Chiggers

Chiggers do not burrow into the skin. They do not feed on blood. They do not lay their eggs under the skin.

No, what they do is far more insidious. They use their mouth parts to attach themselves to the skin and then inject a digestive enzyme which allows them to suck up the liquified skin cells and eat them.
Why do so many people think that they burrow under the skin? My best guess is that people believe this because there is another organism called a chigoe flea, which is often referred to as a jigger, which does partially burrow into human skin.

By the time you have noticed the itching caused by a chigger bite it is likely no longer there. If you've scratched the chigger bite, you've removed the chigger. There is no point in trying to suffocate the chigger with nail polish since it was never under the skin to begin with.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trombiculidae


Chigger on a dime.
SCHOOL OF WILDERNESS MEDICINE AND SURVIVAL.

Ants Trails and Vinegar

ANTS

USE A 50/50 SOLUTION OF VINEGAR AND WATER TO WIPE DOWN COUNTERTOPS AND OTHER SURFACES—

ANYWHERE YOU'VE SPOTTED ANTS.

 FOR BEST RESULTS, REPEAT THIS SEVERAL TIMES A DAY.

 DOING SO DESTROYS THE SCENT TRAILS THAT ANTS USE TO NAVIGATE.

Spiders and Citrus

Spiders are not fond of citrus. In a spray bottle, mix water and unsweetened lemon or lime juice. Wipe your countertops with the mixture or spray down doorways and windowsills. You can deter spiders in your garden by spreading around lemon, orange, or lime peels. 

Catnip and Mosquitoes

CATS LOVE CATNIP. MOSQUITOES? NOT SO MUCH. ACCORDING TO SCIENCE DAILY, CATNIP REPELS MOSQUITOES MORE EFFECTIVELY THAN DEET. GROW IT IN YOUR GARDEN OR APPLY UNDILUTED CATNIP OIL TO THE SKIN FOR UP TO TWO HOURS OF PROTECTION.

Basil and Flies

Flies hate the smell of basil. To discourage them, place pots of basil at doorways

 and windowsills and on the kitchen counter. Don't have enough sun for potted basil?

 Put dried basil in a small muslin pouch, rubbing it occasionally to keep the scent strong. 

Gnat Killer

 


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Natural Gnat Killer

What you will need:
1 small jar or bowl
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tbs water
1 drop of mild liquid dish washing detergent such as Dawn.

Instuctions:
Pour apple cider vinegar into the jar/bowl. Add water then add just one drop 

of mild liquid dish detergent. Set the mixture in the area where gnats are a problem. 

The gnats are naturally attracted to the vinegar and the drop of soap kills them.

Natural Way Pest Be Gone

Flies hate the smell of basil. To discourage them, place pots of basil at doorways and windowsills and on the kitchen counter. Don't have enough sun for potted basil? Put dried basil in a small muslin pouch, rubbing it occasionally to keep the scent strong. 

Pests, Be Gone! 10 Natural Ways to Make Your Home Critter-Free

No need to use chemicals—instead, use these herbal, fruity, or soap-laden solutions to problems with pests like ants, mice and mosquitoes. | By Jennifer Noonan, BobVila.com

Cats love catnip. Mosquitoes? Not so much. According to Science Daily, catnip repels mosquitoes more effectively than DEET. Grow it in your garden or apply undiluted catnip oil to the skin for up to two hours of protection.

Spiders are not fond of citrus. In a spray bottle, mix water and unsweetened lemon or lime juice. Wipe your countertops with the mixture or spray down doorways and windowsills. You can deter spiders in your garden by spreading around lemon, orange, or lime peels. 

Use a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water to wipe down countertops and other surfaces—anywhere you've spotted ants. For best results, repeat this several times a day. Doing so destroys the scent trails that ants use to navigate.

Wasps are incredibly territorial and will not build a nest within 200 yards of another one. So build or buy your own fake nest! It’s like a scarecrow for wasps. Hang one in the front yard and one in back, and you're done.

Alternately salting and vacuuming your floors will kill flea eggs. But since fleas have a three-day reproduction cycle, you have to be diligent: Salt every day for nine days and vacuum every third day. Don't forget to empty the vacuum every time, or the live ones will crawl right back out again! 

Cinnamon bark oil has been shown to control dust mites. Mix several drops into a 50/50 solution of water and denatured alcohol. Spray bedding,carpets, and any other places dust collects. Added benefit? Your house will smell like cookies!

