Insect & Pest Control Solutions

I live in Florida and I know very well how bugs can ruin both special outdoor events and perfectly ordinary daily moments. Just last week our s’mores summer kickoff was cut short by suuuuuper pesky gnats that insisted on hovering near our eyelashes and noses and we’ve endured more than one car ride with mosquitoes buzzing around in the van while my daughter screams in fear of being eaten alive (they do seem to feast on her especially, poor thing).

Here's how to get a pesky pest problem under control the natural way, without using toxic repellents and insecticides.

Whether you're dealing with pesky pets or stubborn stains, here's how to solve all those common (but gross) household problems.

Despite an unpleasant childhood experience involving a tire swing and a hornets’ nest, I’m not terribly bothered by the wasps’ nests that came with our new house. However, a certain member of my family is not so blasé about our buzzing neighbors, so I’m determined to make our summer wasp-free. Here’s how… Set up wasp’s-nest decoys. They mimic real nests and trick the wasps into nesting elsewhere.

Stink bugs get their name from —wait for it —the odor they emit when they are disturbed or stomped upon. It’s meant to ward off predators, and by predators I mean us humans with our descending boots, rolled up magazines, and scary vacuum suction hoses. (Hell, I’d spray us with noxious fumes too.) Here’s what else you should know about these delightful little creatures.

I was reading a few sentences of an article recently that said something about September being an extra spider-y month, something about male spiders coming out to flirt with females? I didn’t really read the whole thing because who wants to really know that much about spiders? Here’s what I do know: I don’t love them, particularly when they like to call my bedroom home and dance on my face at night.

Q: Hello. I rent an amazing, unusual, funky apartment in a historic 250-year-old home. I absolutely love the apartment, especially being an artist. It’s in a great town that I love, and the 4 other residents are great people. My apartment is the attic of the home, but has old but working AC and- unheard of in Metro Boston- electricity is included in my below-market rent.

Chiggers (or red bugs) are tiny little mites that easily escape notice, but leave a lasting legacy in the form of red welts on your skin that will itch for days and drive you nuts. Summer is prime chigger season, so read up on how to deal with them around the house, and what to do if you get bitten. Chiggers love to get you in your body’s tender sweaty spots, namely the undersides of your arms, knees, belly and – yes – your private areas.

Whether you’re just pulling out your sweaters or putting them away for the season, a moth repellent is key to making your winter wools last. Forget the stinky, toxic moth balls—and who really has the space for a cedar closet? What you need is good smelling, tiny alternative, and we’ve got just the thing!

Nothing threatens a closet full of clothes more than moths. And they can invade even the most well-organized closet. These pesky creatures are responsible for holes in your favorite clothing, and oftentimes, the problem occurs completely unbeknownst to you. Like pantry moths and other pests, these silent clothing killers multiply quickly, too, so it’s a problem you’ll want to solve quickly with a good moth repellent.

Stink bugs emerge this time every year, shaky from their deep winter sleep, to migrate to their summer homes in trees outdoors. They are just one of the many creepy crawlies you might encounter at home, and come with their own guidelines for getting rid of the suckers and preventing more. Here’s what you need to know: If they don’t bother you, just leave ‘em alone. They don’t bite, eat clothing, or damage your home.

It’s mouse season, and two friends have found critter droppings in their kitchen since New Year’s, throwing them into a tizzy. I’ve been through this before, and it drove me crazy how difficult they are to catch. They have patterns that you can expect, and then they break them. A number of years ago (when I recorded the videos below), I finally DID catch the mouse in our home, but it took days and lots of patience.

We’ve all experienced it at one point: fruit flies, first a few then an infestation surrounding your fruit bowl. They’re pesky little critters, but we’ve found the best way to rid your kitchen of them. Here are our quick instructions for making a fruit fly trap with just a few simple materials. Vinegar, fruit or wine (apple cider vinegar works especially well)Glass or jarSheet of paperTape Find a suitable glass or jar.

