How to Kill Household Bugs

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Are you annoyed by little creepy crawlies constantly popping up everywhere in your house? Maybe what started as one solitary bug has turned into an infestation. Fortunately, there are several ways that you can kill pesky household pests like ants, roaches, spiders, flies, fleas, and bed bugs. So go ahead and show those bugs who’s boss!

Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Ants

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  1. If you’re lucky, that line of ants you see is just now following a scout into your home. If so, you may be able to wipe them out now before they get established. Grab your vacuum and suck up all the ants you see. After that, use soapy water to scrub the trail the ants were following. [1]
    • Seal up the vacuum cleaner bag right away and dispose of it outdoors. To help ensure that the ants in the vacuum cleaner bag don’t survive, sprinkle some cornstarch inside the bag before you start sucking them up. Getting dusted with cornstarch dehydrates and kills ants.
    • Keep a close eye out for ants over the next few days. If you’re still seeing them, they’ve already gotten established in your home. In this case, move on to colony-killing measures like poison bait instead of trying to kill individual ants with bug spray. [2]
  2. Fill an empty spray bottle with equal amounts of tap water and liquid dish soap. Whenever you see some ants, give the bottle a quick shake and spray the little pests. They should die within a minute or so, since the soapy water sticks to the ants and suffocates them. Dish soap also disrupts their pheromone trails. [3]
    • Like with vacuuming them up—or, for that matter, smashing them with your thumb or using a commercial ant spray—this method kills the ants you see but most likely won’t solve your ant problem. If more ants keep reappearing over the coming days, try ant baits instead.
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  3. Put out bait wherever you see ant activity—such as in corners and crevices, or up the wall alongside your kitchen cabinets—so the worker ants pick up the poison and take it back to the colony. Use enclosed bait stations anywhere that kids or pets can access, but opt for the more effective gel bait (it comes in a squeezable tube) if kids and pets aren’t a concern. Squeeze out lots of little dabs of the gel in the high-activity areas. [4]
    • Resist the urge to kill individual ants once you’ve put out the bait. You need them to be alive so they can transport the poison back to their colony.
    • You’ll have to be patient—it can take up to 2 weeks for the poison bait to wipe out the colony. But this method is way more effective than trying to kill thousands or even millions of ants a few at a time!
  4. Commercial ant baits work great, but it’s also possible to make your own with items from your pantry. Simply mix equal parts of baking soda and powdered sugar and lightly dust the areas in which the ants are active. The sugar will attract them and they’ll bring their bounty back to the colony to share, but the baking soda will dehydrate the ants and—hopefully—kill off the colony within a few days. [5]
    • Cornstarch also works if you’re short on baking soda, or you can use food-grade diatomaceous earth.
    • DIY ant baits may not end up being as effective as commercial options.
  5. Once you’ve killed off the ant colony that invaded your home, do what you can to keep other ants from making their way in! Use caulk to seal up cracks and crevices around doors, windows, electrical outlets, and other potential ant entry points. Of course, it’s impossible to seal off every possible entryway for tiny little ants, so also do the following to reduce their food supply in your home: [6]
    • Frequently take out your trash and recycling, and regularly clean the inside of the cans or bins with soapy water or a household cleaner.
    • Sweep or suck up crumbs and wipe up spills as soon as possible. Sweet spills like soda are the worst offenders!
    • Keep your food in sealed containers, like zip-close bags and lidded jars, instead of in cardboard boxes or paper wrappers. Sugary foods are especially attractive to ants.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Cockroaches

