Latest news with #FantasticPestControl
Business Mayor
29-04-2025
- General
- Business Mayor
Households urged to sprinkle 75p kitchen staple in garden to keep 3 pests away
Pests can ravage your garden (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto) If pests like foxes, rats and pigeons are intruding on your garden, there is one effective and humane way to get rid of them – without damaging your plants. Better still, you likely have it in your kitchen cupboard. There are few things worse than spending all year cultivating your garden only to have it picked apart by greedy animals. Pigeons are known to dive down and peck away leaves and blossoms, leaving just the stalks and veins behind. Meanwhile, foxes and rodents love munching on any fruits and veg you have growing. Worse still, these animals are also known to spread disease. In particular, rats can carry leptospirosis – otherwise known as 'rat bite fever' – and is spread through their saliva and urine. If contracted by humans it can cause severe symptoms like headaches and swollen lymph nodes. Some rats carry rat bite fever (Image: Getty Images) READ MORE: Robins will constantly return to your garden if you own exact item So, how do you get rid of them? While you can call the exterminators on rats and set up snares for foxes, it can be a better, cheaper and kinder idea to try to deter them from your garden first. Equally, it's worth remembering that killing nuisance birds like pigeons is actually illegal in the UK. They're protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act from 1981, which prohibits the harming of wild birds, their nests (while they're occupied) or their eggs. A great and safe way to prevent them from snuffling around your garden is to make it less appealing. This can be done by adding foods or herbs that they dislike the smell and taste of. Lucky for humans, while many of us enjoy a spicy meal, pests certainly do not. Fantastic Pest Control advises sprinkling spices around your plants to keep naughty critters at bay. One of the best options is chilli powder is a natural deterrent for many animals as they find its intense flavour irritating to digest. Much like with humans, it burns their mouths and triggers pain receptors. Chilli powder can deter pests (Image: Getty Images) Fortunately, if you don't have chilli powder at home, they also aren't a fan of the strong kick that comes from cinnamon, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Simply leave fabric bags near your plants, or scatter it directly into the soil. Most of these spices can be picked up cheaply at your local supermarket. For examples, Sainsbury's sells chilli powder for just 75p. Although, it's important to note that this is just a temporary solution. You will need to top up your spice barrier after it rains, as otherwise it will be washed away. If you notice animals are still coming back, there are other measures you can take. This includes covering your crops with a netting that blocks animals from worming their way inside. Alternatively, be careful not to overfeed your crops with fertiliser or compost. The excess food may attract animals to your garden beds.
Daily Mirror
29-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Households urged to sprinkle 75p kitchen staple in garden to keep 3 pests away
If your garden is being chewed up by greedy pests then make sure to add this one cheap item to your plant beds - which will help keep hungry critters away for good If pests like foxes, rats and pigeons are intruding on your garden, there is one effective and humane way to get rid of them – without damaging your plants. Better still, you likely have it in your kitchen cupboard. There are few things worse than spending all year cultivating your garden only to have it picked apart by greedy animals. Pigeons are known to dive down and peck away leaves and blossoms, leaving just the stalks and veins behind. Meanwhile, foxes and rodents love munching on any fruits and veg you have growing. Worse still, these animals are also known to spread disease. In particular, rats can carry leptospirosis – otherwise known as 'rat bite fever' – and is spread through their saliva and urine. If contracted by humans it can cause severe symptoms like headaches and swollen lymph nodes. So, how do you get rid of them? While you can call the exterminators on rats and set up snares for foxes, it can be a better, cheaper and kinder idea to try to deter them from your garden first. Equally, it's worth remembering that killing nuisance birds like pigeons is actually illegal in the UK. They're protected under the Wildlife & Countryside Act from 1981, which prohibits the harming of wild birds, their nests (while they're occupied) or their eggs. A great and safe way to prevent them from snuffling around your garden is to make it less appealing. This can be done by adding foods or herbs that they dislike the smell and taste of. Lucky for humans, while many of us enjoy a spicy meal, pests certainly do not. Fantastic Pest Control advises sprinkling spices around your plants to keep naughty critters at bay. One of the best options is chilli powder is a natural deterrent for many animals as they find its intense flavour irritating to digest. Much like with humans, it burns their mouths and triggers pain receptors. Fortunately, if you don't have chilli powder at home, they also aren't a fan of the strong kick that comes from cinnamon, cayenne pepper and black pepper. Simply leave fabric bags near your plants, or scatter it directly into the soil. Most of these spices can be picked up cheaply at your local supermarket. For examples, Sainsbury's sells chilli powder for just 75p. Although, it's important to note that this is just a temporary solution. You will need to top up your spice barrier after it rains, as otherwise it will be washed away. If you notice animals are still coming back, there are other measures you can take. This includes covering your crops with a netting that blocks animals from worming their way inside. Alternatively, be careful not to overfeed your crops with fertiliser or compost. The excess food may attract animals to your garden beds.
