by Carolyn Swicegood, Hollywood, Florida

Safe and NaturalPest Control

Cockroaches• Prevention -- Close off allcracks around pipes and electric lineswhere roaches enter the house byusing cement, screening, or Brillopads. Caulk small cracks along base­boards, walls, cupboards, and around

squ eze the juice of a lemon into thehole or crack. Then put the lemon peelsall around the entrance.• Grow spearmint, peppermint,pennyroyal, southern wood, and tansyplants around the border of your hometo deter ants and the aphids that theycarry.• Fire Ant - Killing the egg-lay­ing queen i the only way to destroythe colony. Choo 'e a day when theground is dry and the rain is at least aday away. Then gently sprinkle a tea­spoon of instant grits on each fire anthill. The worker ants carry the grits tothe queen who eats them. When shedrinks water, the grits expand in herstomach and kill her. The remainder ofthe hill die within a day. (FromTightwad Gazette II book.)• Note that different types ofants have different preferences, sowhat works for one type may notwork for another.

Ants• Wash countertops, cabinets,and floor with equal parts vinegar and

ater to deter ant infestations.• Sprinkle powdered cinnamonon ant trails. Several types of ants won'tcross a barrier of cinnamon powder.• Use powdered charcoal, bonemeal, talcum powder, or chalk as abarrier along ant trails.• Parrot cage legs can be placed

ithin 'hallo pans filled with water ­like small moats that ants cannot cross.• Locate the ant colony and pourboiling water into it. If you can find ahole where ants are entering the house,

BOlle 11leal, baking sodal,'illegar

Jchalk) clolJes,

oatlneal luith a Red lory

guarding the supplies.

• Place saucers of fruity fragrantwine with a few drops of detergent inareas frequented by fruit flies.Chardonnay wine seems to be theirfavorite.• Place fragrant fruit such asmango peels in the bottom of wine bot­tle . Fruit flies fly in and cannot fly out.• Plac sticky fly strips (withoutpesticides) into an old bird cage orbasket out of the reach of children,bird, and other pets. Make your own'ticky paper by boiling sugar, cornyrup, and water together. Spread the

Inixture on brown paper grocery bags.

Fruit Flies• One aviculturi 't came up iththi ingenious 'olution. She placessome of the bird I di carded oft foodin a plastic Ziploc bag in the evening.By morning, the bag i full of fruit flieand is sealed and thrown out.

M ore than a billion pounds ofpe ticide are u ed annuallyin the nited tat s. While

agriculture i the major user home useis increasing rapidly for control of cock­roache ants, mosquitoe flies, fleas,and other pe ts. The average gardener 'hed contain enough chelnical ' to kill

his entire fami!y several tiln s over.Pesticides are toxic substances usedspecifically becau e they do kill or hannliving thing' and sometim ' it 'eelnsthat they are mor hannful to human'than to insects. Insects are adept atbecoming immune to pe ticide' hutobviou ly e and our companion ani­mal have no 'uch built-in sy'tem ofdealing ith their toxic effect'.

Once pe ticides are in ide ourhomes, they contan1inate our furniture,carpets, and many other surface' formonths or even years. The residuesendure becau e there i' no sunlightfresh air wind, or rain to break then1down or wa h them a ay. The high­e 't levels of pe ticid residue arfound in hou 'e du 't especially carpetdust making pe 'ticide pray on car­pet' a long-tenn hazard to indoorbirds. Parrots are exqui'itely sensitiveto inhaled toxins reason enough forall parrot owner to dilig ntly avoidthe use of ynthetic pesticides.

There is abundant evidence of theri k that synthetic pe ticide pose tohUlnan and animal health. By u'ingnatural pest deterrent that have beenused succe fully for generation " ecan minimize the risk to ourselves andour birds. Here are some natural n1eth­ods of dealing with both indoor andoutdoor pests.

