Organic control of Household Pests

[Guest guest]

Hi all,

Got this book by Jackie French from the library because I thought it might

give me some tips on my DS!!! However it turned out to be a pretty good

book, even though it is written by an Australian author and some of the

advice, i.e. on funnel web spiders, is not relevant, I learnt a couple of

things.

If you are stung by a bee or wasp apply a slice of onion, it will relieve

the pain. I had never heard of this, I remember my mum used to apply

vinegar to a wasp sting when we were kids and it used to help.

Using lavender as a really good mosquito/midge repellent - Scotland here I

come!!! The other remedy from the aborigines is to smear on some oil and

then coat yourself in sand!!!

Flea deterrents - lavender again. I have some powder which includes

lavender and garlic (which I have yet to use on the cats and furnishings) it

is from a company called By Natural Selection. I didn't want to go the

insecticide route now I have a wee one. Also, an old bush remedy for fleas

in the bed was to bring a young lamb inside and put it in the bed before you

got into it. The fleas will jump onto the lamb, which was then put outside.

Hmmm....

Did you know that rhubarb leaves are a very powerful insecticide???

Anyway to get to my main point and question, she recommends pyrethrum spray

(which you can make yourself) for severe cases of insect infestation.

Pyrethrum spray is made from the Dalmation Pyrethrum (Chrysanthemum

cinerarifolium) - you pick the blooms, let them dry, grind them to a powder

and mix with water. However, I have tried briefly to find sources of

information about this on the net and they mostly say that it can be a bit

dodgy. I would like to know if anybody knows anything about it and its use.

Many thanks,