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Ways To Use Coffee Grounds For Natural Pest Control (& 2 To Avoid)
By KARLI EDMONDSON-MATTHEWS
Slugs and Snails
Using coffee grounds is a great budget-friendly tip for keeping snails and slugs out of your garden. Experts note that caffeine used in a soil drench can kill them.
Create a soil drench with a 1:2 ratio of water and coffee or a foliar spray with 9:1 water and coffee to eradicate the pests. Use dried coffee grounds around plants to deter them.
Cats
Since coffee can be toxic to cats, it's important to use it with caution. To discourage them, apply coffee grounds to the top layer of your soil because the scent repels them.
Ants
To deter ants from setting up camp around your house, pour coffee grounds on top of your garden soil. The scent will repel them, so reapply often to maintain a strong aroma.
Spider
An experiment by Peter N. Witt in conjunction with NASA showed caffeine harmed spider behavior, leading to erratic and disorganized webs after they consumed the stimulant.
To prevent spiders, place coffee grounds near open windows or baseboards. Even if spiders aren’t deterred by the smell and consume the grounds, the result will still be fewer webs.
Mosquitoes
Research from the National Library of Medicine showed that caffeine inhibits a mosquito's ability to lay eggs and that the scent repels the Aedes albopictus mosquito.
To disrupt mosquitoes, dry the grounds, spread them on a heat-proof surface like an aluminum tray, add lighter fluid, and light them. You can also make a DIY coffee candle.