Natural Bug-Fighting Hacks Every Homeowner Needs to Know

If you're tired of unwanted guests creeping around your house but also don't want to bust out the harsh chemicals to get rid of them, there are plenty of gentler methods to keep those pesky bugs away or stop them in their tracks. These natural remedies can help you manage everything from ants to fruit flies without turning your home into a toxic zone. They're also eco-friendly, effective and safe for you and your family.

Ants crawling on spilled sugar.Photo byPhoto credit: Shutterstock.

Ants

Vinegar – Wipe down surfaces where ants are present with a mixture of equal parts water and vinegar. This disrupts their scent trails and helps to deter them.

Fruit Flies

Apple Cider Vinegar Trap – Fill a bowl with apple cider vinegar, cover it with plastic wrap and poke small holes in the top to trap fruit flies attracted to the vinegar. A few of these in your kitchen will quickly take care of your fruit fly problem.

Cockroaches

Baking Soda and Sugar – Mix equal parts baking soda and sugar and sprinkle it near cockroach entry points. The sugar attracts the roaches, and the baking soda kills them when ingested.

Mosquitoes

Coffee Grounds – Sprinkle dry coffee grounds in stagnant water around your home to force mosquito eggs to the surface and deprive them of oxygen. This kills them before they even hatch.

Spider.Photo byPhoto credit: Shutterstock.

Spiders

Peppermint Oil – Mix water and a few drops of peppermint oil in a spray bottle and spritz around doors, windows and other entry points for spiders to keep them away.

Silverfish

Diatomaceous Earth – Sprinkle diatomaceous earth in areas where you see silverfish. It dehydrates and kills them while being harmless to humans.

Moths

Cedar – Use cedar blocks or cedar oil in your closets and drawers to repel moths naturally.

Bed Bugs

Tea Tree Oil – Dilute tea tree oil with water and spray the mixture on your bed frame, headboard and mattress to kill bed bugs with its natural antimicrobial properties.

Dog with fleas.Photo byPhoto credit: Shutterstock.

Fleas

Salt – Sprinkle salt on your carpets and let it sit for a couple of days before vacuuming to kill flea eggs and larvae by dehydration.

Dust Mites

Eucalyptus Oil – Mix a few drops of eucalyptus oil with water and spray this on your mattresses and bedding to repel dust mites with its scent.