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  1. Yes, smashing a cockroach with a shoe will work, but this is a less messy alternative! That said, roaches can sometimes survive being sucked into a vacuum cleaner. One option is to remove the vacuum bag, seal it in a plastic bag, and put it in the trash outside. The other option is to seal the vacuum bag in a plastic bag and put it in your freezer for 2-3 hours. [7]
    • Unfortunately, killing individual bugs won’t solve your roach problem. If you see (and kill) one or even a few cockroaches, you can be sure that there are many others hiding in the shadows.
  2. If you’ve spotted the occasional roach but can’t figure out where the rest of them are hanging out, use roach glue traps. Set out traps in areas where you have seen roaches, as well as spots where cockroaches tend to hang out—such as in cabinets, corners, and crevices. Check the traps daily to figure out where you have the most roach activity so you can target your other elimination methods there. [8]
    • While checking the traps, also check for cockroach droppings in the area. They look like black pepper flakes.
    • A glue trap is essentially a piece of cardboard with a sticky adhesive surface that has a bug-attracting scent. You can buy them at any retailer that sells pest control items.
    • Don’t use glue traps in areas that pets or small children can access.
  3. Grab a clean, empty 2-liter soda bottle and cut off the top section (where the bottle starts to narrow). Wrap masking tape all around the outside of the bottom piece of the bottle, and rub petroleum jelly or cooking oil on the inside of the top piece of the bottle. Soak a piece of bread in beer (non-alcoholic beer is fine) and set it in the base of the bottle. Invert the top piece of the bottle and set it into the bottom piece so that it makes a funnel leading down towards the beer-soaked bread. Make multiple traps as needed and place them in high-activity areas. [9]
    • Cockroaches will be attracted by the scent of the beer-soaked bread, then slip down the greased funnel and become trapped inside the bottle.
    • Check the bottle each morning. The roaches inside may still be alive, so pour hot water into the funnel, then flush everything down the toilet. Re-set the trap with a new piece of beer-soaked bread.
    • While you’ll likely kill lots of cockroaches this way, it may not eliminate all of them. Try poison baits or boric acid to increase your odds of complete success.
  4. If you’re using enclosed bait stations, place several of them throughout areas where you’ve found cockroach activity. Do the same with gel-based bait, but squeeze out many small dabs of gel throughout the target areas. It may take around 2 weeks for the poison to kill off the entire infestation, but you don’t have to remove food and empty out your cabinets like you do if you’re using an insecticide like boric acid. [10]
    • Bait stations can be placed right near stored foods, while gel bait should be kept away from food and food preparation surfaces. Avoid using gel in areas that are accessible to kids or pets.
    • Choose poison baits that are specifically formulated for roaches.
  5. For pest control purposes, boric acid is usually sold as a powder in a plastic container that serves as a bulb duster. Puff a light coating of the dust in areas with cockroach activity, paying special attention to corners, crevices, and sheltered areas (like beneath kitchen appliances). Cockroaches that crawl over boric acid die quickly, so your infestation may be solved within days. That said, boric acid must be kept away from food and food preparation surfaces, and it’s best to empty out any cabinets in which you’re applying boric acid. [11]
    • If you puff boric acid in the crevice at the back of your kitchen countertop, for example, clean off the surface in that area with soap and water or a household cleaner.
    • You can use diatomaceous earth in the same way, but experts typically view boric acid as more effective against cockroaches in particular. Also make sure it's food-grade diatomaceous earth, not the industrial version that can be toxic to people and pets. [12]
  6. Avoid getting stuck in repeated cycles of killing off cockroaches by making it harder for them to infest your home in the first place. Take measures like the following: [13]
    • Use caulk to seal off cracks and crevices—both those that provide access from outside and those that provide hiding spots inside.
    • Store food in glass, ceramic, metal, or rigid plastic containers with tight-fitting lids.
    • Clean up crumbs, spills, leftover food, and used dishes right away.
    • Vacuum your floors and clean your countertops and cabinets regularly.
    • Fix any leaky pipes that provide a water source for roaches.
    • Use a tight-fitting lid on your kitchen trash can and empty it often.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

Spiders

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  1. Any time you suck up a spider, look carefully for egg sacs on the web or in the area. The egg sacs typically look like fuzzy balls that are similar in size to the spider. Make sure to get these too! Then, to ensure that no spiders escape from the vacuum bag, seal it up and dispose of it outside or seal it up and put it in the freezer for several hours. [14]
    • Vacuuming up spiders is less messy than smashing them and doesn’t introduce chemicals into your home like using a spider-killing pesticide does. That said, on-contact spider pesticides are effective at killing eight-legged pests. [15]
  2. Spiders don’t like to travel out in the open, so place the glue traps along baseboards, in corners, and under cabinets and furniture in areas where you’ve seen spider activity. Check the traps daily for stuck-on spiders, then relocate and replace the traps as needed so that they’re most effective. [16]
    • Glue traps have a scent bait but contain no pesticides, so they are safe to place near food. However, keep traps out of the reach of small children or pets—they’re really sticky!
  3. Choose a barrier insecticide that contains bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin or lambda cyhalothrin, then apply it according to the product instructions. Spray it around the exterior of your home, especially near potential entry points like windows and doors. Also apply it to the interior side of these entry points, as well as along baseboards, under appliances, and other areas where spiders are likely to travel. [17]
    • Barrier insecticides often need to be reapplied every 2-3 months. Always follow all application and safety instructions for your selected product.
  4. If you prefer not to use a chemical-laden insecticide barrier, buy a spider repellent spray that uses peppermint oil as a primary ingredient. [18] Spray it around interior and exterior entry points just like with the barrier insecticide, but don't expect it to work quite as well or last quite as long. In fact, plan to reapply the spray every 2-3 days for the best results. [19]
    • Growing a mint plant inside your home can also discourage spiders from hanging out in that specific area.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