Trap fruit flies with this simple approach: Fill a glass three-quarters full with vinegar or cider vinegar, then add six to eight drops of dishwashing liquid, and fill to the top with warm water. Gruesomely effective.

Many have had luck deterring deer with Irish Spring soap. Hang it or spike it to a stake near things that deer like to eat. Alternatively, sprinkle shavings or small chunks on the ground.

http://homes.yahoo.com/photos/pests-gone-10-natural-ways-slideshow/pests-gone-11-natural-ways-home-critter-free-photo-220457943.html

Ants and Aspartame

Mosquitoes and Garlic

Swarms of Mosquitoes on my patio led me to an old home remedy - Did you know that chopped up garlic makes mosquitoes disappear? Sprinkle minced garlic around on my patio. I have to stand back as I am using it - mosquitoes will literally swarm out of your plants and bushes to get away from the smell. Works like a charm!! Going to try this next year.

ALSO plant garlic around areas you want to keep mosquitoes away from.

holisticurve.tumblr.com

Mosquito Trap

Modern technology has brought us many benefits, including mosquito traps that cost hundreds of dollars, but sometimes we overlook simple solutions to difficult challenges such as mosquito control. When it comes to controlling pests, research tends to focus on chemicals or concepts that can be patented. Unless someone can make a profit from an idea, the public may never become aware of it.

HOMEMADE MOSQUITO TRAP:

Items needed:

200 ml water
50 grams of brown sugar
1 gram of yeast
2-liter plastic bottle

Or US conversion:
1 cup of water
1/4 cup of brown sugar

HOW:
1. Cut the plastic bottle in half.
2. Mix brown sugar with hot water. Let cool. When cold, pour in the bottom half of the bottle.
3. Add the yeast. No need to mix. It creates carbon dioxide, which attracts mosquitoes.
4. Place the funnel part, upside down, into the other half of the bottle, taping them together if desired.
5. Wrap the bottle with something black, leaving the top uncovered, and place it outside in an area away from your normal gathering area. (Mosquitoes are also drawn to the color black.)

Change the solution every 2 weeks for continuous control.

Aphids And Killing Them Naturally.

Yongxin Zhang: PHOTO CREDIT

APHID SPRAY TO KILL THEM...........

 drops of liquid dish soap
4 cups warm water

Shake well, and spray the leaves and steams of infected plants and surrounding plants to get rid of a current aphid problem. Spray weekly to keep new ones away.

Safety tip: The first time I made this solution I used way too much dish soap and it burned the leaves of my flowers. You really only need a couple of drops

APHIDS have a number of natural enemies. Ladybugs and lacewings eat  aphids. 

PLANT dill, fennel, mint (in potted container - mint will take over your garden), yarrow AWAY from your

garden to attract them to these plants. Grow plants for a homemade aphid control. Plants such as the following are attractive to aphids and good for organic aphid control. Growing these far from other garden plants will lure aphids away and keep the garden aphid-free. NASTURTIUM, ASTER, MUM, COSMOS, HOLLYHOCK, LARKSPUR, DAHLIA, ZINNA, VERBENA ~ also work against Aphids.

Mum, Cosmos, Hollyhock,  Larkspur,Dahlia, Zinna, Verbena  ALSO work against Aphids.

NASTURTIUM

ASTER

Spiders - Get Rid of Them

Ants In The Garden

I had a huge problem last year w/ ants eating my garden. SO, I did this and---NO MORE ants!

I make sure they stay away from our home as well. My little boy (Autism) doesn't have the understanding

that they are NOT to play with. I DO clean my ant "trap" up, so that the new arrivals aren't alarmed!

Get Rid of Ants Solution

This is a recipe for getting rid of those pesky ants that come every spring and summer. Mix up the solution, pack cotton balls in a jar cover, put the solution on and they will be gone.

Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
3 tablespoons boric acid
3 cups warm water

Directions:
1. Mix the sugar and boric acid well.
2. Add the warm water slowly, mixing all the while so it won't be too lumpy.
3. Store in a jar until ready to use.
4. When ready to use, put cotton into the top of a jar lid to fill it and then saturate the cotton to the top.
5. Place it in the location where it is needed.
6. Note: This solution will keep for a long while. A good technique is to drip a drop or two over the edge of the lid to rest on the counter so the ants will find the solution sooner. It sometimes takes a little while for them to find it, but find it they will. When they do, do not disturb them as they drink. They will hang over the edge of the lid and drink for a while and then take it back to the nest killing the colony. Almost overnight they will be gone.
http://bit.ly/AByoPA

