Homestead

Victor Poison-Free Ant & Roach Spray

Pet-safe solution for offing bugs

Most pesticides I’ve used are full of chemicals that are toxic to people and pets, but this spray doesn’t have anything like that. The active ingredient is natural mint extract, which is a neuro-toxin to insects. It works just as well or better than any spray I’ve tried, and smells very minty. I’ve been fighting roaches this spring, mainly in the kitchen, and my dog has become pregnant. I have never been a fan of the toxic chemicals in most roach sprays, so when I found this at the hardware store I decided to give it a try (it was also less expensive than the more toxic stuff I’d been using). I sprayed the baseboards and everything in my kitchen, and I found that not only does it kill on contact, the roaches seem to avoid it like the plague for about a month. I have also used it to spray and kill spiders, and it was just as effective. The minty smell is nice in small doses, but when I do my entire kitchen the whole house kind of smells like toothpaste, which opening a door or window helps.

-- Jessica Boydston 05/18/07

(There is also a Poison-Free Wasp & Hornet Killer by Victor, which has been recommended by the HortIdeas newsletter. -- SL — editors)

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