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Creepy crawlies seem to be able to live anywhere and under conditions that appear to be hostile. Sometimes no matter what you do, the infestation gets out of control, and you can’t come back to one food item after you have put it down for even a little bit of time and let it get out of your attention without having doubts about whether ants, flies or cockroaches have got to it already. Keeping your home insect free is a necessary step in ensuring that your family stays protected from all sorts of deadly diseases which are spread by insects.

Conventional insect killing sprays are poisonous to the insects thereby causing instant knock out or death but you wonder if this poison isn’t hard on your system as well. What happens when the antidote to a bug infested home that you’ve found is harmful to your body? The best option when the question of safety for humans is uncertain is to seek answers from nature. Equip yourselves with safe, natural insect repellents to ensure that your family stays healthy and your home, bug-free.

Natural ways to keep your home bug-free

Here are the top ways in which you can ensure that your home stays free of insects while using only natural methods that are friendly to the environment and safe for humans.

• Lemon and Eucalyptus Oil

By using natural essential oils, you can keep away a lot of the bugs that take up residence in your home during the summer months. Lemon eucalyptus oil is one of the most effective essential oils in keeping bugs away from your home. By diluting the essential oil in a carrier and massaging it over your skin, or even by applying a few drops of undiluted lemon eucalyptus oil over the pressure points, you will be able to keep mosquitoes away.

• Garlic

Garlic doesn’t just keep vampires away; it is also one of the most effective ways to keep mosquitoes from biting you. By consuming lots of garlic, your body will secrete its essence which is an effective mosquito repellent. If you don’t like the taste of garlic, you might want to consider purchasing garlic powder and sprinkling it around your home in areas where mosquitoes frequent.

• White Vinegar

To effectively keep ants away from your home, white vinegar is the solution. Fill some white vinegar in a bottle with a spray nozzle and spray it around areas where ants generally appear. This ensures that ants don’t return to that area. Don’t spray it on fabrics and carpets without testing it first to avoid any discoloration or damage.

• Plant an herb garden

The scents of some herbs are natural insect repellents and so one of the most potent ways to keep insects out of your home is by planting herb gardens around the exterior doors. You could even start a window sill herb garden to make sure that your kitchen remains bug free. Some herbs that are great at keeping bugs away include lemongrass, mint,, basil, bay leaves, catnip and citronella.

• Clean your house regularly

This should be obvious but the best way to keep your home bug free is to ensure that it is always clean and tidy and that there are no enticing food particles lying around for the bugs to flock to. All surfaces should be dusted regularly, and also washed and vacuumed so that they remain spic and span and free of attractive bits and pieces which attract insects.

• Vanilla

Here’s another insect repellent that is just as effective without the pungent aroma associated with some of the other solutions (such as garlic). The scent of vanilla is also a great insect repellent which smells great to us humans. By diluting it in water and maybe even adding lavender oil, mint extracts or lemongrass extract, you will get a scent that smells great while fulfilling the purpose of keeping bugs away.

• Citrus Peel

Citrus peel has proven to be one of the most effective ways in keeping out spiders and other critters. Give your furniture a good rub down with left over citrus peels to ensure that those pesky eight legged bugs stay far away from your home. This results in a great smelling home while keeping bugs at a safe distance.

Insects play a vital role in the sustenance of the ecosystem and the environment but for that they have to be outdoors or in their natural habitat. Killing insects with bug sprays is not only harmful for the body; it also causes damage to the ecosystem on the long run. Keep insects away from the home by using natural insect repellents for achieving a bug free home which does not cause harm to the environment.