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How to Keep the Bugs Out of Your Home

When it comes to pests, homeowners aren’t too keen on sharing their living spaces. Unfortunately, many of those same homeowners are skeptical and downright unwilling to continuously douse their homes in chemicals designed to keep those pests out. Fortunately, there are other things you can do to prevent infestations that are safe and non-toxic for you, your kids, and even your pets.

Try Diatomaceous Earth

Diatomaceous earth can be found in a variety of hardware and home stores, and it’s essentially nothing more than the fossils left behind by tiny sea creatures called diatoms that are invisible to the naked eye. Though this seems like a strange product to sell to consumers, there are numerous studies proving that bugs will often refuse to come into contact with it – and in some cases, they won’t even go near it. This means it can act as a barrier to keep the bugs out when sprinkled around your home, and as a bonus, it can even be used much like a dry shampoo for your pets to help fight fleas.

Peppermint Essential Oil

There’s nothing quite like the wonderful scent of peppermint to help you relax and unwind, but while this is a common reaction for people, it’s a different story altogether for bugs.  Pests like spiders and ants can’t stand peppermint, so if you mix some oil and water into a spray bottle and lightly spritz, it’s a great way to create a barrier. Many homeowners even add it to homemade cleaning solutions made of vinegar and water as an added bonus.

Try Cornmeal During an Annual Ant Infestation

In many parts of the country, it is common to find ants marching their way across your kitchen counters every single year in the spring. In fact, it seems that no matter how hard you try to keep them out, they always find a way in. If you don’t want to use chemicals like boric acid, cornmeal is a great solution. Ants simply cannot digest cornmeal, but they’ll still eat it, and they’ll die shortly thereafter. Though cornmeal won’t stop ants from entering your home, it can quickly end the infestation.

Make Homemade Citrus Traps

If you’re commonly finding spiders, including some of the potentially dangerous ones like black widows or brown recluse, there’s a fantastic (and all-natural) way to combat them. Almost all spiders really dislike the scent of citrus, so make yourself some homemade traps by putting orange, lemon, lime, and even grapefruit peels in mesh bags. Put these in the locations you’ve seen spiders in the past as well as at any entry points. You should start to notice a significant decline almost immediately.

Seal Your Home

Finally, the most efficient way to keep bugs out of your home in the first place involves sealing it tightly. While it isn’t necessary to completely shut out any source of fresh air, you do want to make certain there are no gaps large enough for pests to enter. Check all your windows and doors, check floor drains, and look at other places that may lead inside your home, such as near your outdoor HVAC unit and around your foundation. After sealing these openings with the appropriate products, check your screens for tears or gaps. Sealing these will keep bugs out, reducing your need to fight them off.

No one enjoys pests like fleas, spiders, and ants, but by sealing up your home and using the all-natural pesticide options listed above, you can have the upper hand and leave your home smelling fresh and clean at the same time – all without fear of poisoning your family or pets.

About Melinda Estridge

Melinda Estridge has been helping people buy and sell properties for more than 30 years and is ranked in the top 1/2% of REALTORS® nationwide. Her enthusiasm, dedication, and personal integrity make her the REALTOR® of choice in the Washington Metropolitan Area. Melinda has over a billion dollars worth in sales.

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