46 May/June 1999

Front row, left to right: grapefruit, lemon, garlic, oranges. Back row, left to right: mintplant, bay leaves, basil plants, thyme plant, and rosemary (lying horizontally).

pipes, sinks, and bathtub fixtures. Sealfood tightly. Rinse food off dishes thatare left overnight. Do not leave petfood out overnight.• Release small geckos in yourhome and aviary. Provide dishes ofwater for them to drink. They will feastupon the roaches at night in the lateevening, and sleep out of sight duringdaylight hours.• Cut Hedge Apples (OsageOrange) in half and place several inthe basement, around in cabinets, orunder th house to repel roaches.Osage Orange is a fast growing shrubwhich can be grown as a hedgearound homes and aviaries. Thecrushed fruits of this plant are said toattract and kill cockroaches.• Baking soda and powderedsugar mixed in equal parts and spreadaround infested area is a non-toxicroach killer.• Diatomaceous earth (DE) canhe sprinkled on areas where roachesare seen. Parrots should not breathethe powder as it is being applied in theaviary. One brand available in naturalfood rnarkets is "Concern" byNecessary Organics, Inc.• If there are no children or petsin the home and if birds have noaccess to the floor, the following rnix-

tures can he used to kill roaches:A-Mix together 2 tablespoons flour,

4 tablespoons borax, and 1 tablespooncocoa. Set the mixture in dishes insidecupboards and behind large appli­ances where animals have no access.

B-Mix equal parts of oatmeal, flour,and plaster of Paris. Set out in dishes.

C-Sprinkle Borax where roachestravel.

D-Set out dishes containing equalparts of granulated sugar and Borax.Roaches are attracted to sugar, and theboric acid in Borax is deadly to roach­es. (Boric acid and Borax are toxic andshould not be accessible to parrots andother pets. Baking soda is said to workas well as Borax in this formula and itis non-toxic.)

Seed Moths• Freeze bird seeds if possibleto kill larvae and store all food in air­tight containers.• Place basil leaves or mintteabags in bags or canisters of birdseed to repel moths.• Place sticky fly strips (withoutpesticides) into an old bird cage or aclosed basket out of the reach of chil­dren, birds, and other pets. Make yourown sticky paper by boiling sugar, cornsyrup, and water together. Spread the

mixture on brown paper grocery bags.• To trap moths, mix 1 partmolasses with 2 parts vinegar andplace in a yellow container to attractmoths. Clean regularly.• Instead of using toxic moth­balls in clothing storage areas, usecloves which work as well. Place themin cheese-cloth or spice bags and hangthem in closets or stored bags of cloth­ing.• Use 1/2 pound rosemary, 1/2pound mint, 1/4 pound thyme, and 2tablespoons ground cloves. Mix andput in cheesecloth bags and place inclosets or drawers.• Make sachets of dried lavenderor equal portions of rosemary and mint.Place in closets, drawers, or closed con­tainers to rnothproof garments.

Fleas• Combine orange peels, grape­fruit peels, 3 garlic cloves, 1 table­spoon rosemary, (optional) and onepint of water in blender. Blend untilliquefied. Heat mixture on low heat for15 minute . Cool and strain liquid intospray bottle. Spray on pet, and mas­sage thoroughly into pet's coat, avoid­ing their eyes.• Vacuum furniture and carpetfrequently. Change bags after each useor store vacuum cleaner outside of

.~ home; clean your pet's favorite sleep­~ ing spots regularly and sprinkle withoQ) fennel or rosemary..~

~ • A ratio of 1 teaspoon vinegar.0

~ to one quart water used as drinking~ water helps to keep most pets free of

fleas and ticks.• Spread leaves or shavings ofFennel, Rosemary, Red CedarShavings, Sassafras, Eucalyptus, orPennyroyal under and around yourpets' beds.• Dust powdered Rosemary(cooking herb) onto the pet or areaswhere the pet sleeps.• Make a water trap by partiallyfilling a shallow pan with water.Suspend light source securely aboveit. Fleas (and other bugs) are attractedto the light and fall into the water anddrown.

Flies• To prevent flies, keep kitchengarbage tightly closed. Sprinkle dry

the afa WATCHBIRD 47

soap powder or flakes into garbagecans after they have been washed andallowed to dry.• In a small glass or jar, pourabout one inch of real cider or redwine. Make a cover with saran wrapand a rubber band. Punch about sixholes with a bamboo skewer or othersharp object. Flies will crawl in butcannot crawl out.• Scratch the skin of an orangeor grapefruit and leave it out; the citrusacts as a repellent.• Hang muslin cloth bags ofcloves to repel flies.• Mint planted dround the homeor grown in pots indoors repels flies.• Basil plants help to repel flies.Water potted plants from the bottom toproduce a stronger scent.• Dried ground leaves of basilleft in small bowls or hung in muslinbags are also effective.• The bruised foliage of theKentucky Coffee Tree when sprinkledwith sweetened water will attract andkill flies.• Make your own fly paper byboiling sugar, com syrup, and watertogether. Place mixture onto brownpaper and place in an empty cage or acovered laundry basket.

