How to Prevent Bugs with Household Items

Taking care of household pests doesn’t have to require expensive methods or harsh chemicals. Instead, you can use many items that you can find in your home, or at your neighborhood grocery store, to keep bugs out for the long term. Check out these great tips for preventing bugs with household items.

Repel Moths with Cedar

Yep, there’s a reason why many old-style dressers were lined with cedarwood, and why your grandmother keeps cedar shavings in the coat closet. Natural cedar wood is a great natural remedy for moths. You can use small cedar blocks available at your local home improvement store, or make little satchels of cedar shavings to put in drawers, in your closet, and even in your storage areas.

Banish Spiders with Citrus Peel

The next time you use lemons or oranges in your recipes, save those orange and lemon peels to help you keep spiders away! To use this method, simply rub citrus peels around areas where you have seen spiders, or entryways into your homes like doorways and windows. The natural oils present in the citrus peels will keep spiders away. Reapply each time you use lemons or oranges to keep them out year-round.

Keep Away Bees and Wasps with Baby Powder

If you have bees and wasps buzzing around your home, one natural and effective remedy to keep them away is good old-fashioned baby powder! To keep these flying insects out, simply sprinkle baby powder around your garden in areas where they are congregating, and sprinkle your doorways and windowsills for good measure!

Evict Ants with Cucumbers

Yep, it’s true, this refreshing summertime veggie is great at repelling ants in your home. At the first sign of ants marching across your kitchen counter, reach for a sharp knife and a fresh cucumber. Leave slices around the areas where ants are present, and leave a few around the entry point as well. Ants are sure to steer clear!

Use Vanilla for an Easy Insect Repellant

What if the bugs are bugging you, and not just your home? If you don’t want to slather yourself in smelly bug spray, try vanilla on for size! Fill a spray bottle with water and throw a few drops of pure, all-natural vanilla extract in there. Then, simply use your vanilla spray in the same way you would conventional bug spray. Bugs will steer clear and you don’t have to worry about all those chemicals–and as an added bonus, you will smell great!

Let the Professional Handle It!

While these bug-repelling methods might work to get some bugs out of your house, sometimes insect infestations can get to be too much to handle. If you feel like you’re being overrun by pesky bugs in your own home, it might be time to call in professional reinforcements.