I use a flyswatter. Sometimes I use the bottom of a shoe if the wasp it walking around on the floor.  However, Tipnut has another suggestion for getting rid of wasps,

Here’s a quick DIY I saw on my local news (tv) using an empty jar, orange juice and a bit of jam (you’ll find the soda pop bottle versions I published previously underneath):

• Punch a hole into the jar lid that’s about as wide in diameter as the base of your pinky finger (you want the wasps to crawl in but not be able to fly out easily).
• Fill jar about 1/2 full with orange juice (can also use orange soda or some sweet & fruity smelling liquid).
• Smear raspberry or strawberry jam underneath the lid.

What’s really great about this article? The comment section. Go read them…

Hopefully ants are hibernating about now during cold weather in most of the U.S., but when they do come out they can be a real pain.  If you have had ant problems in the past and need to get rid of them, here’s a quick and easy tip from Pinterest:

Mix two tablespoons of borax with jam, jelly, honey or syrup until there is a paste. Smear some on some paper or a plate and put it where the ants are at. They should flock to it and eat it and take it back to the nest and it will act as a natural ant killer.

What a great idea!

A gentleman strolled up the City Hall’s information window today and asked to contact our Parks and Recreation Department. He was seeking help from a specialist on how to get rid of sand fleas. He has a sand box for his toddler daughter, but when he let her play in it she came back covered with flea bites.

How do you get rid of sand fleas?  eHow Health offers a solution,

1.  Remove all of the sand from the sandbox. Shovel or pour it into a strong garbage bag. Take it to the dump. Put it in the back of a truck, if you can, to avoid getting fleas in your vehicle. You may be able to put it at the curb for regular garbage pick-up, if there is a reasonable amount.

2.  Wash your sandbox with a water and vinegar mixture. Mix about half and half in a bucket. Dip a cloth in it, and wash the box vigorously.

You may not want to have to buy all new sand, but it’s worth it.

Photo from Pinterest.

The worst insect problem I’ve had at my house recently was the invasion of gnats this past spring.  During the summer, we’ve also had to deal with moths of every shape and size.  The mild winter last year coupled with the hot temperatures and plenty of rainfall in the spring causes a moth population boom!  We didn’t do a lot with the moths, but we set out several cups of our vinegar and dishwashing liquid concoctions to deal with the gnats. After a month, they finally disappeared.

Everyone deals with insect problems at some point.  Thrifty Fun addresses how to deal with different types of common insect problems,

Spider Mites: These tiny bugs (usually red, white, or spotted tan in color) feed underneath the leaves, spinning fine webs along the veins of the leaves and leaving the plant with a gray webby look and anemic foliage. Original infestations are most likely to occur from plants that have been kept outdoors and then moved inside. Some of their favorite hosts include ivies, dracaenas, figs, hibiscus, Norfolk Island pine, and scheffleras. Heavily infested plants should be tossed out as they are difficult to control in large numbers. If you are lucky enough to notice a mite problem before your plant has sustained significant damage, take it outside, lay it on its side, and blast the undersides of the leaves with a spray from the hose.

Read the whole article to learn more about aphids, mealybugs, and more!

We have mosquitoes about the size of birds in my part of the country. I love sitting outside, but at a certain point each year I’m driven indoors because of the pesky blood suckers.  I might have to try this homemade mosquito repellent,

Here’s what you’ll need: essential oils (citronella and lemongrass are musts, I also like lavender or you could use tea tree oil or geranium oil for tick protection), 14 oz. bottle of witch hazel (available in grocery stores & pharmacies usually close to the rubbing alcohol), a spray bottle (or two–one for home and one for the diaper bag/car), a jar for mixing, and a funnel.

Click through to read all the directions!

I love foggy mornings for this exact reason.

Photo by kmqinmel.

My dad has a little clay dish that sits on the windowsill next to his chair.  In it he drops his collection of squished ants that seem to always be parading by.  On my own desk at work, I usually crush at least two or three little ants a day as they march around thinking there’s something sweet to be found.  (We won’t talk about the time I left the half cup of lemonade and found 200 ants crawling on it the next morning…)

So yes, those little critters can be pesty.  Want to get rid of them?  Here are some tips on how to do it au naturale from Life Hacker,

Besides Borax, you could also sprinkle a baby powder firewall near the ants’ point of entry to make ants inside your home lose their scent trail, get lost, and eventually die.

To discourage ants from coming inside your house, the baby powder trick may work as well because ants won’t climb over the powder.

Go read the rest of the wonderful ideas… I’ll try some myself but probably not the cucumber idea.

I admit it!  The 13-year cicadas have been very loud.  But unless you have been hiding under a rock, you KNOW they are numerous and loud.  Apparently a family may not have heard that the machinery they reported when they called 911 were our infrequent visitors.

From Times News.net,

... when the deputy arrived, the complainant told him he had already driven the whole road “and could not find anything making the noise.”

Davis said the residents were told it would stop in about a week and a half.

No arrests were made on the noise complaint.

You saw it here!  The cicadas are leaving us soon. I’ll miss them, I will.

With the warmer spring air around us, it means tick season has begun.  Several years ago I actually contracted Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever.  I had found one tick on me that spring before red dots showed up all over my hands, arms, feet, and abdomen.  I was given antibiotics (if I remember correctly) and it subsided.

I was thoroughly creeped out to the point that I almost didn’t want to go outside again, but that’s really not possible!  Instead I take precautions when I go outside for anything more than walking to my car to go to work.

• Use bug spray whenever possible (sure you may smell bad but you might avoid lyme disease!)
• Always check yourself when you come inside, particularly your ankles.
• Wear long socks and pants when you can.

Do you have any tick stories?  Ew!

Photo by Jerry Kirkhart via flickr creative commons.