Hiring an exterminator costs upwards of $100, depending on the infestation.
To save you time and money, we've put together the most common household pests and the best way you can get rid of each of them.
1. Cockroaches
These pesky crawlers can wreak havoc in your home - and your health. They can contaminate foods, trigger allergies, and carry viruses like polio.
From someone who accidentally slept with cockroaches because I had no idea there was an infestation in my home, rest assured that this hack works.
To get rid of cockroaches once and for all, you'll have to eliminate their nest. Boric acid is non-toxic for humans, but deadly for these critters.
In the meantime, set up adhesive-based traps to draw them from their hiding spaces.
2. Centipedes
Centipedes love food as much as we do, so to prevent them from making a home in your safe spaces, spray them with cayenne pepper.
Peppers contain a compound called capsaicin, which is what gives these vegetables their spicy kick.
Centipedes absolutely despise this fiery heat and will avoid it at all costs.
Sprinkle this cheap condiment near any door or window that opens to the outdoors. Make sure you do this both indoors and outdoors for best results.
3. Ants
If your home is not brand new, you most likely have an ant problem every year.
Instead of calling pest control right when you see the first colony of ants swarming on your leftovers, make this simple homemade ant poison.
You only need three ingredients: sugar, boric acid, and warm water.
The reason why this concoction works so well is because ants will drink this toxic fluid, go back to the nest, and share it with the rest of their colony.
The boric acid damages their digestive system and they'll be gone in a matter of a few days.
To make this solution, mix 1 cup of sugar with 3 tablespoons of boric acid. Slowly add warm water, making sure no clumps form. Then soak a cotton ball in the solution and place it in a small cap or wax paper.
4. Spiders
The biggest phobia in the western world is spiders, and for good reason.
These creepy-crawlies may be harmless, but they scare the living daylights out of me every time they catch me off guard.
Keep your home spider-free by placing orange peels around your home. These critters hate citrus scents.
Another way to keep these pests at bay is to spray your home with peppermint essential oil. Add a few drops in a spray bottle filled with water and apply this minty scent in cabinets, cracks, and crevices.
The plus side to this hack is that you're home will always smell amazing.
5. Fruit Flies
These flies seem to spawn out of nowhere. It feels like it's impossible to get rid of them in the summer, but there's a lot of ways to control their population.
Fruit flies love moist environments and fermented foods, but sometimes even after you clean your home they're still flying around.
There's two hacks that you can use to get rid of these bugs once and for all.
The first is eliminating them with vinegar and dish soap. Combine these ingredients in a bowl and cover it with plastic wrap. Cut a small hole and watch those fruit flies get trapped in just a few hours.
The second method is attracting them to your oven with a half-cut lemon. Keep the door wide open for a few hours so that you attract all the fruit flies, then shut the door and turn the oven to broil for a few minutes.
6. Bed Bugs
These pesky critters hide in mattresses, bed frames, carpets, baseboards and anywhere else that keeps them out of sight.
But once they do come into your sight, you can't stop thinking about them. These parasites spread some nasty diseases, so make sure you eliminate them as soon as you can.
You want to make sure you eliminate the nests or else you'll never get rid of them.
The first thing you need to do is contact a bed bug control service to make a thorough inspection.
Then cover all seals and cracks in your furniture and around your home to prevent them from hiding in these spaces.
Decluttering your home and not making your bed every morning are other ways to keep these vampire-like critters at bay.
7. Rodents
Rodents carry parasites and all sorts of diseases, so if you find them cute, it's time you change your mind.
To keep your family safe, stop setting up traps that don't work (I think mice and rats are catching on), instead spread cat litter where you think their nesting sites are.
Rodents hate the strong smell of cat litter, and it also reminds them of one of their predators. This smell will drive them out of their nests, and that's when you can catch them.
Now is the perfect time to set traps because you'll catch them off guard.
8. Mosquitoes
Where do I start with these pesky bugs? They ruined almost every single one of my summers until I finally contacted a mosquito control service to help me get rid of them for good.
If I tried to use bug spray, I'd often spray it all over my clothes, and I do not enjoy the smell.
Additionally, to help keep mosquitoes at bay, I planted herbs and plants in my garden and inside the house.
Mosquitoes hate the scent of flowers like lavender, basil, and lemongrass. Some mosquito repellents have lemongrass, which contains citronella, as one of their ingredients.
When I go for walk, I crush those strong-smelling leaves and rub them on my skin or put them in my pockets.
9. Ladybugs
Ladybugs are the only critters that I'm not super afraid of, but that doesn't mean they're welcome in my home.
Ladybug infestations are not as common as other bug infestations, but they do happen. A friend of mine paid somewhere around $200 for an exterminator to kill their nests in her home.
If you ever run into this problem, use lemon-scented furniture polish or lemon essential oil and wipe it on your walls, or any other areas they like to hang out.
They hate citrus smells and will find a more welcoming place to call home.
10. Earwigs
Earwigs, or how my son says it "Ewigs," love damp humid conditions.
If your home is infested with these critters, you definitely want to get your gutters or drainage systems checked.
I used to get earwigs in my garden all the time. They damaged almost all of my herbs.
If earwigs are in your home, get rid of them using cedar essential oil. If they're in your garden, attract birds and toads to your garden so that they can eat them up.
12. Ticks
When I hear about ticks, the first thing I think about is Lyme disease.
This illness is exponentially increasing every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Protect your family by spreading food-grade diatomaceous earth on your property. This natural insecticide dehydrates the ticks to get rid of them. It will also get rid of the larvae.
Sprinkle this product around the edges of your property and repeat the process at least once a month.
13. Moths
The only bugs my kids are not afraid of are moths. I don't blame them, they're harmless, but if they start infesting in your home you'll have to start investing in new clothes.
Moths will eat away at your cupboards and clothes, and then you'll feel the need to call in an exterminator. If it's reached that point, you have might have to.
To deter these bugs, try to keep your porch lights off as much as you can.
Also, keep lavender, bay leaves, or mint in your cupboards to deter them from laying their eggs.
14. Dust Mites
Dust mites are literally everywhere. Take a second and feel blessed that you never have to see these microscopic critters with your own two eyes.
According to Den Garden, a dust mite can produce up to 200 times its own body weight in just waste.
This waste is what causes allergies, coughing, and other health complications.
The best way to get rid of dust mites is to always keep your house clean.
Wash your bedding regularly, don't make your bed in the morning (because they love warm environments), and replace your carpets with hard flooring if you can. If you can't, vacuum at least once a week.
15. Lice
Lice cannot be classified as a "common" household pest, but they do appear from time to time, especially if you have school kids.
There's a lot of natural ways to treat head lice.
Strong smells like garlic, baby oil, tea tree essential oil, and petroleum jelly will restrict their air flow and get rid of them in a matter of a few days.
Do you have a bug infestation in your home?
For more ways to tackle pests in your home, check out this easy one ingredient solution.