Mosquitoes• For prevention, encouragenatural predators such as dragonfliesor praying mantises.• Eliminate pools of stagnantwater.• Avoid wearing perfume, brightcolors, flowery prints, and bright jewel­ry as these items attract mosquitoes.• Bum citronella candles torepel insects.• Plant tansy or basil around thepatio and house to repel mosquitoes.• Neem products repel andaffect the development of mosquitoes.Two percent Neem oil mixed incoconut oil, when applied to exposedbody parts, provides complete protec­tion for 12 hours from bites of allanophelines.

Outdoor Pest ControlSlugs and Snails

• Garter snakes, grass snakes,ground beetles, box turtles, salaman­ders, ducks, and larvae of lightning

48 May/June 1999

bugs all feed on snails.• Place overturned clay flowerpots near the shady side of a plant.Rest one edge on a small twig ormake sure that the ground is irregularenough for the slugs and snails tocrawl under the rim. They will collectthere during the warmest pan of theday. Remove slugs and snails regular­ly and drop in a bucket of soapywater.• Snails avoid protective bor-ders of sand, lime, or ashes.• Protect young plants by encir­cling them with a food can with bothends removed. Push the bottom of thecan into the soil.• Snails avoid garlic, chives, andwormwood plants and spices.

Mice• Place instant mashed potatopowder or potato eyes (buds) in strate­gic places with a dish of water closeby. After eating the powder or buds,mice will need water. This causes fatalbloating.• Use "snap traps" inside a boxwith an entrance hole large enough foronly mice to enter which prevent birdsand other pets from being injured.

Moles• Blend one tablespoon castoroil and two tablespoons liquid deter­gent until the mixture is like shavingcream. Add six tablespoons water andwhip again. Keep this mixture out ofthe reach of children and pets. Fill asprinkling can with warm water. Add 2tablespoons of the oil mixture and stir.Sprinkle immediately over the areas ofgreatest mole infestation. For bestresults, apply after a rain or thoroughwatering.

General Pest Remedies• Diatomaceous earth (DE) canbe sprinkled on areas where pests arefound. It contains the spent shells oftiny sea creatures that are sharpenough to damage the exoskeletonand cause insects to dehydrate. DE isharmless to humans and animals.Some insect ~ggs also are susceptibleto the dehydrating power of DE whichhas a drying effect on ants, roaches,fleas, and ticks. DE is widely recog­nized as safe for use around pets and

humans. Parrots should not breathethe powder as it is being applied in theaviary. One brand available in naturalfood markets is "Concern" byNecessary Organics.• The most effective insecticidethat instantly kills flying and crawlinginsects on contact but does no harm tomammals or birds is the dried andcrushed flowers of the PyrethrumPlant. This brown powder will kill orstun the insects the moment it touchesthem but does no harm to pets whensprinkled on their coats. This memberof the daisy family is a heautiful orna­mental and will complement any gar­den or flower bed. While very effec­tive, the dried powder only lasts foronly a few days. You can prolong itsuse throughout the year by freeZingfresh flower heads in zip-lock bagsand drying and crushing them asneeded.• Neem - the seed kernels ofthe Neem tree Azadirachta indica arerich in limonoids, bitter tasting chemi­cals that effectively block develop­ment, feeding, and egg laying in manyspecies of insects. The most powerfullimonoid (azadirachtin) has been cer­tified by health authorities in the USAand Europe as being non-toxic tobirds, animals, and humans, but high­ly effective against insects. It has beenregistered for pest control in the USand in several other countries.Azadirachtin does not have a knock­down effect on insects but actsagainst an insect's sense of taste andso disrupts its feeding and egg-laying.• Ivory liquid dishwashingdetergent, diluted with water to a 1 to2% solution, provides insect control onmany plants and is easy to mix. Sprayplants until they are drenched.• Repellent sprays made from a"puree of bugs" have been reported asuseful by some gardeners for gardenplants as well as houseplants.• Frogs, spiders, ladybugs, pray­ing mantis, and dragon flies will helpto reduce pest populations around thehome and garden.• One bat will eat up to 600mosquitoes, harmful moths, and otherinsect pest per hour at night. Bats donot attack people or harm pets andcan be encouraged to inhabit "bathouses" on your property. ~