I’ve never been one to use harsh chemicals. I grow most of what I can in my garden, and the stuff I buy is always organic and pesticide-free. When it comes cleaning, I always use natural products like vinegar, bicarb and lemon juice. The reason I prefer these methods to chemicals is not just for personal health but also for environmental reasons. These harsh chemicals do a lot of damage to the earth and the effects on the human body are still unknown. Do you remember the disaster at Bhopal? That accident at a pesticide plant caused the death of over 15,000 people.
Recently, I have to admit that I broke my personal ban on chemicals when I had to hire commercial pest control. Mornington properties sometimes have termites in the floorboards and under the house. Termites are not like cockroaches which you can get rid off with the use of an eco-friendly mixture of sugar, bicarb soda and tea tree oil – termites are much more they’re insidious little creatures that can wreak havoc on your property. I was actually afraid the floor was going to cave in because the problem had gotten so bad. Allowing them to board at our house was becoming a safety hazard. I really don’t like killing living creatures for no good reason, but the situation was getting desperate. I had no choice!
I put my prejudices aside while the pest control company did their thing. And, I hate to admit it, but I’m glad I did. Now that they’re gone I have peace of mind and can safely walk around the house without fear of falling through the floor. I never thought I’d be saying this about pest control! Pakenham, where my daughter lives, also has some termite issues but thankfully the same company operate there too. I still think it’s a good idea to avoid the use of chemicals as much as you can, otherwise we’re going to fumigate ourselves into oblivion. So for the time being it’ll be tea tree and bicarb for me.