Natural Ways to Keep Bugs Away from Your Home

While insects are a vital part of our ecosystem, they are no fun inside of your home.  Keep them at bay with these natural solutions so you can protect yourself and the environment as well!

1.) Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar (and to some extent regular distilled vinegar) is a fantastic natural bug repellant. When placed in a spray bottle and sprayed around the perimeter or your home, it can prevent ants, gnats, and other creepy crawlies from entering your home.  If you discover that it is too late, and the bugs have already made their way inside, apple cider vinegar can still help.  Place a shallow dish with apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap on the counter or floor of your home and the vinegar will attract the bugs, while the soap will make it impossible for them to escape.

2.) Peppermint Oil

While pleasing to us, the smell of peppermint is a huge deterrent for many different bugs including ants, mosquitos, beetles, fleas, and as an added bonus mice.  It is important to place drops of this oil around the areas you think the bugs are or can enter your home.  When used indoors, it can prevent spiders from hanging out in the corners they frequent. You can also mix the oil in a spray bottle with water and spray it around the perimeter or your home.

3.) Lavender

Lavender is very useful at repelling insects in both plant and oil form.  It is a beautiful purple flowering part that is very easy to grow and hardy.  Planting it around the perimeter of your home adds both character and beauty in your landscape design, as well as making your home less hospitable for several different kinds of insects. When used in its oil form, a few drops can be rubbed into skin to encourage mosquitos to pass you by.  Always be sure to check with a doctor before putting oils on your skin.

4.) Lemongrass & Eucalyptus Oil

Lemongrass is an exceptionally fragrant herb that can be easily grown in pots or planted around the perimeter of your home.  While the herb gives off a light citrus scent that can be very pleasing to humans, it is a strong repellant to mosquitos and other biting insects. Lemongrass and Eucalyptus Oils can be diluted with a carrier oil or oil based lotion and spread on the skin to help repel biting insects as well.

5.) Basil, Rosemary & Mint

Basil, Rosemary and Mint are all sweet smelling hers with dual purposes.  You can use the fresh herbs to cook, but they also repel most insects including ants, beetles, roaches, and other creepy crawlies.  These plants spread and grow with somewhat reckless abandon so be aware that if you are planting these herbs in the ground rather than in pots you will want an area that you don't mind succumbing to a lot of growth, or you will want to make sure you are fairly meticulous in your preening.

6.) Citrus Peels

Much like the lemongrass mentioned prior, citrus peels are also rather adept at repelling insects from around your home.  Rather than throw the scraps away, place cut up peels around the perimeter of your home “ specifically near the entrances where pests may try to enter, will help repel them from entering.  If you have citrus that is starting to go bad, and you don't have intentions of eating it, full citrus sliced can also have the same effect.

7.) Cinnamon

Cinnamon is considered a very efficient means of repelling ants from your home.  When using cinnamon for this purpose, however, it is much more effective when you buy whole sticks and grind them yourself rather than using pre-ground cinnamon. Cinnamon oil can also be diluted in a spray bottle with a bit of water and sprayed around the house to help.

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George Huizinga