Frontier Fridays: Those Horrid Insects!

Here are some old remedies for something that we still have today - BUGS!

Chiggers:  Kerosene oil ad table salt, equal parts.  (I don't know if kerosene oil is good on the skin?!!)
 Rub chigger bites with an aspirin tablet, slightly dampened.  On first bit, let a drop of ammonia touch the affected spot.

Roaches: Scatter sodium flouride around their haunts such as dark corners, closets, around water pipes.  Use liberally.

Ants: Gum camphor will keep ants away.  Also use powdered alum scattered around the house.  Also cucumber peel on shelves.  Cloves on shelves will also deter ants in the pantry.

Moths: To keep moths out of clothing, sprinkle with pepper or tobacco.  It does not leave an unpleasant small and can be easily shaken out before wearing...(boy have we changed our opinion on tobacco smell!!)  Moths also don't like turpentine.  put several teaspoon in the wash for blankets. 

Also for moths, keep the peeling from lemons and hang them in bags in your closets.  When they dry the odor will keep away the moths.

Red Ants: Sprinkle broken bit of licorice about the pantry shelves. Borax is also useful but use it in the crystal form rather than the powder.  Also put sage on the shelves for keeping red ants out.

Houseflies:  Put a sponge in a saucer and saturate with oil of lavender.  Put one in each room and no flies will stay.

Borax sprinkled around the doors or on porches will keeps bugs out.



After all these years we are still searching for remedies for chigger bites, red ant bites and houseflies!!