The uneasy feeling of spotting mice or spiders exploring your living space is a universal discomfort that many seek to avoid. Especially for those with arachnophobia or musophobia, finding a solution to deter these unwelcome visitors is paramount. Here’s a natural, harm-free tip that ensures your home remains a critter-free sanctuary!
Despite various available traps and poisons designed to eliminate spiders and mice, many of these methods pose potential hazards for both humans and pets.
The Gentle Power of Peppermint
Here’s a gentle, yet effective way to naturally deter these small intruders without resorting to traps, toxic sprays, or poisons: utilizing peppermint tea or essential oil.
Peppermint Tea:
Simply brew peppermint tea and strategically place the used tea bags in areas frequented by spiders and mice, like corners of rooms, to keep them at bay.
Peppermint Essential Oil:
Alternatively, combine 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil in a water-filled spray bottle and spritz around baseboards. Not only does this prevent the critters from invading, but it also leaves your home smelling fresh. (Note: If you have pets, opt for the tea method, as essential oils can be harmful to them.)
Additional Techniques to Maintain a Critter-Free Home
Discourage Spider Homesteading: Prevent spiders by ensuring your home surroundings do not harbor spider-friendly environments, like plants, woodpiles, or undisturbed dark areas.
Seal Entry Points:
Keep both spiders and mice out by identifying and sealing potential entryways, like small cracks or gaps around doors and windows.
Eliminate Food & Shelter Sources:
A clean home, with minimal hiding spots and available food, discourages persistence from mice and spiders alike.
Remove Webs:
Regularly clear any spider webs with a vacuum or an extendable broom to deter their return.
The Importance of a Critter-Free Home
While the presence of mice in a home carries potential health risks due to their capability to spread diseases like lymphocytic choriomeningitis via their urine and feces, spiders generally pose a smaller threat. Most spiders do not bite humans unless threatened, and most household spider bites are harmless. However, maintaining a critter-free home not only ensures peace of mind but also safeguards against possible health concerns.
Nurse Hands New Mom the Wrong Baby – Her Reaction Will Leave You Speechless
The nurse checked Lucy’s twins before sending them home, but Lucy was shocked when the nurse brought them back. Instead of a boy and a girl, as Lucy had given birth to, the nurse brought two baby girls.
Lucy and her husband, Ross, had tried for a long time to have children, and they were thrilled when they found out they were expecting twins.
An ultrasound had shown they were having one boy and one girl, so the couple was eagerly waiting for their arrival. But when the nurse returned with two girls after the examination, Lucy’s face went pale.
Source: Pexels“Where is my son? What have you done with him? And who is this other baby girl?” Lucy demanded, looking straight at the nurse who had just brought the babies back.
“They’re both your daughters,” said the nurse, Savannah, her eyes glued to the paperwork. “I checked everything twice, and there’s no mistake.”
“Are you serious?” Lucy snapped. “I have reports showing I was supposed to deliver a boy and a girl. And after the delivery, I was told the same. There’s no way they’re both girls!”
Lucy saw the fear in the nurse’s eyes as she looked up from her papers. She was about to confront her further when Dr. Linda Carter walked in. “Could you please keep your voice down, ma’am? This is a hospital,” she said calmly.
“Keep my voice down? Your nurse brings me the wrong child and tells me she’s sure of it! Is this how your hospital runs? Should I contact the head doctor about this?” Lucy shot back.
“I agree with my wife,” Ross, Lucy’s husband, added. “We don’t want to make a scene, but if our son isn’t returned to us, we’ll call the police!”
“Please, sir, calm down,” Dr. Carter responded. “I’m sure this is just a misunderstanding. Savannah has been with us for years. Maybe she grabbed the wrong paperwork. Savannah, may I see the documents?” Dr. Carter asked. Savannah hesitated and then stammered, “No need, ma’am…I mean, I checked them. They’re correct.”
Dr. Carter sensed something odd and said gently, “It’s okay. Just let me take a quick look.” But when she reviewed the papers, she realized Lucy was right.
“Please give me a moment,” Dr. Carter said. “It seems Savannah brought the wrong reports. Another patient named Lucy Matthews also delivered twins, and it seems Savannah got confused.”
“I’m glad you finally saw the mistake,” Lucy said coldly. “Perhaps next time, your hospital could hire more careful staff.”
“I’m truly sorry, ma’am,” Dr. Carter said, turning to Savannah. “Come with me, Savannah. We need to get the correct records.”
Lucy noticed the tears in Savannah’s eyes as she followed Dr. Carter. Something seemed strange, so she decided to follow them quietly.
She watched as they entered Dr. Carter’s office, where Savannah started to cry. The door was slightly open, so Lucy listened in.
“What were you thinking, Savannah?” Dr. Carter said firmly. “Lucy Matthews delivered twins: a boy and a girl at 10:30 a.m. today. The reports confirm it. Why aren’t you telling the truth?”
“I didn’t have a choice,” Savannah sobbed. “The other baby girl belongs to my sister. Her husband abandoned her when he learned of her pregnancy, and sadly, she passed away after giving birth. I wanted to adopt her, but my husband refused.”
“Why don’t you place her in a foster home?” Dr. Carter suggested. “She’d be taken care of there.”
“I can’t,” Savannah replied, still crying. “My sister’s last wish was for her daughter to grow up in a loving family. When I saw Mr. and Mrs. Matthews today, I thought they’d be a wonderful family for her. So I swapped Mrs. Matthews’ son with my sister’s daughter and took him to the nursery.”
“But that’s not right, Savannah,” Dr. Carter said gently. “You need to return their son now. We’ll keep this confidential. I’ll help you find a solution.”
Hearing this, Lucy felt a mix of emotions. Savannah had no ill intentions; she simply wanted her niece to be part of a loving family. Lucy quietly returned to her room.
A few minutes later, Dr. Carter brought Lucy’s son back and apologized. Having overheard the situation, Lucy chose not to complain. But that night, she couldn’t stop thinking about the other baby girl and her innocent face.
The next morning, Lucy confessed her feelings to Ross. “I can’t stop thinking about her,” she said. “I dreamt about her last night. She was in our home, living happily with us. It doesn’t make sense, but I can’t shake it.”
“It’s because of yesterday, honey,” Ross said, trying to comfort her. “Maybe you need a distraction. How about we go somewhere?”
“No, Ross,” Lucy replied. “I want to adopt her.”
“But honey!” Ross exclaimed. “Are you sure? We already have two newborns. A third would be a lot to manage!”
“I understand, but I can’t ignore this feeling,” Lucy insisted. “Can we please go to the hospital today?”
“Alright, if this is what you want,” Ross agreed. “I’m with you, but I just want to make sure it’s not too much for you.”
Ross eventually changed his mind when he met the baby. She had warm brown eyes with a hint of green and stared at him innocently. He couldn’t resist her charm.
“I’m so glad you’ve decided to adopt her,” Dr. Carter said. “She’s lucky to have found a loving family.”
“Well, doctor,” Lucy said, smiling, “after so much time trying for kids, we can’t ignore this chance now. Just let us know when we can bring her home.”
“As soon as the paperwork is ready,” Dr. Carter assured them.
In time, everything was arranged, and Lucy and Ross took the little girl home. They named her Amelia, and it felt like their family was finally complete.
Savannah often visited them to check in, grateful beyond words. She became a regular visitor, spending weekends with the twins, Sia and Mark, and Amelia.
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