A couple of weeks ago I helped my brother pick out an apartment in Northern Virginia. We found a great one-bedroom in an older apartment complex, recently remodeled, it has ample storage, a large patio, and it’s close to his work. One little problem: we started to move him in and found a roach hanging out in the kitchen cabinet. Then we found another by the sink. And a tiny one was running across the pantry door. Uh-oh, there’s a bug problem.

Nothing makes me want to avoid the outdoors in summer more than mosquitoes. Which is a darn shame, considering those warmer, more casual nights are the perfect time to invite folks over to enjoy a dinner party outdoors. And of course, mosquitoes aren’t the only bugs out to ruin your good time. Here are our favorite ways of keeping bugs out of your outdoor areas.

“Ummm, what’s this for?,” I asked my friend Paulina, holding up a plastic bag, partially full of water and about a half-dozen pennies, that was on her kitchen counter. Thinking back to my childhood, I figured it was some crazy science experiment her children were in the middle of. “It keeps the flies away,” Paulina said. Say what? I looked around her kitchen – no insect activity.

Sleep is a key building block of health and happiness, yet it’s often hard to get and stay there for one night, let alone a string of several nights at a time. Here are five common reasons your bedroom isn’t working, and eight small changes to help you fall asleep, keep snoozing throughout the night, and ultimately function better the next day. PROBLEM #1: ALLERGIES Is your stuffy nose keeping you from getting shut eye?

Assassin bugs (or kissing bugs) get their names from their habit of biting humans on the face near the lips. (It’s true people: I can’t make this stuff up.) Here’s what you need to know about this not-so-nice insect. Assassin, a.k.a. kissing bugs, are found all across the bottom two-thirds of the United States, and predominantly in Arizona, California, Texas, and New Mexico.

Here's what you need to know.

Q: For the past year, we’ve heard mice in our ceiling. We’re on the third floor of a 3-story condo, and they wake us up every few weeks with their scratching. We’ve never seen evidence of mice in our apartment, thank god, but their incessant scratching makes us nervous since they seem to scratch around our bedroom light fixture (fire hazard?) and keep us up at night.

Stains, smells, mold or pests got you down? I think we’ve all got something going on that we’re not too excited about. I, for one, am about ready to consciously uncouple with my bathroom grout, and then there’s the toilet ring that’s been taunting me for months. But spring is here and I’m ready to take another crack at the grosser parts of my home. Who’s with me? Our mantra is white vinegar. Fun fact: This post is actually inspired by a recent life mash-up.

Last spring, I celebrated sundress weather with some huge, blotchy bites on my calves. San Francisco is known for its lack of mosquitoes, so I did the sensible thing and panicked: BEDBUGS. Nope — it was spiders! In an effort to save you the same confusion, I’ve put together this list of tips for IDing your household pests. Bite in the night? Get yourself to a doctor.

Although they aren’t actually dangerous unless you’re allergic to their bites, bedbugs are pretty revolting. And, as we all probably know, infestations have been on the rise. Following are some ways to help ensure that these very unwanted guests don’t end up in your home. Here are a few ways you could unintentionally bring bedbugs home — and how to avoid them.

Cockroaches, mice, rats, termites, and ants, oh my! When it comes to the pests that affect daily life in our homes, then lions, tigers, and bears have nothing on these guys. Here are some top tips on how you can keep each of these common pests at bay: According to the National Pest Control Association, cockroaches, mice, rats, termites, and ants are the top five most pervasive household pests. And the top way to keep all of them out of the house?

A warning before you read further: this post will make your skin itch. A good friend of mine aptly pointed out that bed bugs are like the adult version of head lice. I never had head lice as a child, and I never imagined that I would have bedbugs as an adult, until it happened to me. I had heard about the great bedbug epidemic in New York back in 2010, but my personal nightmare with bedbugs began last fall.

