by Catherine Haug, June 22, 2011
The May AARP bulletin offered the following information on avoiding the toxins that are found in many commercial pesticides, by trying effective and safe alternatives (1):
Ants: Spread cinnamon, bay leaves, cayenne pepper, salted cucumber peels or leaves from mint tea bags near their point of entry or along basemboards.
Mice: Place cotton dipped in peppermint oil, or used kitty litter, near problem areas. [The kitty litter option seems odd to me, since if you have the used litter you probably have cats and would not have the mouse problem in the first place. However, if you want to try this, I have lots of used kitty litter…].
Mosquitoes: when you barbecue, throw some sage or rosemary onto the coals.
Carpenter ants: Mix 3 cups hot water, 1 cup sugar and 4 teaspoons boric acid. Soak cotton in the mixture and leave it near places where ants are found. [Boric acid can be purchased at most pharmacies.]