Natural bug killers

Anyone who knows me knows I HATE bugs of ANY sort!  And then we buy a house in the "country."  My husband tells me to "country-up" and (essentially) not be a sissy.  He doesn't want poisons in the house with our little ones, which is completely understandable.  But as I come upon problem upon problem, I am searching for natural methods to deal with these pests (other than stomping on them or squishing them).  Here are a few recipes I have found worked for us so far.  We have only been here a few months so I don't know how long these are effective or to what degree.  But they are worth a try!  I had all the supplies already so there was nothing to lose.  If you have helpful pest control recipes, please share it with me!!!!

SPIDER REPELLANT

   Note that this is a repellant not a killer.  This is based off numerous websites stating smells/tastes that spiders dislike. It is my own recipe.  Put in a spray bottle.

·                            - 2 parts water

·                            - 1 part vinegar

·                            - 20 drops Eucalyptus essential oil

·                            -  20 drops Lavender essential oil

ANT KILLER SPRAY

   This is based off numerous websites stating smells/tastes that ants dislike.  Also, the commercially sold non-toxic EcoSmartAnt Killer contains most of these ingredients.  This is my own recipe and perhaps the amount of oil is excessive but I want them DEAD.  Put in a spray bottle.

·                             -  2 parts water

·                             - 1 part vinegar

·                             - 25 drops Rosemary essential oil

·                             - 25 drops Peppermint essential oil (any mint)

·                            -  25 drops Cinnamon essential oil

ANT KILLER BAIT

  This is from http://naturalantkiller.blogspot.com/  I have used it and, although it took a few weeks, it worked well!

1) Gather some small plastic containers with lids. I will use either Philadelphia Cream Cheese or margarine containers that I have saved. Poke 4-5 holes spaced evenly around the outside each container about an inch from the top. These holes should be about the size of a pencil to allow the ants to enter the container easily. It would look something like this:

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
...X...O....O....O....O..X
......X..................... X
........X.................X
..........X............X
...........XXXXXX

2) Buy a box of 20 Mule Team Borax. This can be found in the laundry detergent section of any large grocery store.

3) Mix the Borax with granulated sugar in a 1:3 ratio. I will prepare 1 cup of Borax with 3 cups of sugar for 6-8 traps.

4) Fill the plastic container about half full with the powder. You want the level to be about 1/2 an inch or so below the holes in the container.

5) Add enough water to make the mixture slightly soupy. The exact amount of water is not important. The mixture will become like syrup over time.

6) Add about 1 teaspoon of peanut butter to the mixture. Stir until well mixed. Place the lid on the container.

7) Set the traps in areas where you find ants. These can be used indoors, but I find it more effective outside the house. I put them near the kitchen window, near the doors, under the house, by trash cans, next to existing ant colonies, or even in the flower garden.

The bait works in two ways. First, it is toxic to ants that ingest it immediately. Second, most ants will naturally transport the bait back to the colony where other ants will ingest the bait and die. Most types of ants will respond to the bait. You will notice some dead ants in the vicinity of the bait within a couple of days. I find that within 2 weeks, it is difficult to find any ants around my home.