From The Straits Times    |

Image: pinkomelet / 123rf

Don’t need to get yourself a cat or douse your home in pesticide, we’ve got tips on how to make your home free of cockroaches and lizards!

FOR COCKROACHES

  • Avoid giving them a reason to stay by wiping out all possible nesting grounds, such as piles of newspapers or cardboard boxes. Cockroaches can live up to a month without food, but will last only a week without water, so be sure to keep your home dry.
  • Wipe surfaces with a mixture of water and a few drops of tea tree oil, or dip cotton balls into tea tree oil and leave them in the corners of the home to deter cockroaches.
  • If you spot a cockroach, reach for homemade pesticides that won’t harm you and your family. Mix three parts fabric softener with two parts water and use it as a pesticide spray.

FOR LIZARDS

  • A mixture of pepper, chill iand water, sprayed onto corners and tight spots will keep lizards out.
  • Onion and garlic, mixed with water, works just as well as the mixture above. For added measure, place cloves of garlic in trouble spots.
  • Fool lizards into thinking that larger predators live in your home by placing empty eggshells in corners, as their scent deters them. Don’t wash out the eggshells, and be sure to replace them every week.
  • Roll a mixture of coffee powder and tobacco powder into small balls in your palm to make homemade lizard poison.

TIP! Seal up all possible hiding spots for these pests–such as cracks in walls and corners – with sealants or caulk, which are available at all hardware stores.

 

This story was originally published in Home and Decor. For more stories like this, head to www.homeanddecor.sg.

ALSO READ: REVIEW: Clean Your Way Home

Coach ID Lanyard
Now $75
Original price: $168
Shop Now
Jabra Elite 4 Wireless Earbuds
Now $88
Original price: $162
Shop Now
BaByliss Air Pro 2300
Now $63
Original price: $144
Shop Now
Abib Collagen Eye Patch
Now $19
Original price: $35
Shop Now