These common household products make great insect-control solutions. Keep those pests away with these natural remedies.
10 Household Items That’ll Repel Pests Naturally and Safely
Published on Mar. 04, 2025
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Coffee Grounds
Those coffee grounds are good for more than just a cup of coffee. Try using your leftover coffee grounds in spots around the outside of your home where you think pests are coming in. Many critters can’t stand the smell of the grounds and will steer clear. You can also use coffee grounds to critter-proof your garden.
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Banana
Are aphids taking over your garden? Place a banana peel under the soil near the stems of your plants. This will not only deter the bugs but also add nutrients to the soil.
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Apple Cider Vinegar
If those pesky fruit flies are invading your kitchen, grab a small bowl and pour in a little apple cider vinegar. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and punch a couple of pencil-lead-sized holes in the plastic. The fruit flies will be attracted to the vinegar, and they can get in but not out. Vinegar can also be used to make a natural cleaner.
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Cornmeal
Are you seeing ants? Place small piles of cornmeal wherever you see them. Ants like to eat the cornmeal, and they will take it back to their colony, but they can’t digest it. It may take a few days to work, but it’s a non-toxic solution if you have pets.
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White Vinegar
Ants leave a trail, which helps other ants from the colony find their way to food. To wash away the trail, use a solution made from 1/4 cup white vinegar, 2 cups water and 10 drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil. Some oils can also be used to clean furniture and fight odors.
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Fresh Herbs
Do mosquitoes crash your backyard bonfire? Throw some fresh rosemary or sage on the coals to keep them away.
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Essential Oils
Make your own dust mite-repellent spray with essential oils. Mix eucalyptus, lavender, clove or peppermint oil with water in a spray bottle. Use it to mist furniture and linens, allowing the spray to air dry.
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Basil
Sweet basil is great in recipes and wards off flies, making it one of the best patio plants. Plant a pot of sweet basil in a sunny spot next to a frequently used door.
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Onion
It may be an old wives’ tale, but it works. To keep spiders away, slice up some onions and toss them in a bowl of water. Place the bowl where spiders enter your home, and they’ll stay away.
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Cloves
If ladybugs are taking over an area of your home, place some bags of cloves or sprinkle some clove oil in heavily infested areas. Ladybugs don’t like strong scents and will evacuate quickly. Then, vacuum or sweep up the cloves.