Garden Bugs ~ Bad Ones

KILLING Garden BAD BUGS

Homemade All-Purpose Insecticide Spray

The Ingredients

• 15 cloves garlic
• 1 onion
• 3 cayenne peppers (or 3 jalapeno peppers or 1 tablespoon cayenne powder)
• 1/2 teaspoon liquid castile soap (fragrance free)
• 4 cups warm water

Method

1. In a blender combine the water, garlic, onion, and peppers and puree.
2. Pour the mixture into a glass jar, secure the lid, and steep for 6-24 hours on the counter.
3. Strain through a cheesecloth, then add the liquid castile soap and mix well.
4. Load the mixture into a spray bottle and you’re good to go.

To Use
I love this recipe! Try it on a host of pests in your garden and feel free to adjust it as needed with other insect repellent herbs. Spray the tops and bottoms of the leaves, throughly coating them. Store this mixture in the fridge and if it is strained well, it should keep for at least 1-2 months. Note: Be sure to test a patch prior to spraying the entire plant. Take care not to get this on your skin or in your eyes, the cayenne pepper will burn.

Basic Insecticidal Soap

The Ingredients

• 1 1/2 teaspoon any type of liquid soap (i.e. castile, dish washing soap, ivory, etc.)
• 1 quart water

Method

1. Combine all ingredient in a spray bottle.

To Use

Set the spray bottle nozzle to stream and spray infested areas of the foliage. This insecticidal soap works great against some of the most common garden pests such as: aphids, earworms, borers, mites, whiteflies, maggots, moths, and beetles. Note: By adding 1/4 cup of isopropyl alcohol to the above recipe you can create a very mild but effective insecticidal soap that treats scale insects. The alcohol works against the scale’s shell.

Spider Mite Spray

The Ingredients

• 1/8 cup buttermilk
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1 1/4 gallon of water

Method

1. In a bucket combine all of the ingredients and mix completely.
2. Load into a spray bottle.

To Use

Spray this homemade Spider Mite Spray anywhere spider mites are living or crawling. The mixture should rid your garden of all types of mites.

Notes

-Before you set out into the garden to eradicate it…get to know the insects in your area. There are so many bugs living in our little backyard ecosystems — otherwise known as the garden — that are beneficial and need to be protected. Knowing which bugs are there to help your cause and those that are there to destroy it, is a very important part to harvesting a successful crop. Read more here…

-Learn the benefits of companion planting, and plant herbs and flowers that will attract an army beneficial insects to help you take out the bad guys.

-Be sure your plants and veggies are well fed. Fertilizing as needed – with worm castings, compost, fish emulsion, or seaweed – will create healthy plants with “strong immune systems.” Just like humans, plants that are rooted in good, healthy, and nutritious soil will produce a greater resistance to attacks from insects, pests, rot, fungi, and mildew. Read more here… Note: Take care with fertilizer…over use comes with it’s own problems too. It’s all about finding that balance.

Mosquito Repellents ALL NATURAL RECIPE

K. I have a similar recipe here but I'm here to pass great information to everyone!

MOSQUITO REPELLENTS   ALL NATURAL

Do It Yourself - DIY

1/4 cup vegetable oil mixed with these essential oils (mix and store in a spray bottle):
8 drops cedar
5 drops eucalyptus
4 drops lavender
2 drops rosemary
2 drops juniper
1 drop peppermint
1 drop cinnamon
1 drop clove
-OR-
2 cups witch hazel
1 teaspoon vegetable glycerin
20 drops citronella essential oil
20 drops lemongrass essential oil
Mix in a spray bottle and shake well before use.

Bug Bucket Traps

Bucket traps

"Here is an inexpensive solution for ridding the area of bugs," says Ron Stiteler of Clarksville, Florida.

"The buckets are available from dollar stores for $1.00 to $1.50. Use any old lamp fixture

with a 13-watt compact fluorescent bulb to light up the bucket. Coat it inside and out with brush

on "Tangle Trap" formula available in quart or gallon size from Gempler's Hardware.

I went through six of these this summer."

Soft, glowing light

"With photocells at the connections, you will also have soft, glowing,
(moonlight-like) outdoor light in the front and back of your house," says Stiteler.

Detergent traps

"You can also coat bleach and liquid laundry detergent containers and hang them without a
light anywhere you want to slow down being 'bugged,'" Stitleler says.
"Bright blue seems to attract the biting insects better than any other color.

http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/homes-acreages/country-homes/going-green/your-green-projects/