• Essential oils can keep pests at bay.ants & aphis image by Marek Kosmal from Fotolia.com
  
  No one likes to have unwanted guests like bugs and mice move into the home, but many homeowners are reluctant to use poisons and harsh chemicals to get rid of those creepy crawlies. Chemicals and other toxins cannot tell the difference between a mouse and the family cat or dog, and it can be dangerous to use those products around children as well. That is why so many homeowners have been looking for a more natural approach to pest control, one that incorporates natural products like plants and essential oils to keep those unwanted visitors at bay.
  
  

Keep Ants Away with Peppermint

• Peppermint is the perfect choice for keeping ants where they belong, namely outside your home. If you have a problem with ants, planting a row of peppermint plants around the perimeter of your home works to keep those pests from entering your home. Ants hate the smell of peppermint, and they will be reluctant to cross its path. When the ants have already infiltrated the home, treat the kitchen with essential oils of peppermint, spearmint and other strong scents to send them packing.
  
  

Keeping the Aphids Away

• Chances are you have seen an aphid or two in your life if you are a gardener. While there are many chemical preparations that promise to keep aphids away from your plants, those chemicals can have some unwelcome side effects. For that reason, many gardeners choose to use natural products to keep aphids off the leaves of their plants.
  
  One of the best essential oils for this purpose is cedarwood. Aphids are naturally repelled by the scent of cedarwood, so sprinkling a few drops of the oil on the leaves of the plants helps to keep an aphid problem from developing. Other essential oils that repel aphids include hyssop, spearmint and peppermint.
  
  

Keeping Fleas Off Your Pet

• Once a flea problem has taken hold, it can be all but impossible to get rid of without spraying the entire house with chemicals. That is because flea larvae can hide just about anywhere, including not only on your pet but in the fibers of your carpet and furniture as well. Therefore, the best way to deal with a flea problem is to stop it from taking hold at the source. Using essential oils like lavender, spearmint, peppermint and lemongrass can keep those fleas at bay. Place a little bit of the oil throughout the home, especially around pet beds and other areas where your pets like to lie, to keep those fleas away.