This is a continuation of the original post found here: Inhospitality
First of all, uninvited guests such as bugs or rodents can be a great blessing if they push one onto the path to what Srila Prabhupada called "summit cleanliness" in deity worship. Through trial and error you learn many things most people overlook, and there will be times you think "Why not just nuke them?", but when the apartment building you live in becomes infested (usually a neighbor moves out and the bugs relocate suddenly, in droves), you're hard work will pay off when you get compliments from the exterminator that went something like this:
"Because I was sent to your place first, I looked around and didn't think there was a problem... but when I went downstairs behind the neighbor's washer and dryer (they had left a collection of eaten off of paper plates) there were millions of them!"
But this post says "ahimsa", and that's the real challenge. Learning to have zero pests without resorting to killing any.
Impossible?
Experienced persons assure us that it's not. One example was in the middle of winter, in temple housing where a couple of mice had moved under a stove. When that happened, the lady of the home took the advice to try ahimsa housekeeping. She doubled her cleaning efforts, especially making sure not a crumb was left on the floor or under the stove by sweeping up after every meal and wiping down the stove. Within two weeks the mice left.
Even the most daunting places are not impossible. For example, in one apartment that had been poorly maintained before the new tenant arrived, diligent cleanliness and other ahimsa housekeeping know-how, relocated a small colony of roaches. Here are a few more tips on what can be done:
PEPPERMINT OIL
Every evening before bed, after tidying up, wiping down the kitchen sink and counters with a few drops of peppermint oil on a damp dish cloth is a great way to keep bugs hungry enough to go elsewhere.
(It helps to be very regulated to do this diligently.)
Also during the week, wiping all cabinets and floors and under appliances with the same.
INCENSE
After every meal is offered, burning a stick of incense. Burning some in the kitchen too. Some people are sensitive to the smoke, but there's no need to burn a whole stick. Just enough to freshen the air...so not to attract anything. Better yet, place the incense stick in a holder and shut it into a cabinet to fumigate or shut inside a bedroom with the door closed.
DRY THE KITCHEN SINK
This is an old "Fly Lady" habit. That few people practice. At first it seems crazy because there must be more to life than housework. But keeping the very idea on the back burner, one may suddenly realize the amazing value of keeping the sink dry after every use. Because bugs can go a long time with out food. But no water? They soon look for another place to inhabit. Even better is that a dry sink, especially that area behind the faucet where mold tends to grow and creates yet another type of roach cocktail, keeps the mold away, too!
COVER UP
Do this and you'll be shocked when you visit other places and start noticing how often people leave cooked food uncovered. Or garbage cans. Or laundry baskets.
SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY
Because bugs can become desperate creatures. No food? No garbage? No laundry left out? They'll go for paper. So get rid of those stacks of newspaper, paper bags and useless papier mache crafts the kids made years ago.
Simplifying your space means less to clean. Regularly purge anything not needed and keep the space you do use to a minimum, so it won't be a major yajna to wipe down and maintain. One idea is to get those cooking pots out of the cabinets and hanging up high and dry rather than in a dark close inviting trouble if they are still moist or have a few oily spots from being hastily washed and dried.
Open shelving is less inviting, too, rather than deep dark cabinets and closets.
PESTS AS FRIENDS
Again, if they make you cleaner and neater and simpler..and your house smells good when you walk inside, they did you a favor. It is nature's way.
First of all, uninvited guests such as bugs or rodents can be a great blessing if they push one onto the path to what Srila Prabhupada called "summit cleanliness" in deity worship. Through trial and error you learn many things most people overlook, and there will be times you think "Why not just nuke them?", but when the apartment building you live in becomes infested (usually a neighbor moves out and the bugs relocate suddenly, in droves), you're hard work will pay off when you get compliments from the exterminator that went something like this:
"Because I was sent to your place first, I looked around and didn't think there was a problem... but when I went downstairs behind the neighbor's washer and dryer (they had left a collection of eaten off of paper plates) there were millions of them!"
But this post says "ahimsa", and that's the real challenge. Learning to have zero pests without resorting to killing any.
Impossible?
Experienced persons assure us that it's not. One example was in the middle of winter, in temple housing where a couple of mice had moved under a stove. When that happened, the lady of the home took the advice to try ahimsa housekeeping. She doubled her cleaning efforts, especially making sure not a crumb was left on the floor or under the stove by sweeping up after every meal and wiping down the stove. Within two weeks the mice left.
Even the most daunting places are not impossible. For example, in one apartment that had been poorly maintained before the new tenant arrived, diligent cleanliness and other ahimsa housekeeping know-how, relocated a small colony of roaches. Here are a few more tips on what can be done:
PEPPERMINT OIL
Every evening before bed, after tidying up, wiping down the kitchen sink and counters with a few drops of peppermint oil on a damp dish cloth is a great way to keep bugs hungry enough to go elsewhere.
(It helps to be very regulated to do this diligently.)
Also during the week, wiping all cabinets and floors and under appliances with the same.
INCENSE
After every meal is offered, burning a stick of incense. Burning some in the kitchen too. Some people are sensitive to the smoke, but there's no need to burn a whole stick. Just enough to freshen the air...so not to attract anything. Better yet, place the incense stick in a holder and shut it into a cabinet to fumigate or shut inside a bedroom with the door closed.
DRY THE KITCHEN SINK
This is an old "Fly Lady" habit. That few people practice. At first it seems crazy because there must be more to life than housework. But keeping the very idea on the back burner, one may suddenly realize the amazing value of keeping the sink dry after every use. Because bugs can go a long time with out food. But no water? They soon look for another place to inhabit. Even better is that a dry sink, especially that area behind the faucet where mold tends to grow and creates yet another type of roach cocktail, keeps the mold away, too!
COVER UP
Do this and you'll be shocked when you visit other places and start noticing how often people leave cooked food uncovered. Or garbage cans. Or laundry baskets.
SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY SIMPLIFY
Because bugs can become desperate creatures. No food? No garbage? No laundry left out? They'll go for paper. So get rid of those stacks of newspaper, paper bags and useless papier mache crafts the kids made years ago.
Simplifying your space means less to clean. Regularly purge anything not needed and keep the space you do use to a minimum, so it won't be a major yajna to wipe down and maintain. One idea is to get those cooking pots out of the cabinets and hanging up high and dry rather than in a dark close inviting trouble if they are still moist or have a few oily spots from being hastily washed and dried.
PESTS AS FRIENDS
Again, if they make you cleaner and neater and simpler..and your house smells good when you walk inside, they did you a favor. It is nature's way.