Pests at home are extremely bothersome. No matter how cleanly you maintain the house, these little uninvited guests figure out ways to sneak in and wreak havoc! While there are plenty of insect killers available, they tend to be harmful and unsafe to be used repeatedly.

Thus, it is better to opt for natural remedies whenever possible. Luckily, there are hidden gems lying in your kitchen that are not only useful ingredients for cooking, but also form a part of your arsenal to get rid of pests at home.  

Fend off flies

There hardly is a sound more annoying than the buzzing of flies, and to make things worse, they contaminate food too. Flies strongly dislike the strong scent of mint, so you might scatter around bunches of mint leaves wherever possible. This will not only fend them off but diffuse a pleasant minty aroma around the house as well.

Banish the ants

Seeing a line of ants marching in your kitchen is a disturbing sight. So what can be done to destroy their happy parade? As much as they like being together, ants also share a common distaste towards powdery substances.

Create a long, thin line with powdery substances, such as cornflour or black pepper in their path to stave them off. Alternatively, you can clean your kitchen counters and other surfaces with white vinegar, which works as a natural ant repellent.

Trap the cockroaches

Cockroaches are never welcome, and despite our continuous efforts, they seem to never take the cues. However, the following method, acts as a "no entry" sign for them using only a couple of pantry staples.

Chop one onion and mix it with a teaspoon of baking soda — place this mixture near cockroach hotspots daily and wait for the magic to happen. Another natural remedy is bay leaf. Pack bay leaves and leave them in hard to reach areas. Slowly, but you will see cockroaches disappear.

Eliminate wood pests

The little insects that somehow make a home in cabinets and wardrobes are often hard to spot, and even harder to get rid of. Fortunately, they too dislike a strong aroma. This calls for you to forage your kitchen for all those wonderful aromatic spices — clove, cinnamon, and bay leaf. Pack them into little pouches, store them in your cabinets, and bid goodbye to wood pests for good.