Home - Garden
The Secret Ingredient That'll Send Pests Running From Your Yard
By DANIELLE RAMOS-SULLIVAN
Pests invading your yards can be a nuisance, as they can damage plants, eat crops, and even spread diseases. Ammonia is the natural yet potent weapon that can keep them at bay.
Despite being diluted with water before being made available at stores as a cleaning solution, ammonia is still a pungent gas with a strong odor, which helps deter pesky pests.
Since animals have a heightened sense of smell, many pests become overwhelmed by ammonia's potent odor. It can also cause skin and eye irritation.
Consequently, pests avoid areas with ammonia. Additionally, ammonia mimics the smell of urine, so pests associate it with urine from another animal and flee.
Soak washcloths in the ammonia compound, place them in an open plastic bag, and leave them around your yard's problematic areas. When the washcloths dry out, resoak them.
Ammonia can irritate your skin, lungs, and eyes, so wear gloves and goggles when handling it and avoid using it in areas where children or pets might venture.