Daily Mirror
24-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Banish ants and flies in your home this summer using just one natural cure that they hate
As we enter the summer months, hungry flies and ants will be sneaking into UK homes hoping for a fermented feast. Fortunately, there is one cheap and easy way to put them off their dinner The warmer days are finally here, and many of us will be looking forward to getting out and about in nature. As much as you may love the great outdoors, however, there are certain elements that most of us hope to keep firmly outside our homes - pesky flies and ants. Everything blooms in springtime, and this unfortunately also includes hungry insects hell-bent on nibbling away at your BBQ leftovers. Thankfully, there is a way to banish cheeky flies and ants from your home this summer, and you'll likely already have all you need lurking at the back of your fridge. READ MORE: 'Powerful' natural item to bury in hydrangea soil to help huge blooms It's all too easy to roll out the welcome mat for these tiny unwelcome guests. Sweet-toothed ants may be lured by the slightest spill of a fizzy drink or a stray drop of honey. They will also leave a scent trail which serves two purposes - allowing them to find their way back to their nest, and guiding their fellow hungry ants in the direction of the tempting food source. All too quickly, you may find your kitchen becoming the go-to dinner spot for a minuscule army. Flies have slightly different palates, but ultimately, their quest for food will also result in the same tiresome issue. Overripe or decaying fruit - and especially bananas - will send fruit flies buzzing straight in the direction of your kitchen counter, as will wine, beer and spoiled milk. Fruit flies specifically seek out fermenting organic matter, which provides both a food source and a place to lay their eggs. Meanwhile, houseflies, the other type of fly commonly found in domestic spaces, love nothing more than decay and rot, and will likely find the contents of your bin positively delectable if it's been out for a few days in the heat. Fortunately, there is a natural solution that will put off ants and flies alike - a good old-fashioned lemon. As previously reported by the Daily Express, experts from Fantastic Pest Control have revealed: 'While the lemon method will not kill the ants or flies, it is a powerful deterrent and can force them to relocate for good." All you need to do is figure out the places where the ants and flies are getting in, and place half a lemon there, replacing it before any decay can set in. And if this doesn't do the trick, you can take things a step further. According to the experts: 'Dilute the juice from four lemons in one litre of water and use a baster to squirt this concoction into the nest entrances. You can also use this mixture to clean your floor and kitchen counters to remove any scent trails used by the ants.' Meanwhile, pest control gurus at Abell claim adding cloves to a lemon could well work like a charm, suggesting: 'Lemons and cloves are two natural scents that can help keep the common ants and flies away. Using lemons and cloves to keep these pests away is an easy and fast remedy, as flies and ants can't stand the smell of either. 'Use two lemons and cut them into halves. Then insert between six and 12 cloves directly into the lemon halves. Place the lemons, which almost look like a decoration, on a plate near your meal. No flies or ants will bother you as you dig in.' Easy peasy, lemon squeezy.
