How to Keep Your Home Bug-free in the Summer

Natural bug repellents are useful inside and outside the home. Pungent-smelling plants like mint and rosemary ward off insects and double as cooking herbs. Lemongrass and geraniums contain Citronella oil, which bugs hate.

Fighting insects with their natural enemies, a concept know as integrated pest management, limits their population. Many common songbirds love to eat insects. Encourage sparrows, cardinals and chickadees to flock to your home with suet cakes -- special varieties won't melt in warm weather. Encourage them to stay by building them a birdhouse. Welcome (within reason) spiders, bats and geckos. One gecko has the same bug-killing potential as an application of insecticide.

If you don't mind getting rid of the critters yourself, sprinkle a mixture of equal parts borax and sugar where ants gather. The stuff will kill them, but not before they share it with the rest of the colony. A type of soil called diatomaceous earth, sold in gardening shops, contains slivers of tiny shells that actually cut bugs. A solution of liquid dishwashing detergent and water is fatal to box elders and Japanese beetles. Don't spray plants, though, because detergent will damage them, too.

For bugs that do get inside, make food scarce by keeping a clean kitchen. Empty the garbage frequently, and wipe down counters after you cook. Store food in tightly sealed plastic, metal or other pest-proof containers. Don't leave out dirty dishes, especially overnight, when roaches and other nocturnal bugs are active.

Insects prefer dark, warm, damp areas. Eliminate any potential bug sites by fixing leaky pipes and clearing clogged gutters. Keep attics and crawl spaces ventilated. Stack firewood and landscaping bricks away from the home. Inspect items made of cardboard, wood and bamboo. They provide not only transport but also food for beetles, roaches and borers.

Need more information on debugging the house? There's lots more on the next page.