Notice the raised, brown growth on my Sago Palm. This is an example of scale. I’m currently dealing with a really sticky problem — yes, pun intended! — and anybody that has discovered one of their houseplants has a case of scale knows exactly what I’m talking about. While you may think scale is only attacking your plants, think again. Yes, it is first and foremost a plant pest, but this little creature can also wreak havoc on your home. So what exactly is scale?

Got ants? We’ve got an easy-peasy homemade ant killer recipe using baking soda — and it’s non-toxic! Baking Soda Powdered Sugar Jar Lids (or something similar to hold the bait, although a container is not necessary) Measuring Spoon Combine 1 part baking soda with 1 part powdered sugar. I used a 3/4 tablespoon of each, and mixed it together directly in the jar lid.

The “paper cone of death” fruit fly trap is one way to kill those annoying little pests. But, the other day, when I was having trouble fitting a paper cone into my glass, I discovered an alternate solution that’s just as effective!The basic principle is the same: wine, fruit juice or apple cider vinegar lures in the flies.

Looking for ways to rid your indoor and outdoor spaces of mosquitoes? Here are our best posts on how to keep those little buggers away. Natural Remedy: 5 Plants That Repel Mosquitoes How To Make Your Own DIY Mosquito Repellent Device Make Your Own Citronella Candles That Really Work 5 Tips For a Mosquito-Free Summer How To Make A Wine Bottle Tiki Torch for Under $4.

Hummingbirds are a big hit at my house. My wife and I love them, my daughter loves them, even the cats love them (just watching them, they are indoor cats). Unfortunately, the ants love them too. More accurately, the ants love the hummingbird feeder, with its steady supply of sugar water. It does not take them long to find the feeder and once they do, they will take it over. Here is a quick and easy solution for keeping your feeder ant-free.

Composting kitchen scraps for use in the garden is a classic green living practice, but there are many kitchen waste items that can also be put to good use in other ways in the garden. From hot peppers to paper towel rolls, here are seven kitchen waste items to make your home and garden healthy and happy. Paper Towel Rolls: Trim them down to about 2 inches high and press them into the soil around seedlings, this serves as an added layer of protection from pests such as slugs.

image:87e4276c5c2d2a599f0e91caff9f4a9449392dcb w:540 s:"fit" class_name:"mt-image-center" show_pin_button:"true" show_image_credits:"true" Last week, I showed you how you can make natural pesticides for your plants. While these sprays pose less risk than the toxic ones, they also rid your plant of beneficial insects like the ladybug.

Garden pests make otherwise enjoyable gardening frustrating. Whether it’s snails taking over your lettuce or aphids sucking on your roses, a pest infestation is definitely disappointing, but it’s not a reason to reach for harmful, toxic sprays. The sprays might eliminate the pesky culprits, but they are harmful to you and the environment. Instead, try whipping up one of these simple recipes with ingredients you most likely have on hand.

About a month ago, I noticed the occasional moth aflutter in my walk-in closet. This annoyed me, and I would do my best to find it and kill it! One day, I discovered a favorite sweater attacked vociferously by a peer of said moth. I bought a pile of little cedar blocks and distributed them throughout my closet.A couple of weeks later, I realized this problem could no longer be ignored. There were still moths and there were additional moth eaten items.

This last week, I had my 2-story garage tented for dry wood termites. I didn’t want to use toxic gas (Vikane, also known as sulfuryl fluoride), but both eco-friendly pest control companies I called for inspections advised that I go with tenting to save the structural integrity of the building. But, even now, I have my reservations and regrets if it was the right solution because of the toxicity involved.

Mosquitos keeping you up at night? Here’s a creative, eco-friendly, non-toxic way to keep your home mosquito free! And it also doubles up as a pleasant fragrance while keeping those bloodsuckers away…You need never buy refills for your plug-in mosquito killer again, nor worry about what toxins and chemicals are being expelled into the air by sprays or smoke coils.

