How to Get Rid of Pests in Your Home

Discover how to repel and treat common pest infestations in your home.

Few things are worse than coming home to find that pests have invaded the one space that is supposed to be safe. Your home is where you prepare and store food, bathe, spend time with your family, and relax without concern for your safety. However, when pests find their way in through torn screens, broken window frames, or cracks in the foundation, they can put your family at risk of bug bites, ingesting contaminated food, and disease.

It's necessary to determine the type of pest that has invaded so you can take the proper steps to treat the infestation and recover the safety and security of your home. Following the initial treatment, it's important to use additional measures to repel and prevent pests from returning. Use this guide to learn about various household pests and discover how to prevent pests from finding a home in your house.

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

Fruit flies are one of the most annoying pests that can get into the home. These little flies are a type of gnat that is attracted to rotting and fresh fruits and vegetables. They also like moist organic materials and liquids, like wine and soft drinks.

You can use several methods to get rid of fruit flies. The first is to make a simple fly trap using a small bowl or saucer filled with a solution consisting of apple cider vinegar, sugar, and a few drops of dishwashing soap. Overripe fruit or leftover wine can also serve as bait for this trap. Another option is to use flypaper or an insecticidal spray made for indoor use.

Related: The 8 Best Fly Traps of 2023

How to Get Rid of Drain Flies

Drain flies are similar to fruit flies in that they are both gnats. The major difference is that drain flies live in or around drains, sewers, septic tanks, and areas where sewage has leaked. You can get rid of drain flies using several simple methods, but cleaning the drains is the first step. Accomplish this by mixing 1/2 cup of bleach with a gallon of water, then dumping the solution down the drain. Use hot water to rinse the drain thoroughly after cleaning.

Other methods to get rid of drain flies include using flypaper, spraying the affected area with an insecticidal spray that is safe for indoor use, or making a fly trap by using overripe fruit, leftover wine, or a sugar and apple cider vinegar solution for bait.

How to Get Rid of Spiders

Some people consider spiders to be helpful, so they may not be interested in trapping or removing one or two spiders from the home. But when these pests reproduce, it can lead to a significant infestation of the property. While spiders do prey on other pests, it's still better to have them located outside the home.

Use powerful essential oils, like peppermint oil, lavender oil, tea tree oil, and eucalyptus oil, to repel spiders from the home. Seal any gaps, cracks, or holes around the perimeter of the house, then treat the entryways with essential oils. Another option is to use residual pesticide sprays to create an insecticidal barrier around the home for several months.

How to Get Rid of Gnats

The small flies that are typically referred to as gnats are fungus gnats. They are usually found around overwatered houseplants and damp vegetation. The gnats lay eggs in the soil, and the larvae feed on plant roots, causing the leaves to turn yellow and drop off. These pests can also spread a pathogen to the plants that kills seeds before they sprout or weakens and kills seedlings just after they sprout.

Treat fungus gnat infestations with flypaper and natural insecticidal sprays that are safe for use on and around plants. Alternatively, you can set up gnat traps in areas where the gnats seem the most prevalent. Fill a small bowl or saucer with an attractive bait, like leftover wine or overripe fruit, and then cover the container with plastic wrap. Punch a few small holes in the plastic wrap. The gnats will enter the bowls and become trapped.

How to Get Rid of Ants

Like spiders, ants can help elimate other, more harmful insects, such as fleas and bedbugs, so they aren't the worst pests to have around the home. However, when ants get inside the house, they can contaminate food, burrow into the walls, and leave fecal matter and other debris trails throughout food preparation areas.

Stop ants from entering the home by sealing up any gaps, cracks, or holes in the exterior of the house. You can then treat existing ant infestations with ant traps, insecticidal sprays that are safe for indoor use, or ant baits, which can kill the colony due to the delayed onset of the insecticide. Diatomaceous earth or essential oils can also kill and repel ants.

Related: The 10 Best Ant Killers of 2023

How to Get Rid of Termites

Termites cause a lot of damage if an infestation goes untreated, so it's essential to take action as soon as you notice a problem. Termites are small insects that feed on and live in wood, including old stumps, fallen trees, and piles of sticks, as well as the beams, studs, and structural supports inside the home.

Applying soil treatments around the perimeter of the home can be a good way to deter termites from entering. Doors, window frames, and other wooden objects can be treated directly to prevent termites from burrowing into the home. Similarly, termite baits can be placed around the yard to lure termites in and destroy the colony. Other more aggressive methods of treatment include foaming agents, dust agents, and fumigation.

How to Get Rid of Centipedes

House centipedes are fast-moving pests that make their home in dark, damp areas of the home. They hide during daylight hours and come out at night to hunt roaches, silverfish, flies, moths, and other insects. Unlike other pests, centipedes do not reproduce rapidly. A female can survive for several years and produce up to 150 offspring.

Given their relatively slow reproductive rate, you can get rid of centipedes by sealing any external entry points and eliminating their food supply by treating any other pest infestations to reduce the amount of available prey. Additionally, you can treat centipedes directly with diatomaceous earth or a suitable insecticidal spray that is safe for indoor use.

How to Get Rid of Roaches

Roaches are one of the most pervasive pests across the country. These insects like to live in dark, damp locations, like basements, although they also nest in the floors, walls, and ceilings of the home. Roaches have a broad omnivorous diet that can include other roaches when food supplies run short, so it's difficult to get rid of roaches once they have invaded.

Treat roach infestations by applying diatomaceous earth or boric acid in areas where the roaches commonly travel. You can also use glue traps and roach baits to deal with small roach populations, but if there is a significant infestation, you may need to resort to a roach bomb, fogger, or professional fumigation services.

Related: The 11 Best Roach Killers to Keep Cockroaches Away from Your Home

How to Get Rid of Bed Bugs

Beds and furniture are designed for relaxing and sleeping, so it can be highly uncomfortable to find bed bugs in the home. These pests live in mattresses and similar fabrics, where they lay eggs, reproduce, and feed. Alongside roaches, bed bugs are one of the most common household pests.

You can treat individual mattresses, furniture, and other affected items by sealing smaller items in plastic bags and freezing them or treating larger items with a suitable insecticide. Steam cleaners will kill bed bugs on contact due to the high temperature of the steam. However, if there is a severe infestation, it's best to use a suitable bug bomb or fogger or hire professional exterminators to handle the issue.

Related: How to Get Rid of Stink Bugs in Your House & Prevent Their Return

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