your Kitchen

    Bay leaves can add plenty of flavor to your food, and they can keep bugs at bay. No matter the form of the bay leaves – dried or fresh – bugs hate the smell of them, so they’ll steer clear. If you’re worried about insects getting into your flour, dried beans, rice, any other grains, or the other opened containers that you have stored in your pantry, just place a bay leaf on top of them, inside of the package. You will never have to worry about weevils again. Plus, the bay leaves don’t harm the food, so everything stays edible.

    >> Weird Fabric REPLACES Paper Towels – Check It out <<

    3) Purchase or Make a Batch of Hot Pepper Wax Insect Spray

    Along with the smell of basil and bay leaves, insects absolutely hate hot pepper spray. You can make some yourself by mixing together water, dried red pepper flakes, and even a few drops of liquid hot sauce. With that said, many stores sell this pre-mixed, as well. The liquid contains capsaicin, the stuff that makes the liquid spicy, which deters insects such as spider mites, aphids, and more. It’s harmless to plants to the point that you can spray it right on and everything will be fine.

    4) Mix up Some Essential Oils

    Essential oils are great for clearing out your sinuses, relieving stress, and much more. But did you know you can even mix a few of them together and use them to ward off insects? Some suggestions include tea tree oil, lavender, lemongrass, citronella, and peppermint. Mix them into a spray container and mist the corners of your kitchen.

    5) Place Some Food Grade Diatomaceous Earth in Your Kitchen

    Food-grade diatomaceous earth won’t harm humans, but it does kill insects. It will remove all of the moisture from the insect’s casing, forcing it to dehydrate and die. Now there’s an easy solution to your insect problems!

    6) Make a Fly Trap Out of Vinegar

    Vinegar, which is a great all-natural cleaning solution, is also one of the crucial components of a fly trap. Place a little bit of vinegar in a bowl (you can use either white vinegar or apple cider vinegar – both will work just fine), and then add in a bit of dish soap. Fruit flies will be attracted to the sweet smell of the dish soap, but when they hit the liquid, the vinegar will kill them. You can set a trap by placing some plastic wrap over the top of the bowl and poking a few holes in it. The flies will get in, but they can’t get out.

    >> This Natural Cleaner DESTROYS Stains And Odors <<

  • 11 More Natural Mosquito Repellents

    11 More Natural Mosquito Repellents

     

    From the early 90’s encephalitis scares to today’s news of Zika and West Nile virus, people are looking for as many options for mosquito repellent as possible.  And, thanks to the chemical scares that occurred long before, effective organic options are highly desired.

    Fortunately, there are a number of options to make spring and summer night much more comfortable and much less life-threatening.

    From Lemongrass to Citronella Oil

    One of the most well-known mosquito repellent plants is lemongrass. Lemongrass is the plant citronella oil is extracted from. Use as a natural spray, burn in candles or put in oil burners to create a “safe area” outdoors.

    Basil

    Yep, the same stuff you use to cook with and make pesto.  Adding this to your outdoor garden or in pots on your patio will do more than keep you cooking with fresh herbs.  The fantastic smell it gives off will also ward off several types of insects including mosquitos.

    Catnip

    Not just for making your cat go gaga, Catnip is also known as one of the powerful natural insect repellents. It is actually 10 times stronger than DEET.  Whether you use it fresh by planting it in your garden or buying an essential oil version, the aroma will repel mosquitos (and your cats will LOVE you).

    Lavender

    Lavender’s aroma is popular for its calming effect on us, but did you know its also a great mosquito repellent?  Fortunately, because of its popularity as a stress reliever, it’s very easy to find.  From candles and incense to essential oil to wear or disperse through a burner, you can de-stress and be bug-free all at the same time.

    Marigolds

    Another option to add to your garden, Marigolds are not just colorful, they are a natural mosquito repellent.

    Cedar

    This natural option works on more than just moths. Used to make some repellent sprays on the market, you can make your own with essential oils.  The smell is not only repellent to mosquitos but destructive for them as well.

    Chamomile

    Keep that used tea bag instead of tossing it.  Since most tea bags can be used more than once, just make one cup for you and one cup to cool and add to a spray bottle for a fresh smelling repellent spray.

