VegSocUK Infosheets
                               GETTING RID OF PESTS

   We all sometimes suffer from uninvited guests and, although we don't want to
   harm them, we do want to persuade them to leave our property. Here are some
   suggestions that might help:

  ANTS

   Ants are harmless and are only looking for sweet stuff when they come into
   the house, so keep all sugar, jams, honey, cakes etc in tightly closed tins
   and jars. Wipe kitchen surfaces down with a solution of equal parts of
   vinegar and water. Find where the ants are entering the house, block up any
   obvious holes and cracks and sprinkle red chilli pepper and/or paprika and/or
   dried peppermint or pennyroyal across their line of entry. We have also read
   that they dislike coffee grounds, if placed in a dish on the worktop, they
   will avoid the entire worktop. Crumbled bay leaves or sprigs of pennyroyal in
   cupboards and corners may also act as a deterrent.

  BIRDS

   If birds are scratching up your seeds or eating your lettuces you can deter
   them with sillouettes of hawks (on sale in many garden centres), scarecrows,
   strips of coloured plastic or tinfoil flapping in the breeze on strings.
   Please don't fasten lengths of cotton or nylon over your rows of
   plants/seeds. Birds may get entangled in the yarn and may even lose a leg.

  CATS

   Can make a mess of your garden if they decide its a good place to use as a
   lavatory. Try jam jars half full of water left at intervals in the flower
   beds, rose prunings placed around your most precious plants and some say a
   length of hose pipe left on the lawn frightens cats, who mistake it for a
   snake.

  FLEAS AND TICKS

   Feed brewers yeast and garlic to pets. Fennel, rue and rosemary repel fleas.

  FOXES

   Urban foxes can be a nuisance in gardens and may pose a danger to small pets
   like rabbits and guinea pigs. For advice on deterring them humanely, ring the
   Fox Project Adviceline 081 317 996.

  HERONS

   We hear that a plastic replica heron standing by your poolside will deter
   live herons from feeding on your fish as they assume the pool is already
   occupied and fly past.

  HOUSE FLIES

   Try vases of fresh herbs around the house, or hang up dried herbs in winter.
   Eau-de-Cologne Mint, Penny Royal, Rosemary, Rue, Thyme and Tansy are said to
   repel flies.

  MICE

   Look for humane mouse traps like the Triptrap, in pet shops and garden
   centres. These trap the mouse alive and you can release it away from your
   property, it will need to be taken about a quarter of a mile away or it will
   find its way back! You must inspect these traps regularly or the mouse will
   die of thirst which is more cruel than a conventional mouse trap, and
   remember to store the traps in such a way that no animal can get in
   accidentally when you are not using them. If you can't find humane traps in
   the shops, contact: Thomas Birstall, Batley, W Yorks. Tel: 0924 474373 or
   Wholistic Research, Bright Haven, Robin's Lane, Lolworth, Cambridge  CB3 8HH.
   Tel: 0954 781074.

   The Centre for Alternative Technology sell a humane mousetrap; #4.90 from
   Mail Order Department, CAT, Machynlleth, Powys SY20 9AZ.

      A wide range of humane traps suitable for many small animals, eg mice,
   rats, squirrels, foxes, minks and pigeons can be obtained from: Killgerm
   Chemicals Ltd, PO Box 2, Ossett, West Yorkshire, WF5 9NB. Tel: 0924 277631.

   Unlike the TripTrap, their mouse box will catch several at once, so may be
   more suitable if you have a serious problem.

   Sonic deterrents which are supposed to emit a sound too high for human
   hearing, but unpleasant to rodents and other small animals, are becoming
   widely available. Trent Mail Order Co, 118 West Street, Faversham, Kent, ME13
   7JB sell a model that claims to have the approval of the Canadian Agriculture
   dept.

   If you do not have cats in your house it may be worth "borrowing" a friend's
   cat and let it roam the house for a while, the scent of the cat may put of
   the mice becoming established or building nests.

  MIDGES

   A dab of lavender or citronella oil is said to repel midges. We've also heard
   that biting insects are attracted by colour contrasts, so if you are pale
   skinned, wear pale colours, if dark skinned, wear dark colours.

  MOLES

   One idea is that you should locate the moles run by drawing a line between
   two mole hills, dig down until you find the run, then insert  the movement
   from a musical birthday card. It seems moles detest noise and will all
   abscond to your neighbours' garden. Another method is to place a number of
   children's toy windmills around the garden so the sticks are embedded in the
   mole runs. As the wind turns the windmills, it sets up vibrations which the
   moles dislike.

  MOTHS

   Place cedar chips or lavender sachets amongst clothes.

  WASPS

   These insects get a bad press. They really do a very important job of
   maintaining the balance of nature by preying on other insect pests and they
   are not vicious by nature. They don't attack humans unless provoked but

   unfortunately, people panic when they hear the buzzing, wave their arms about
   and practically ask to be stung. Keep calm. To keep them out of the house,
   make sure all sweet things are securely covered. Put net curtains at open
   windows and bead curtains over the kitchen door to discourage them from
   flying in.
   ___________________________________


//
This article is copyright to the Vegetarian Society (UK), but may be freely
copied for non-commercial use provided it is kept intact, not altered
and these lines are included.

For futher information contact: The Vegetarian Society, Parkdale, Dunham Road,
Altrincham, Cheshire WA14 4QG, England. Tel: (England) 061 928 0793
email: vegsoc@vegsoc.demon.co.uk
//



[The text of this file was obtained from the Vegetarian Society (UK) in
March 1995.]