Herbal Housekeeping

[Guest guest]

I thought this was interesting...

Be Well,

Misty

http://www..com

 

Herbal Housekeeping

 

Here are some tips to aid your spring housecleaning--and some plants

you might want to add to your garden this year to help with housework

chores all year long.

 

Moths aren't the only pests you can use herbs to repel. Fleas and

mosquitoes will avoid pennyroyal. Rub the fresh leaves on your skin

(but not on your face) or package the dried leaves to put in a pet

bed.

 

Tansy was often planted around the foundation of old houses because

ants do not like to pass through it. Ants don't like catnip either,

and a sprinkling of it along an ant path will encourage them to turn

around and leave. But just try to keep catnip in the ant path

if you own a cat!

 

When Italian cooks discovered that houseflies don't like basil, they

placed a sprig of it over a bowl of tomatoes as they worked.

(Fortunately, the basil and tomato flavors do like each other.

 

Clover flowers and sweet bay are also useful in keeping away flies,

so a bouquet of green and purple fidyl basil, sweet bay and red

clover not only looks and smells good in the kitchen, but keeps away

the flies as well.

 

Mint repels mice; long stems of it placed along the eaves in the

attic will encourage mice to seek a winter home at your neighbor's

house instead of yours.

 

Anise, on the other hand, attracts mice, so a little anise oil or a

few anise seeds mixed with peanut butter is far more effective than

cheese as bait for a mousetrap. Velerian is also good bait for mice,

as well as for rats.

 

Bay leaves will keep weevils out of stored flour, cornmeal, and other

 

grains. A whole bay leaf laid on the top will not flavor the food at

all, but will protect a whole container full.

 

The fungus that infects dried beans and grains can be prevented by

placing a small, cheesecloth " sachet " filled with broken cinnamon

stick, black peppercorns, coarsely ground black mustard seed, and

green garlic into each gallon can or jar.

 

Although dogs and cats aren't properly classified as pests, they are

not welcome in garbage cans; very quickly discourage them by giving

the can covers a good sprinkling of cayenne pepper.