Bugs are never welcome inside a home, but unfortunately, most households will have to deal with pests at one point or another. Ants, roaches, flies, mosquitos, fruit flies, spiders, etc. – the list is long. There are countless different types of bugs that can infiltrate a home, but thankfully, you don’t always need to turn to commercial pesticide solutions.

These pesticide solutions will often be toxic chemicals that pose a hazard to your pets and young children. Instead, use the following natural solutions to try to manage the pests in your home. Before we look at the ways of combatting bugs once they are already a problem, let’s first look at a few ways of preventing the problem in the first place.

Some tips to prevent pests from settling in your home in the first place include:

• Clean up food spills right away.
• Keep garbage cans tightly closed.
• Store foods attractive to pests (cereals, cookies, etc.) in the refrigerator.
• Wipe down counters daily and vacuum regularly.
• Remove stacks of magazines / newspapers on the floor, as rodents like to burrow in them.

Now let’s look at some of the natural alternatives to dealing with bugs.

Natural ways to get rid of pests

• Loose coffee grounds repel ants. Sprinkle some around the perimeter of your floor.
• Peppermint oil and vinegar combat ants, dust mites and bedbugs. Spray a solution of these ingredients as needed.
• Neem oil repels ants.
• Cinnamon and orange repel ants and other small insects.
• Sprinkle paprika, red chili pepper and dried peppermint around your kitchen to keep bugs at bay.
• Apple cider vinegar, along with a few drops of dishwashing liquid, will attract and contain fruit flies and other flying insects.

Although nobody likes having to deal with bugs in the house, there are many natural alternatives to the commercial pesticide products on the market. And most of these natural alternatives work surprisingly well. The main benefit of these natural products is that they are cheaper, safer and more environmentally friendly than the store-bought pesticide products.

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