Have you ever seen those videos of owners sneaking up on their cats while they're eating and placing a cucumber behind them? If you haven't, when the animal turns around and sees the cucumber, it freaks out, jumping up and trying to get away. The cats seem to be really afraid of the fruit! But cat's aren't alone - when it comes to organic pest removal, there are a lot of other pests that can't stand cucumbers either. What's the deal?
Why are pests afraid of cucumbers?
Just in case you were wondering, ABC News explained that cats have an instinctive fear of snakes. When they turn around and see a long, snake-looking shape, their response is fear. Other pests have their own reasons however. According to Grandma's Home Remedies, pests like raccoons are repulsed by the smell of cucumbers. And when cucumbers grow, they grow on prickly vines. Raccoons don't like to touch these, so they wouldn't go near a cucumber even if they wanted to.
Cockroaches and ants are also in opposition of the fruit, reported the Gazette Review. There's a chemical that's specifically in the peel of cucumbers that kills fungi that these insects would feed on, reported the source. If they run into a cucumber, they know they won't be getting any food from it, so they'll high-tail it out of there.
How to use the cucumber repellent effectively.
Surround your garden with cucumber plants, recommended Garden Desk. The prickly vines will act as a barrier from hungry pests, like the picky raccoon. Ant control and cockroach control are just as easy, explained the Gazette Review. You can either use cucumber peels or cucumber slices to ward these pests away. Find where the insects are congregating and place the peels in these problem areas. If you can get them near their home that is best, but otherwise you can create a barrier around the places of your home where you've noticed them most. Don't forget to replace these every now and then, you don't want them to start rotting because that'll be a bigger mess for you to clean up.
Of course, not all pests are afraid of cucumbers, so if you notice that your garden is still being destroyed by something and you don't know what it is, it may be time to call in a professional pest exterminator.
You probably already know that most people are repulsed by the simple sight of cockroaches. If you are personally dealing with a cockroach infestation, the feelings of disgust are probably even more intense. Unfortunately, the cold winter weather tends to be one of the reasons this pest ends up in your home in the first place, according to Any Pest. While you may know that you don't want to share your home with cockroaches this winter, there are a number of interesting facts about this pest that you've probably never heard.
Because of the high amount of traffic and the versatility of the facilities, pests are naturally attracted to long-term care institutions. Many nursing homes, rehabilitation centers and other care facilities include on-site kitchens and cafeterias as well as private rooms and common spaces. All of these places are susceptible to attracting pests because of the presence of food, water and viable habitats.
During the summer months, some people love to go camping with family and friends. Yet this fun trip can be ruined with a few unwanted visitors, most notably different types of bugs. Crawling spiders, hungry mosquitoes and buzzing flies can become annoying quickly. How can you avoid these pests when you're outdoors? Consider these tips to keep bugs out of your campsite.
Carpenter ants can chew through the strongest studs and stringers in a house as they hollow the wooden beams out for nesting. The resulting damage can weaken the home's structural support and require expensive repairs. Professional pest control workers can remove a colony of ants, but the best practice for homeowners is to learn the best ways to keep out an ant colony and prevent the problem before it begins.
As the weather cools, you'll probably see fewer pests than you did during the warmer months, but that doesn't mean they're all gone just yet. Some insects can actually come out in full force during the autumn, while others might seek refuge in your warm home. Here are some key tips to keep in mind as fall gets underway:
As the middle of summer approaches, you need to be vigilant about keeping your garden free of pests. Many insects breed during the summertime, which means they're on the lookout for great places to lay their eggs. For many bugs, that means near a source of food. In fact, some species of insects will lay their eggs inside budding vegetables and fruit so their larvae have something to eat as soon as they hatch. That's why you have to keep harmful bugs out without damaging the bugs that could help you, such as bumble bees.
You might have noticed that, with the exception of the kitchen, you find more pests in your bathroom than in the rest of your home. This is because insects and rodents see the bathroom as a convenient watering hole. Pests love leaky pipes and standing water because these offer them a hydrating oasis in the otherwise dry biome that is your house or apartment. And if your bathroom develops mold, all the better for pests, who may eat fungus or use it to lay their eggs.