Daily Mirror
23-04-2025
- General
- Daily Mirror
Get rid of pigeons from your garden with four quick and humane deterrents
Pigeons are a common sight in the UK, but their droppings and feathers can quickly turn your garden from a peaceful sanctuary into a battlefield. Here's how to get rid of them Pigeons may be harmless, but that doesn't mean you want them loitering in your garden all day and night. Pigeons often get a bad rap. Their cooing can become incredibly loud, and they're notorious for wreaking havoc in gardens with their droppings and feathers. Their faeces are highly acidic, which can stain surfaces and accelerate their deterioration. Moreover, they're known to ravage crops, flowers, and vegetables in your garden, as well as frightening away friendly wildlife - making them less than ideal garden guests. However, it's important to remember that under the Wildlife and Countryside Act of 1981, it's illegal in the UK to harm wild birds, their occupied nests or their eggs, but that doesn't mean you can't discourage them from your home. So, how can you rid your home of pigeons? Fantastic Pest Control has offered four quick and humane methods to deter these birds from your home, ensuring they "won't bother nesting" and "wont come back". Firstly, experts suggest trying a traditional solution, which involves hanging unwanted old CDs or other shiny objects around the garden, like tin foil. These reflective surfaces create a prism effect, which can temporarily impair the birds' vision. There are numerous items in your garden that could attract a pigeon, but it's best to avoid increasing this attraction by leaving food out for them. If pigeons are fed, they will return. However, bear in mind, if you don't leave bird feed out, it won't just be pigeons that go hungry. The most crucial time to feed birds is during spring and early summer when food supplies are scarce. Another method of deterring them is to scatter strong spices that pigeons reportedly dislike - such as cinnamon, black pepper or chilli spice. You can, for instance, hang fabric bags filled with these spices around your garden, or simply sprinkle them in the soil or grass. Remember, this is only a temporary solution, and you'll need to keep replenishing these - particularly after it rains. Foxes and cats are also said to 'hate' these potent smells, so they should also be deterred from your garden. Finally, experts suggest you could try spraying them with a hose, but this will only be effective if you catch them before they start building nests. You can use your garden hose for this, or purchase an automatic water jet to protect certain areas of your garden. Once they've established nests, your impromptu spraying won't prevent them from returning home.
Daily Record
22-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Record
Rid your garden of pests with leftovers from your fruit bowl this spring
The parts of your fruit you would normally throw away can be the perfect pest deterrent With temperatures now increasing, more and more people are spending longer in their gardens. It's the perfect time of year to get your garden ready for summer, however one with warmer weather comes more pests. The annoying creatures can cause chaos to your plants and lawn, which can be very frustrating if you have spent time and effort getting them ready for the brighter days. And It's peak season for garden pests as they are hunting for food sources after coming out of hibernation or having recently just hatched. Later this month and May is when the pests start to reproduce, forage, and roam so gardeners will be looking for ways to banish them. However, before people spend money on harsh chemicals, experts are warning that one natural product, that you'll likely have at home, will be more effective to get rid of them from the garden. Orange peel doesn't just smell and taste incredible to humans, they are also packed with organic compounds which ants feed on. By tossing orange peels around your garden or near ant trails, you disrupt their food source and make your garden less attractive to them, reports the Express. Fantastic Pest Control has urged gardeners to use orange peels as a powerful and organic way of getting rid of ants. Their website reads: "Orange peels are very useful when dealing with an ant infestation in lawns. Believe it or not, they are deadly to ants. The organic components they contain are toxic to the favourite meal of ants – fungi. "Since ants will search for fungi, if they can't find them, they will choose another garden. Collect the peels from the oranges you have eaten and spread them in your yard." By placing and sprinkling orange peels around the plants you'd like to protect, this will create a barrier thanks to the strong scent and the d-limonene which is found within the peels of citrus fruits will help you bid adieu to those unwanted garden guests. This will also work for insects like aphids and whiteflies, as the d-limonene will interfere with their nervous system, and be toxic to them. This is also toxic for mosquitoes and flies who can quickly ruin an otherwise lovely Easter lunch or peaceful evening in the garden and turn into an insect-infested annoyance. Make sure to replace the orange peels once they have dried out as the scent and oils they emanate are key to deterring pests and can prove to be a powerful and cost-free way of getting rid of them in no time. Rats are known for causing chaos in peoples home and gardens, especially during the summer months. Their gluttonous need for food and their burrow-digging antics infuriate home owners. People are often tempted to set traps or leave poison to stop the rats in their tracks, but this can end up harming other wildlife. Peppermint – either from oil or plants – is known to fend off the pests. An expert said: "Peppermint oil works a treat to keep the rats out for a long time." Diane Moss suggested: "I love peppermint oil for this. Rats hate the stuff. It worked in my garden and house."
