Question
How do you use herbs to control housepest?  Does the sugar get rid of torpedo grass in St. augustine as well?

Answer
Hi andrew;
I don't know what torpedo grass is. If I had it, it was one of the weeds I couldn't identify.
If it tends to grow wild, where grasses don't grow well, like on a prarie, it is a weed in my book.
wild violets are weeds, and clover is one, even though wild violets, I think, are beautiful, and clover is planted deliberately for animal feed, they are weeds, and when the sugar went to work on my yard, the wild violets and clover were among the first to go.
I stopped getting crabgrass, johnson grass, dandelions, poison ivy,dollar weed, clover,chickweed, and all those I didn't know the names of.
Tree seedlings will come up, and do very well, because trees love rich soil.
You have to pull or dig those little suckers out.
So many herbs do so much. Basil, rosemary, lavender and several more repel insects.
Herbs are very easy to grow.
You can grow them in containers, or in the ground.
Rosemary makes a rounded bush about 3'X 3', and in milder climates is evergreen.
I have used rosemary in the house for 8 years, and I never see a cockroach, even though here in North Texas, they outnumber the rest of the insect kingdon.
cockroaches normally live in the soil, and they are beneficial there. They burrow and aerate the soil, and feed on harmful insects. We put down insecticides that kills off their food supply, and threatens them, so they move inside to find food, and a safe place to hide.
I put a piece of rosemary about an inch long on each pantry and cupboard shelf, a little longer piece under each appliance, and in the corners of closets. Don't forget the laundry room and bathrooms. Anyplace roaches can come in and /or hide.
Lavender repels houaseflies.
I put a larg container planted wih lavender at each entrance to help keep out flies when the door is open.I also make carpet dust with lavender oil, because it promotes a relaxed, good night's sleep.
Put a drop of lavender oil on your palm and rub your hands together and rub around on a stuffed toy, and give it to a baby that is too tired to sleep, and is crying and fussy. rock them a little, and in no time they will be sound asleep. Sometimes without rocking.
I also make bath salts with lavender oil and Epsom Salts.
It smells good, is relaxing, and the epsom Salts is great for tired achy muscles and joints.
To make carpet dust, put the Epsom Salts through a blender or food processor to grind it fine enough to work down into carpet fibers, add lavender oil to it and mix well. Sprinkle on the bedroom carpet before bedtime.
Cedar repels a ton of insects.
I use cedar oil I get at health food stores, and paint a line of it alont the clothes poles in my closets, and along the baseboard. I use cedar bark mulch scttered all over the yard to keep fleas and ticks out. I have dogs.
I also put a perimeter of it about 2 inches wide and an inch or so high, around the foundation of our house to keep termites away. I do that in the spring when it is time for them to swarm.
Since I started using the herbs in the house, I also don't have spiders.
I am not sure if it is the rosemary or the lavender. It may be a combination of both.
I started using the rosemary, and still had a few spiders, and started with the lavender the next year, since then, no spiders.Basil is supposed to repel spiders, and i use a lot in cooking, but i have done that for over 50 years.
Since I went to organics inside and out, my Asthma is about 90% better.
I have had only one real hard attack in those 8 years. It used to be several times a year.
If you have more questions on this, write me anytime.
If you have specific lawn pests, like rodents or other animals, I have a ton of remedies for.
Charlotte