Keeping your home bug-free while avoiding harsh chemicals is super easy with this free printable Natural Bug Repellent Cheat Sheet! If you’re worried about using store-bought repellents because of the dangerous chemicals they often contain, the natural alternatives exist and they work really well.
There’s a natural substance for every insect that will keep it away and you won’t have to worry about potential health hazards.
🪰 Why It Works
The printable cheat sheet offers solutions for most common household insects such as ants, spiders, fruit flies, and others. All the methods listed in the printable rely on popular bug-repelling plants, essential oils, and other natural and safe-to-use substances.
If you have pets in the house or young children, consult with the vet or pediatrician before using these. It’s a good idea to check with a professional, just to make sure no harm will come to your fur or no-fur baby.
🕷️ How It Works
Step One: Locate the type of insect you are having trouble with in the first column.
Step Two: The repellent will be right next to the insect’s name, in the second column.
Step Three: Read the instructions and use the method described to apply the recommended treatment where needed.
Now you can enjoy a bug-free home once again!
Natural Bug Repellent Cheat Sheet
There are quite a few non-toxic bug repelling products available on the market but it doesn’t mean even simpler solutions won’t work just as well. Even better, you will surely save some money.
Insects are very persistent and they crawl through the tiniest of spaces, so be sure you seal any openings in your home where you think they could enter. With that said, here are some natural solutions for keeping all kinds of common household bugs at bay.
House Centipede
These may not be the most dangerous type of critter, but they are still annoying to live with. House centipedes thrive in piles of wood, rocks, compost, and even fallen logs. I recommend you get rid of them completely or at least keep them away from the house.
Centipedes need moisture to survive and if the humidity in your home is high, it’s practically an invitation. Using a dehumidifier where needed and ventilating all spaces will go a long way.
Diffuse basil, peppermint, lemongrass, or lavender essential oils in your house. You can also place the fresh herbs in tea bags, or muslin sacks and hang them around the home.
Fruit Fly
Fruit flies love food, so they will mostly appear in your kitchen or pantry, but it doesn’t mean you need to keep them as housemates. In fact, there are some natural ingredients fruit flies will stay away from, and you can use them to make sure your kitchen is free of these winged pests.
Peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils are perfect for repelling fruit flies. Using a dropper, apply it directly to cracks in floorboards and around windows. Other essential oils you can use include basil, lemongrass, and lavender. Feel free to experiment and see which one works best.
Cayenne pepper is another plant fruit flies don’t like being nearby. You simply need to sprinkle cayenne pepper along the outer window ledges and perimeter of the house.
Ant
If you spot a random ant in your home there’s no reason to panic. However, if you’re dealing with an infestation, solving the problem quickly is your best course of action.
We have plenty of natural solutions to choose from, that can help you eliminate ant colonies from your home without exposing your family to dangerous chemicals or toxins.
Make a solution of 50% vinegar and 50% water and pour it into a spray bottle. Spray around windowsills and doorways. Food-grade diatomaceous earth is also an excellent repellent for ants. Lightly sprinkle it on windowsills, under the fridge, under cabinets, and any other place you notice them.
Mint works as a natural repellent for ants too, so planting it around the home is an excellent idea!
Silverfish
You won’t get any bug bites from silverfish, but they are very good at destroying clothes, carpets, wallpaper, books, and old papers. These insects are nocturnal, so they enjoy dark and moist places, making them difficult to spot. One place where you will notice them more easily is if they choose to nest in any unsealed dry food packets you might have in the pantry. Gross, right?!
Another way to tell if you have an issue with silverfish is if you find yellow spots on synthetic fabrics or small holes and droppings on books and papers.
Dried bay leaves repel these guys, so you can sprinkle them throughout the house. Lavender is one of the scents that can get these pests to leave your home too. Make a solution of two cups of water and 20 drops of lavender essential oil and spray it around the home.
You can also make a similar mixture with Japanese Cedarwood essential oil and spray it on the affected areas.
- 100% PURE & NATURAL LAVENDER OIL - NaturoBliss Essential oils are exactly that! Many oils being sold online make that claim but are in fact made of natural isolates and mixtures. Each essential oil is tested by an independent lab which is why every bottle comes with a Quality Guaranty.
House Spider
If you or another family member has a fear of spiders, you should know most of them have a harmless bite and even that doesn’t happen too often. Spiders will leave you alone if you do the same.
Too many of them means you need to deal with annoying spiderwebs all the time, so using a natural repellent is a good idea.
Make a solution from one cup of water and peppermint essential oil and spray around affected areas. Other essential oils that spiders seem to hate being around are cinnamon, tea tree, lavender, eucalyptus, and rose.
You can even plant mint or spread hedge apples around the home to keep spiders at bay.
Earwig
For most of us, earwigs are gross and we’d rather see them outside our homes. They can’t bite or sting you so at the very least you don’t need to worry about that. Also known as pincher bugs, these pesky pests feed on organic debris and natural methods work really well for repelling them.
A simple solution of water and dish soap sprayed around problem areas will do the trick. You can also sprinkle boric acid powder in areas pets and children can’t reach.
- Clear SPRAY BOTTLES – These spray bottles by Homeries are the perfect addition to your cleaning supplies. With its Clear hue, these glass bottles provide UV protection to any liquid.
❗ Expert Tips
Keeping a bug-free home will require some work. Of course, the natural methods discussed above are definitely efficient, but there’s more work to be done. Here are some practical tips you can apply to keep pests at bay.
Unsealed gaps where pipes and electrical lines enter the house should be covered. These are places where bugs can easily crawl through. Depending on their size, even larger pests such as mice may fit in.
Window and door screens, as well as mosquito nets, offer good protection during the warm season when we like to enjoy as much fresh air as possible. Nevertheless, they only work if there are no tears and cracks so be sure to give them a regular inspection and fix the damage if any.
Some other tricky places where bugs can enter your home are dryer vents and of course, the chimney. Make sure the seal between the vent and the wall is intact. For the chimney, you can install a cap and screen. This way, you can still use the fireplace without the risk of pests entering your home through the opening.
🖨️ How To Grab
I created the printable Natural Bug Repellents Cheat Sheet to be pretty and functional at the same time. You can even print and frame it as wall art to decorate your home! Click on the link and print it! This is only for personal use.
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