Remove garden pests with 1 common household item - they 'hate' the smell

A pest control expert has revealed five household remedies (Image: Getty)

Pests such as rats, mice, and bedbugs are a huge annoyance to UK households, sneaking their way into all different parts of your home and damaging property, often resulting in a hefty bill.

Not only are they difficult to get rid of, but these pests can also contaminate to food, leading to serious illness.

While there are plenty of ways to prevent pests, the most common suggestions are often the ones that will rack up a large sum.

However, there are most likely items sitting in your cupboards at home that can help to solve the issue.

Joshua Houston, a pest control expert at WhatCost, has revealed five household remedies that help keep pests away from your home.

The strong scent of coffee can help to scare away insects in your home. (Image: Getty)

He said: "The cost of living crisis is still affecting millions across the country; many aren’t in a position to fork out for pest control. These five tips provide a cheaper alternative that should help people with their pest problem."

They also encourage people to reuse what they already have, which is a great way to reduce waste and their carbon footprint.

Coffee grounds

According to the expert, a nifty hack involves using what’s left over when making your morning cup of coffee, as most insects hate the smell of coffee grounds.

Using this inside your home in and around corners and cracks that insects tend to appear in can help to deter them. This is a helpful hack because it comes at no extra cost if you're already stocking up on coffee.

White vinegar

While invading your home, ants will often leave a trail for the rest of their colony to follow.

That’s where white vinegar comes in. When mixed with water and peppermint oil, Mr Houston says they it does a brilliant job at removing these trails which should stop the ants from following.

It’s best to have a search through your cupboards and see if you can uncover any of these simple items, but if not, they’re easily accessible at supermarkets at minimal cost.

Soap spray works on beetles, mealybugs and aphids (Image: Getty)

Onion

For many, spiders are the number one enemy, running away from the eight-legged creatures as soon as they're spotted.

One unorthodox solution suggested by the pest expert is using an everyday onion. Turns out, as well as making you cry, onions can scare off spiders when sliced up and placed into a bowl filled with water.

If the bowl is placed in an area where there are regular unwanted visitors, the strong smell should help to keep them away.

This is another cost-effective hack, so if you’ve already got onion at home, it’s definitely worth a try - it gives leftover onions another use.

Soap spray

If it's your plants you're worried about, Mr Houston has suggested soap spray could be your saviour.

According to the expert, a great way to stop pests from eating your plants and populating your home is to mix a spoonful of liquid soap and water into a spray bottle.

Most households will already own these everyday items and can effectively treat mealybugs, beetles, whiteflies, and aphid infestations.

The soap spray works wonders to eradicate the pest problem without using harsh chemicals in your home that could lead to long-term damage.

Salt

The WhatCost expert revealed that salt - something most people have sitting in their cupboard - is the ideal natural product to eliminate fleas.

By sprinkling it over your carpet or other areas that you suspect an infestation in and leaving it to sit for a day, fleas and their eggs should be dehydrated. Afterwards, be sure to hoover up the salt the next day to avoid any unwanted mess.