Ants, snails, aphids, mites: pests are in season in the warm season and attack garden plants as well as the kitchen and dining room. If you don't want to use pesticides to fight reptiles and insects, you can use tried-and-tested home remedies. Baking soda was touted by grandparents as a miracle cure for pests. But what's behind it: Is baking soda actually really effective and why are more and more experts recommending against its use?
Baking soda against ants: Is the home remedy effective and, above all, insect-friendly?
Baking soda is said to fight ants quickly and reliably. But this is not the truth. It's true that ants die when they eat baking powder with baking soda. Since the home remedy itselfDoes not attract insects, you often mix sugar with baking powder. The home remedy eliminates a chemical reaction that severely damages the insect stomach. Even if the ants don't eat the baking soda, chemical burns can be fatal to them.
However, this method is not recommended. We list several reasons why you should avoid it.
- It is a cruel and painful death for the insects. For this reason alone, it is not advisable to use the home remedy.
- Other insects, mostly beneficial ones, are also attracted to the sugar and baking soda mixture and can die if they eat it.
- Added to this is the fact that only the ants that are looking for food come into contact with the baking soda, eat it and die. The insects that remain in the nest, i.e. the so-called soldiers and the queen ant, are hardly affected by this. In the short term, this will lead to a reduction in the number of ants in the kitchen or garden. After just a few weeks, the queen ant laid new eggs and new workers hatched.
- Also birds,Hedgehogs and other garden animalscan become sick if they eat the killed ants.
Alternative to baking soda against ants
- Relocate ants. For this purpose, put straw in a clay pot, spread it with jam and place it over the nest.
- Drive the ants out of the house and garden with strongly scented plants such as lemons, lavender oil or thyme.
When baking soda is dissolved in water, a reaction is released that disrupts the aphids' breathing. In contrast to other pests, the home remedy proves to be very effective here. Some of the aphids escape, others die. The baking soda also has other advantages against conventional commercial pesticides.
- Baking soda ventilates and is not harmful to people or pets. Therefore, it is a good option if the houseplants are attacked by aphids.
- Baking soda is not harmful to beneficial insects such as bees, butterflies and other insects with wings.
- Baking soda is not harmful to plants.
Fill 1 liter of water into an empty spray bottle, add a tablespoon of baking powder with baking soda to the water, slowly stir the solution with a spoon and spray the affected plants immediately after preparation.
Baking soda against snails: less effective than expected?
Similar to ants, baking soda also triggers a reaction in snails. The moisture is slowly removed from the reptiles until they die in agony. For this reason alone you should not use the home remedy. But there are also other arguments that speak against it:
- Sprinkling the baking soda is a tedious and time-consuming task.
- Baking soda is not rainproof and dissolves in water. Therefore, regular sprinkling is an absolute must.
- Baking soda is particularly effective when sprinkled in spring. Food for the reptiles is scarce and they are attracted to the home remedy. If you reduce the number of pests in your garden at the beginning of the gardening season, things will be easier in spring and summer.
Several methods that have proven effective in the garden and can completely replace baking soda are:
- Snail fence around the vegetable patch.
- Copper tape against snailsattach to the buckets
- Collect snails.
Baking soda as a proven home remedy against mites
Baking soda proves to be an effective remedy against mites. It refreshes the mattress and removes unpleasant odors. Proceed as follows:
- First, sift the baking soda and then distribute it evenly over the entire bed. It is best to sprinkle it directly on the mattress. The reaction time is 2 hours, after which you can vacuum up the home remedy.
- It also helps if the humidity in the room is between 40% and 50%.
baking powderis a home remedy, which my grandparents already used to combat various pests. In some cases, home remedies can cause more harm than help. In other cases you can apply it.
