Guess who had two thumbs and remembered she is supposed to actually write posts if she wants readers to read stuff? That's right, Auntie K.
Summer pests are a pain in the patootie. I hate them, you hate them, we all hate them. Some of them are useful, others make you want to lay waste to the entire world. Some of this is common knowledge, some are old wives tales I've tested.
Indoor Pests: Okay, this is obvious when I say daily housecleaning keeps them to a minimum but I take it a step further with natural cleaning products. No, not the ones you buy in the store, I mean the ones you can make at home. My two favourites are an orange peel cleaner and a pine needle cleaner. The orange peel cleaner smells lovely and I have no allergic reactions to it (I'm allergic to store bought citric cleaners). I use it mostly for countertops, stove top, wiping down the fridge, and general bathroom cleaning. The pine cleaner I use for mopping, washing down walls and ceilings, and other basic deep cleaning. I'm told it also keeps spiders and cockroaches away. Just peel 2 of your favourite citric fruit (I love oranges and lemons) and soak the peels in vinegar for couple weeks, strain the vinegar into another container or spray bottle and use as needed. Same goes for the pine cleaner, toss some pine needles into vinegar instead.
Vaseline. I know, weird but it works against ants. Using your finger or a q-tip, rub vaseline around cracks to deter ants from coming in them. Outlets, light switches, windows, etc. A further step is to caulk your baseboards to the wall and floor and then line it with vaseline as well. Wash away and repeat as needed.
Outdoor Pests: Wasps are easy, just hang a paper bag outside to make it look like a wasps nest and they will avoid building a nest nearby. Too easy. Just replace as needed when the weather acts up.
Mosquitoes! Hate them with a passion. First, make sure your area has no standing water. You can dab some Vicks on your scent spots such as behind your knees, the crook of your elbow, behind your ears, back of your neck but this is not the only way. You can also take some ground coffee (used or fresh from the tin) and burn it like incense to repel the pesky biters. Just put the dry grounds in safe container (I have a small cast iron pot for this) and burn them like you would incense. Citronella, Lavender, and Thyme planted in your garden helps as well.
I promise to try to keep a posting schedule in the future. No guarentees!