    Chrysanthemums

    These beauties are known for their insecticide compounds.  Chrysanthemums contain Pyrethrum. This compound actually attacks the nervous system and disrupts female mosquitoes. They are also a great air purifier so feel free to plant them inside and out to get their full benefits.

    Horsemint

    Several members of the mint family are known to be effective repellents.  In the case of horsemint (aka bee balm) simply crush them to release the essential oils and rub onto your skin.

    When planted outdoors, it will also attract bees and hummingbirds to your garden.

    Related Article:  “Natural Relief for Insect Bites”

    White Sage

    This particular plant will keep blooming all summer making consistent repellent for mosquitos and several other animals, including deer.  Just keep an eye on them, they can be invasive if left alone.

    Lemon Verbena

    As the name suggests, this herb has a very lemony aroma that is ever stronger when crushed.

    You Don’t Have to be Afraid to go Outdoors

    Creating a mosquito barrier around your home can go a long way to making your backyard activities much more comfortable and safer to your health.  Thanks to the options we’ve discussed above, you have a number of ways to accomplish building a barrier without having to rely on harsh chemicals that can pollute the environment.

    [Bonus] 3000-Year-Old Experiment Promotes Natural Healing – Pain Relief, Heart Health and Optimal Blood Pressure without drugs or surgery.

  • What Does “Free Range” Really Mean?

    What Does “Free Range” Really Mean?

     

    With an increase in animal rights and animal cruelty awareness, the words “free range” has become a more common sight on packaging at the grocery store.  It labels animal products from animals that are farmed in a way that gives them access to outdoor spaces and free access to grazing for food.

    However, since there are no government regulations for the term “free range, ” the images you may have in your mind of wide open chicken yards and pastures dotted with happy cows communing with nature may not be exactly what is happening.

    So, what does the term “free range” actually mean for most animals?

    Free Range as defined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has only been applied to meat chickens.  It does not actually include egg sources or other livestock like cows, turkeys or pigs.

    For chickens, “free range” is defined as having access to the outdoors each day.  It does not stipulate a specific amount of time, however.  This lack of a more designated regulation means that chickens who spend all their lives in cramped pens with only a small hatch to the outdoors open for a few minutes daily are in the same category as chickens who roam free, only going inside at night to roost.

    Essentially, the current USDA regulations mean that the chicken only needs to have a glimpse of the outdoors every day to qualify as free range. And, since the USDA regulations don’t apply to other animals or egg sources, any company can add “free range” to their packaging without risk of breaking regulations.

     

    Look for the HFAC Certification

    Fortunately, there is a way to ensure you are buying a truly “free range” product without having to visit each provider yourself.  The Humane Farm Animal Care organization (HFAC) certifies farm with their own set of regulations to qualify as free range.

    If a farm has received the HFAC cert, it signifies that chickens have at least two square feet per bird inside their pens and must be allowed to spend a minimum of six hours a day outdoors as weather permits.

    The HFAC has even taken these principles a step further by including a “Pasture-raised” certification.  To qualify for pasture-raised status, the farms are required to provide over 100 square feet PER bird.  Additionally, the birds are allowed to live outdoors year-round in rotating field areas.  A shelter is provided specifically to protect them from bad weather and predators, not as a way to “store” them.

     

    Certified Organic Qualifications

    Another way to ensure you are buying actual free-range products is to stick to “certified organic” products.  These products are regulated by a much stricter set of regulations that includes a reasonable definition of free-range treatment.

    Look at it this way.  A farm claiming to have free-range eggs won’t suffer any penalties or fines if it isn’t true.  However, if a farm claims to have Certified Organic eggs and are caught not adhering to those standards, they will be hit with severe penalties and fines.

     

    Always Check the Packaging

    So, now you know that even if a product is labeled “free-range” it doesn’t always mean what it should.  Instead, check for the HFAC cert info or for the Certified Organic info if you want to make sure that what you are buying actually fits into the category of free range as it should.

    Taking a little time to double check will help ensure you are getting the healthiest possible product for you and your family.

     

    [Bonus] My Chicken Coop Plans have helped THOUSANDS of people…Use my proven tips for lasting results.  <<<Learn More Here>>>