By Emilie Gruben.
Most of us are homemakers, I think. Whether you plan on continuing the craft for years to come, or are stepping back from some of the responsibilities, I think we can all use a bit of unity and instruction from others. I’m always learning from experienced mothers, young women, and even younger siblings of friends and acquaintances. There are so many unknown secrets in the world of housekeeping, and I always wish I knew more. As it is said in Proverbs 24:3-4, “Through wisdom a house is built, And by understanding it is established; By knowledge the rooms are filled With all precious and pleasant riches.”
We are instructed to be homemakers and be diligent in our work for our families, God, and ourselves, as well as to heed the wisdom of our parents and those before us. We can find wisdom in so many places, especially other mothers, aunts, women at church, or speakers at conferences or Bible studies. Wisdom can be great in meaning, or so simple as a dusting recipe. So today, I hope that this practical post is just that for you: a source of wisdom, encouragement, and interest. Now, let’s get into it, shall we?
Over the summer, my family had a horrible clamor of fruit flies taking refuge inside of our house, who refused to go away no matter what we did. We had to have some construction work in our kitchen, to replace the countertops. But something hindered the repairs. The flies were simply everywhere, and threatened to get into the setting glue for the counters, as well as sporting general nuisance. Home life was on edge by constant buzzing, and the thought of eating with the pests was nigh unbearable, and having people over was out of the question. Something had to be done. So we went to the internet and others’ directions. We tried many remedies, but perhaps one of the best was the simplest.
All you needed was a small saucer-like bowl. Put a quarter sized amount of dish soap into the dish-the best is Dawn or some brand like that, but a more natural brand will work, as well. Then, you took about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and poured it into the dish soap. You could use normal vinegar, as well, though the apple cider smells slightly better, I think. Next, you placed plastic wrap over the top of the bowl, and with a toothpick, pricked holes into the plastic wrap. Be careful to not stretch the holes or poke too many more than eight or nine, because the holes are where the pests enter. You don’t want them to escape!
We placed these traps all around, and soon found a smaller amount, by the day. A few other helpful tools were vacuuming up the flies with a wand attachment to quickly and efficiently get them off walls, curtains, and cupboards. We made an effort to clog each and every drain that we could think of, immediately after using the water. Putting all food away off of counters was a must. Taking trash and recycling outside, immediately, also became a habit for a few weeks. And not sweeping and vacuuming every day was not an option. After doing each of these, we saw enough of a change to just recruit some simple plug-in bug zappers, that really didn’t work as well as the others, honestly. We found that ugly strips of fly paper were virtually useless and troublesome. The basic homemade remedy produced the best outcome. Maybe simple is better?
If you liked this small glance of life/recipe type of article, please let us know! Practical articles like these could be improved by your feedback and interests. Have any of your own tips for getting rid of unwanted insects? Let me know!
Post a Comment