1. Prior to bringing grocery bags, plants, cardboard, paper bags, or pop items into your home ,inspect for insects that may be hiding.
2. Firewood should be kept away from the foundation of the house. Also keep it off the ground. Shake the logs before bringing them indoors.
3. Regularly clean floors to keep food sources from those pesky nocturnal feeders.
4. Caulk or screen areas to seal holes or cracks around your doors, windows, pipes and HVAC lines. Examine the building for possible entry points.
5. Trim low hanging tree limbs so they don’t touch the home. Keep the shrubs trimmed so they don’t become safe harbor for insects or rodents.
6. You can protect your porch and patio from ant invasions by placing powdered chalk or used coffee grounds around the foundation.
7. Make sure the lids are on your garbage cans.
8. Inspect the outside of your house monthly from July to Nov. Yellow jackets will appear overnight. Get them before they eat through the sheet rock.
9. Orange peels can help repel insects. Mosquitoes and gnats can’t stand the smell of oranges, lemons, and limes, so try taking a bag of citrus peels along with you on your summer picnic. Rub the peels over exposed skin to keep the bugs away.
10. Make your own insect repellent with vanilla extract. Take a clean, empty spray bottle and fill it with one cup of water and one TBSP of vanilla extra. Spray and wipe onto your skin and you won’t be bothered by some types of insect.