Nothing turns people off more than a swarm of insects, more so, when you have just started sipping the vintage single malt and about to lunge for the juicy and rare-done steak amidst a nicely set garden party. Those insects can be anything – a swarm of ants, or cockroaches or fleas, but the least you can expect here is a varied level of compassion; in short, the feeling runs dry upon confronting what we may term collectively as pests.

So you decide to spray some real effective chemicals around for pest control the next time you throw a similar party, but hold on; have you ever thought of the consequences? As far as human knowledge goes, the taste of single malts does not get enhanced with tiny droplets of poisonous chemicals floating in it; neither does the steaks get an extra dose of marinade with chemical pesticides. So let’s be humans and keep killings at bay; why go for a mass murder if we can defend our own territory? Natural pest control measures do just that and moreover, save you from the long-term effects of detrimental chemicals.

Say, the ants; these visitors no doubt marks an onset of the summer but they also take control of your tables, decks and cabinets without any prior permission. They love giving surprise visits; therefore, doors are not the way they come in through. You need to find every fissure and crack through which ants enter and then spread cayenne pepper, citrus oil or grounded coffee beans over and around that area. For ants already inside, cucumber peels, garlic cloves and spearmint leaves are highly effective ingredients; for outdoor infestations, sprinkling cornmeal on and near the anthills shall do wonders. Ants like the taste of cornmeal but are unable to digest; kill an entire colony by playing this simple trick.

For cockroaches, catnips are effective and so is beer. Put the first one wherever possible in the house while the second one needs to be placed being soaked in bread to kill them by dozens. Else, you may try spraying soapy water; it shall break the exoskeleton, but is a time-consuming process.

However, if it’s the mosquitoes, then as a primary natural pest control measure, standing water needs to be thrown out from your house. Apply eucalyptus oil on yourself before enjoying your drink in the garden; however, you can avoid it by planting sage, rosemary and marigold. Or even better, burn the wood from eucalyptus trees to create smoke and see how you avenge the annoyance you once received from the little nuisances.