Top 10 Natural Remedies for Spring Bugs

Make Sure Mosquitoes Don’t Lay Eggs in Your Yard

The best way to keep mosquitoes out of your yard all summer? Get rid of their eggs in the spring. That means no standing water in your yard—drain whatever possible or even consider sucking it up with a shop vac that can handle water. For bird baths, solve the problem with a few drops of canola or vegetable oil. Place a few drops in your bath each time you change the water. It will keep mosquitoes from laying eggs in the water, won’t hurt the birds, and will save you from lots of itchy bites. Meanwhile, plant marigold, lavender, and lemongrass around your deck or patio this spring. It smells and looks great, and it naturally repels mosquitoes!

Get Rid of Roaches the Brooklyn Way

Jen’s favorite method for eliminating Brooklyn cockroaches is to fill a casserole dish with cheap wine, then place it under the sink or wherever you see the revolting little bugs. The pests drink the wine, get drunk, and drown.

Mothball Substitution

Hate the smell of mothballs? Just use peppercorns instead! Buy the cheapest you can find, then pour into the toe of some old pantyhose, snip off the end, and knot. Then tie around a hook or hanger in your closet.

Get Rid of Fleas Naturally

Get rid of fleas with nothing but a lamp, a bowl, and some dishwashing liquid. Read this post for specific directions and more ways to get rid of fleas, ticks, and ear mites.

Get Rid of Wasps

The best way to get rid of wasps? Make a wasp trap with a 2-liter soda bottle. To keep wasps from building a nest somewhere, spray the area with vinegar before they can build a nest, and they’ll pick somewhere else to live.

Repel Spiders

To keep spiders away, try placing walnut shells on your window sills or where you see them. Here are even more ways we have to keep spiders out of your home.

Keep Stink Bugs Away

Stink bugs are disgusting, and thanks to the smell they emit, you can’t smash them! Keep them away from your home by spraying the outside of it (window screens, jambs, foundation, and siding) with a mixture of 20 percent dishwashing liquid and 80 percent water. You can also try rubbing dryer sheets on your screens to keep stink bugs away.

Get Rid of Ants

Sprinkle cinnamon in your cabinets or elsewhere you see ants—they won’t cross a cinnamon barrier. For a bigger ant problem, mix 1½ cup water, 1 tablespoon borax , and ½ cup sugar and place in small bowl. The ants will take it back to their nest, ingest it, and die. (Just be careful, as this isn’t safe for kids and pets!)

Keep Flies from Coming Near You

Believe it or not, the easiest way to keep flies away is with a fan. Read this post for why a fan keeps flies away and other ways to repel flies naturally.

Make a Fruit Fly Trap

If you have fruit flies in your kitchen, get rid of them with this simple trap: Add a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid to a bowl of apple cider vinegar and leave it where you see flies. The smell of the vinegar attracts the flies, while the dish soap breaks the surface tension of the vinegar and causes the little nuisances to drown. You can also trap fruit flies and gnats by placing a banana peel or other piece of fruit in a bowl then covering the top with plastic wrap and punching one or two a small holes in it. The bugs will be able find their way into the bowl guided by scent, but won’t be able to find their way out. Here are more ways to get rid of fruit flies and gnats, including if they are infesting your plants.

For remedies for pest problems from all over the internet, check out our Bug and Pest Natural Remedies board on Pinterest. And don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter or follow us on Facebook!