Q. What attracts biting insects to
me?
A.
Your breath is what
attracts mosquitoes and other biting pests. The carbon dioxide (CO2),
moisture and heat that you exhale let the female mosquito know that
there is a warm-blooded mammal and meal in the area. She will navigate
to you by following the plume of CO2.
Q. How do I keep ants out of my
home?
A.
If the ants keep
marching in, try a few of these all natural ant removal tips:
-
If you can find where they are entering your home,
block their entrance with a blob of petroleum jelly, then later
caulk it with silicone.
-
Vacuum up the ants and wipe where they had been with
a sponge to remove the scent trail.
-
Strew the following ant repellents in infested
areas: catnip, mint, cucumber peel, tansy, southern wood, rue or
crushed eggshells.
-
You can put a small amount of powdered soap near
their entrance. The ants will carry it to their nest, where
moisture will expand the soap. It could destroy the nest.
The University of
Maine Extension Service has an old time remedy for a non-toxic ant
removal recipe. To a saucer of water, add a cup of sugar or corn
syrup and four teaspoons of boric acid. Ants can’t resist sweets so
they feast on the mixture and take some to the queen in her nest. The
boric acid finishes them off. Put food stuff in tight containers. The
next step is to set out the banquet for the ants. Remember, without
controls, the insect world could easily dominate our world.