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Get Rid of Bugs for Good with These 15 Genius Hacks
Tired of uninvited six-legged guests invading your home? Whether it’s ants in the kitchen, fruit flies around the sink, or mosquitoes buzzing in your ear, household pests are more than just a nuisance—they can carry germs, damage food, and disrupt your peace. Fortunately, you don’t need to douse your home in harsh chemicals to stay bug-free.
Here are 15 clever, effective, and often natural hacks to help you say goodbye to bugs for good—and keep your home fresh, clean, and pest-free.
🐜 1. Seal Entry Points
The first step to a bug-free home is prevention. Inspect your windows, doors, baseboards, and vents. Seal any cracks or gaps with caulk or weather stripping. Even tiny openings can be highways for ants and spiders.
🍋 2. Use Lemon Peels and Juice
Bugs like ants hate the strong citrus scent of lemons. Rub lemon juice along doorways, windowsills, and countertops to deter them. You can also place lemon peels near entry points.
🌿 3. Plant Bug-Repellent Herbs
Nature has built-in pest control. Grow herbs like basil, lavender, mint, or rosemary near doors or windows. Not only do they smell great, but they also repel mosquitoes, flies, and more.
🧂 4. Sprinkle Salt or Baking Soda
Ants hate salt and baking soda. Sprinkle a line of either around windows, under the sink, or across entry points. It creates a barrier that ants won’t cross.
🕯️ 5. Burn Citronella or Eucalyptus Candles
Citronella and eucalyptus are natural bug repellents, especially for mosquitoes. Light candles on your patio or near windows in the evening to keep flying pests away.
🍎 6. Make a Vinegar Fruit Fly Trap
Fruit flies are attracted to fermentation. Fill a small bowl with apple cider vinegar and a drop of dish soap, cover with plastic wrap, and poke holes in the top. Flies go in and don’t come out.
🧴 7. DIY Essential Oil Spray
Mix 10–15 drops of peppermint, tea tree, or lavender essential oil with water in a spray bottle. Spray around baseboards, corners, and cracks. It smells amazing and keeps spiders, ants, and flies at bay.
🪟 8. Install Mesh Screens
Make sure all your windows and vents have intact mesh screens. Bugs often get in through the tiniest openings, and screens are a first line of defense—especially in summer.
🍞 9. Keep Your Kitchen Crumb-Free
Bugs are looking for food. Wipe down counters daily, sweep the floors, and store dry goods in airtight containers. Even a few crumbs can attract an ant army.
🧼 10. Clean with White Vinegar
White vinegar not only cuts grease but also disrupts the scent trails that ants follow. Use it as an all-purpose cleaner in the kitchen and bathroom.
