8 Pet-Safe Pest Control Products
Updated: Mar. 29, 2023When you choose products to rid your yard and home of pests, keep the health of your family and pets in mind.
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Pet-Safe and Pest-Free
When purchasing products to rid your home and yard of pests, always read labels and ingredient lists, and use products that do not contain harmful chemicals or other toxic ingredients. DEET, used in many pest control products, can be dangerous to pets, as can metaldehydein, found in some slug, snail and rodent control products. The following products repel insects, mammals and other critters you don’t like, while posing no danger to your beloved pets.
Diatomaceous Earth
This powdery, pet-safe substance is made from fossils called diatoms. Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth wherever you see signs of unwanted insects like bedbugs, roaches or fleas. Insects with exoskeletons dehydrate when coming in contact with diatomaceous earth, but pets are not harmed by it. It’s sometimes used to prevent internal parasites, or dusted into a pet’s fur for treatment against fleas.
Fly Paper
Sticky fly traps attract and catch flying insects like houseflies and gnats. These traps are non-toxic and placed on a window where flying insects hang out, but up and away from your pets.
Deer, Rabbit and Snake Repellent
This product, made from natural organic ingredients, smells bad to the animals you don’t want eating your plants and hanging out in your yard. But you can’t smell it, and it won’t harm your pets.
Nematodes
Microscopic nematodes (Steinernema feltiae) feast on cutworms, grubs and other lawn ruiners, but are harmless to humans and pets. Instead of using potentially harmful chemicals, spray or sprinkle this earth friendly product with nematodes on the soil to eliminate insects.
Pet-Safe Plants
Many plants can be used to repel gnawing insects from vegetable and flower gardens. Lavender and lemon balm are pet-friendly plants mosquitoes loathe. Oregano contains carvacrol, a natural insect repellent, and basil is an aromatic fly deterrent.
Two Cents
No one knows for sure why this folk remedy keeps flies away, but it works. Place a few pennies in a clear food storage bag filled with water and hang on the porch and other places where flies gather. Make sure the bags are secure so pets can’t swallow the pennies.
The Power of Citrus
Citrus oil extracts are eco- and pollinator-friendly and safe to use around people and pets. But they are deadly to ants, roaches, palmetto bugs, fleas, silverfish and many other insects. You can safely spray your home or garden’s perimeter with citrus extract products to eliminate these bugs.
Repel Without a Sound
Ultrasonic pest repellers are surprisingly effective. Use specific frequencies to repel mice, squirrels and other pests from your home without harming people or pets. Skeptical? Almost three-quarters of its 1,600-plus reviews on Amazon give it four or five stars.
Up next, check out these top-rated pet safe cleaning products.
