Craft Gossip

Independent craft blog since 2007

How to kill Home and Garden Pests in Winter Naturally

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It is nearly time for winter. While it means that the holiday season will be soon upon us, it also means a certain kind of dread that we feel around our house. Because there will be some unwanted guests in our house and garden. You know who I mean.. the pests!

Fortunately, with some common sense tips and tricks, it is easy to prepare your home and garden for this onslaught. Here are some ideas that will help you defend your valuables in the garden and inside:

Mice in the Da House

No, peppermint and moth balls will not get rid of mice. Using those to get rid or deter mice is a lie perpetuated by the Internet. You know what really works? Peanut Butter :). Peanut Butter is the best way to get rid of mice by trapping them humanely.

Of course, better still, don’t let mice in the house by using these common sense tips:

  • Plug any gaps in the house. Use steel wool. Mice can chew through anything, but not that.
  • Get rid of food around the house – yes, mice will avoid your house if they can’t find anything to chew on.
  • Clean up the clutter. Goes without saying.

Cockroaches

You know what really works to trap these dinosaurs? Grease an empty margarine container and bait it with a little honey. Leave it lying around and come back in the morning to find any of these creatures in their having a gala good time, but unable to escape. Take them to the cleaners!

Coffee and garlic and chilli based solutions in the garden

Use garlic and chilli based spray for small insects such as aphids and caterpillars and espresso based spray for slugs and snails.

Crush some garlic and chilli with some grease or oil. Add to a spray bottle with dishwashing liquid and spray where you have a problem with aphids and caterpillars. Similarly, dilute some real espresso with water and spray where there is infestation of slugs and snails, and you will see a reduction in the problem within a few weeks.

Finally, use diluted milk spray for blackspot and mildew

Yes, just some simple cow’s milk in a ratio of 1:10, mixed with water and sprayed immediately on areas which have a blackspot and mildew problem will do wonders within a few days.

Hope all these natural solutions help you to get ready this winter to defend your home against these pesky pests! Do you have any home made natural remedies that might help our readers?

Comments

  1. When I was stationed in North Carolina, an elderly neighbor of ours who had an amazing garden told us that he soaked a plug of chewing tobacco in a couple of gallons of water and added a cup of dishwashing liquid to make a non-lethal spray. The tobacco repelled the creepy-crawlies and the dishwashing liquid made it cling to the plants.

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Pencil Knitting Patterns

Getting ready for back to school makes me think about pencil crafts, so let’s take a look at some pencil themed knitting patterns! 

I recently made a pencil on a circular knitting machine, and it was a fun, quick, easy project that uses little bits of leftover yarn (and if you don’t have yellow you can make it a colored pencil using whatever color’s your favorite). And if you want to make a bigger version check out this pattern from Orange Olive Road on Etsy.

If you want to knit a pencil pillow by hand, check out Sketchy, available on Ravelry from Shana S. Cohen. This one uses worsted weight yarn and has two size options and the choice to make a pencil with an eraser or a colored pencil. 

Pencil scarves seem to be the most popular kind of pencil knitting pattern, and there are lot of cute ones. This one from Cosy Craft UK mostly uses garter stitch, with some welts to add texture and what looks like an I-cord edging. It calls for DK weight yarn. 

If you want to go all garter stitch try this version from Emsley Co Creations, which uses five colors of DK weight yarn and just a little shaping to make the point of the pencil.

There’s also this fun, mostly stockinette so it looks like it curls a bit, pencil pattern that looks like it’s worked in chunky yarn from Little Knits Studio. This one uses just a little garter stitch and easy shaping for the point. 

If you don’t want a pencil scarf, how about some pencil socks? The No. 2 Pencil Socks from The Yarn Enabler are available from Ravelry and use five colors of sock yarn. They feature wide ribs to mimic the texture of a pencil and have options to be worked from the top down or the toe up. 

Needs Sharpening by Alexander Walker is a free pattern on Ravelry that uses five colors of sock yarn to make a sort of shortie sock. The little bit of black at the tips of the toes inspired the name. These, too, can be worked in either direction and are available in three sizes.