Whether you live in the city, the country, or somewhere in between, walking into your garden to discover beloved plants disappearing is not entirely uncommon. I live in the country and my disappearing plants have something to do with small (and even large) animals but when I lived and worked in the city, things went missing for an entirely different reason.

For the last two weeks I’ve had an uninvited guest in my Brussels sprouts. I searched the leaves and hunted for bugs, worms, moths, rats — anything! Finally I found my evidence of what was snacking on my tasty greens. Do you know what a cabbage worm is? I do now!My small pot garden sits atop my double flight of stairs on a ridiculously windy hill. So windy, in fact, it’s known to blow tomatoes and peppers right off the plant!

It’s back! I just noticed the first spots on my fading peony plants. I was hoping that with the reduction of shade trees in my garden and with the increase in airflow through extensive pruning and reorganizing that I might have nipped my annual powdery mildew problem in the bud. I guess these preventative measure just weren’t quite enough so it’s time to up the ante before things get really out of control.Powdery mildew has been a pervasive problem in my garden for years.

Summer’s right ahead, and with that come wasps building nests in every nook and cranny of home exteriors. There are lots of noxious products out there that claim to keep the wasps and other insects at bay, but did you know that a simple color can do the job?Light blue paint on porch ceilings isn’t just done out of Southern tradition. Apparently, the color also keeps wasps from building nests and spiders from weaving webs overhead.

For the last several months my husband and I have had fans in our windows at all times. We had a hard time getting any breeze in them, but because the fans were in place, we hadn’t had a problem with bugs and mosquitoes coming in. As the temperatures dropped this past weekend, we removed the fans and all sorts of creepy crawly and flying friends came in, so it was time for some screens! Off to the hardware store we went!

Product: Black & Decker Electronic Pest RepellersPrice: $29.99Rating: Strong RecommendIt’s no secret that we are not a fan of pests. Lately we have been combing our archives trying to find ways to deal with the sudden influx of mice and roaches. After trying a few things we have finally discovered a solution that we are a huge fan of, the electronic pest repeller. We put the electronic pest repeller to the test and we’re here to share the results.

A few days ago, I took some food scraps out to our happily rodent-free compost bin in the back yard. It was a quiet morning, and I heard a soft noise coming, I thought, from the neighbor’s yard. Then I realized that noise was emanating from the compost bin. And the compost was bobbing up and down. So I carefully peered in, afraid of what I might find…And yep, there they were.Grubs.

There are fewer household pests more annoying than fruit flies. While different kinds of roaches may terrorize your countertops or sinks and annoying ants might find their way to your sugar container, fruit flies can be particularly tricky—and determining their source can be especially vexing. But, you can catch fruit flies thanks to a quick homemade trap.

If asked to design the perfect world, many would eliminate the presence of the mosquito. We’re sure they serve some purpose on the food chain, but right now, they’re just pissing us off. Every time we turn around we have a new bite! To beat the bite, try a basic bar of soap for quick relief instead of pricey over the counter products.

We’ve talked many times about fleas and bedbugs in the home and both creatures make our skin crawl. As much as we love natural products (especially for use on our pets) there comes a point in time where all we want is our home back and every bug, insect or creepy-crawly dead! Here’s how we did it in our home recently and we hope the method might provide some relief for those who might find themselves in the same situation.

The biggest problem with fruit flies is the rate that they breed and take over your kitchen or compost. It seems like they’ll never go away once you have them, and it can be incredibly frustrating and disgusting to walk into a room when dozens of flies scatter in every direction. Here are five tips and a roundup of previous posts on how to deal with fruit flies without using harmful pesticides.

Ok, this one may not be as cool as the venus fly trap that I spent weeks saving up for in grade school, but it takes the cake for simple genius. A wooden frame, some screen, a little bait, and it’s off to the races!I came across this contraption at a horse farm in Ecuador where the flies are nearly as abundant as the wild flowers. That mountain at the bottom of the cage is the fly accumulation in one week!