Discussions

Insects in the house or around the house - or on you - can be dealt with very inexpensively, no matter what the ads say. You don't have to buy expensive and dangerous poisons and repellents to be rid of them.  
 
Some things seem to work for all bugs, among them:  
 
Bay leaves. Put them in dry goods like flour and corn meal to keep bugs out.  
 
Spray flying and crawling bugs with liquid dish detergent, or more frugally, a homemade all purpose cleaner. Or use rubbing alcohol.  
 
Roaches, especially, can be stopped by spraying hair spray on them.  
 
Mint is said to repel everything from mosquitoes to mice.  
 
Borax mixed with sugar, flour or cornmeal is poison to insects and animals - and people. Use cautiously if you have children or pets.  
 
Citrus, as in lemon or lime, is said to repel flying insects.  
 
Tea tree oil, lavendar oil, eucalyptus, cedar shavings and garlic juice have all been used to repel insects from skin.  
 
Out of doors, use hot ground peppers or pepper spray around plantings. This not only keeps away bugs, but it will keep cats and dogs away from them.  
 
There are many more folk remedies that work well and don't cost much at all to use. Next time you reach for the bug spray... don't. Think instead of a cheaper, wiser and safer way to do it.  
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