Houseflies

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  1. Some tools don’t really need to be improved upon! The real trick to success with a fly swatter is to move stealthily and then attack quickly. Wait for the fly to land, then slowly approach from behind with the swatter held out in front of you. Flick your wrist quickly to smack the fly—you don’t need to swing all that hard in order to kill a fly. [20]
    • Flies have almost complete 360 degree vision, so your best bet to sneak up on them is to attack from directly behind them.
    • Dispose of the dead fly so it doesn’t become food bait for other household pests.
  2. There’s no way around it: strips of fly paper with dead flies stuck to them don’t make for the nicest kitchen or bath decor. That said, flypaper works really well! Hang the paper near windows, lights, and other areas that attract flies, such as above your trash can. Remove and replace the paper once it’s about halfway covered with dead flies. [21]
    • Store-bought flypaper usually works great. Alternatively, make your own flypaper by brushing strips of craft paper with a sweet mixture of warm water and honey.
  3. You’ve probably seen “bug zappers” in outdoor settings, with their blue light luring flying insects in for a (literally) shocking surprise. It turns out that you can buy indoor traps that utilize the same kind of blue light lure. Indoor versions use either a concealed sticky surface or lower-voltage zapper to kill more discreetly. Set the trap about 5 ft (1.5 m) off the ground in a high-activity area, but not right in front of a window.
    • Putting the light trap near a window will lure in more flies from outdoors!
    • Check the trap every 1-2 days and empty it of dead flies as directed in the product guide.
  4. Grab a shallow bowl and pour in apple cider vinegar to a depth of about 1 in (2.5 cm). Add a tiny squirt of liquid dish soap and about 1 tbsp (15 g) of sugar and stir everything together. Add a few fruit scraps, like strawberry stems or apple peels, if desired. Set the trap near your trash can or other areas with lots of fly activity. [22]
    • Flies love the sweet-and-sour scent of overripe fruit, so the mix of sugar and apple cider vinegar will draw them in. Adding dish soap breaks the surface tension of the water, though, so the flies will drown if they land on it.
    • Empty and replace the trap every few days or once it’s full of flies.
    • This is an ideal trap for fruit flies, but don’t sell it short as a housefly trap!
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Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

Fleas

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  1. You can treat them in your home if necessary, but it’s best to treat them and your home simultaneously and separately. For the best results, bathe your pet with a flea-control shampoo, or use regular pet shampoo. After the bath, brush your pet’s fur thoroughly with a flea comb, dipping the comb in rubbing alcohol every few strokes to rinse and kill fleas and eggs. Apply an IGR (insect growth regulator) such as Frontline or Advantage to kill remaining eggs and larvae for up to 3 months. [23]
    • After cleaning and treating your pet, keep it out of your home for several hours while you clean and treat it. Or, if possible, have someone treat your pet while another person treats your home.
    • Consult a veterinarian for advice on the best flea control products to use for your particular pet and location. [24]
  2. Definitely wash all pet bedding and towels, and also wash any human bedding, towels, or clothing that is or might possibly be infested. Wash the items on the hottest setting the fabrics can handle, then put them in the dryer or hang them outdoors in direct sunlight. [25]
    • If you have an item like a dog bed that you can’t put in the wash, thoroughly spot clean it with hot, soapy water or use a steam cleaner on it.
    • Don’t put these items back until you’ve cleaned and treated both your home and any pets.
  3. Start by vacuuming every carpet, rug, piece of furniture, corner, crevice, and pretty much everything else you can reach! Mop your floors with warm or hot soapy water, and clean all countertops, table tops and legs, and other flat surfaces thoroughly. [26]
    • For an even more thorough cleaning, follow up your vacuuming by steam cleaning your carpets and rugs.
    • Thorough vacuuming is essential to flea control. Keep vacuuming your home thoroughly and regularly for at least several weeks. Although vacuuming typically kills fleas and destroys their eggs, play it safe by bagging up and disposing of the vacuum bag outdoors.
  4. Choose either a liquid spray or aerosol flea insecticide—avoid using “bug bomb” devices, even if they’re marketed for fleas. Put on gloves, a mask, and eye protection, and follow all safety precautions listed on the package. Apply the treatment to areas like carpets, pet bedding, and other locations where flea-prone pets hang out. Follow the product instructions for the drying time—perhaps 2-3 hours—before allowing pets and kids into the home. [27]
    • If you prefer lower-toxicity options, choose an insecticide that is either citrus-based (containing limonene or linalool) or boron-based (containing disodium octaborate tetrahydrate). However, keep in mind that these are not as effective as insecticides that contain chemicals such as pyrethrins. [28]
  5. While sticky flea traps do kill the little pests that get stuck to them, they can’t eliminate an infestation. However, they can help alert you to new or increased flea activity. Put the traps in flea-prone areas—but not where a nosy pet can get stuck to them!—and check them daily. [29]
    • Alternatively, use this low-tech method to check for flea activity. Put on long pants, then pull on a pair of long white socks, putting them over the bottoms of your pants. Walk around your home, making sure to shuffle your feet over rugs and carpets in areas where you’ve had previous flea activity. Check the socks carefully for fleas, which will show up clearly against the white of the socks.
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Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Bed Bugs

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  1. This method works if you have bed bugs on clothing, bed sheets, or other items that can go in the dryer. Turn the temperature dial all the way up to the highest heat setting, and run a complete cycle. The heat will kill off any bed bugs on the clothes. [30]
    • It’s not necessary to wash the items first, but if you do, wash them on high heat as well.
    • The dryer temperature must reach 120–130 °F (49–54 °C) to kill bed bugs. [31]
    • Alternatively, you can seal the infested item in a black plastic trash bag and set it out in the sun on a very hot day for several hours. Here again, the temperature inside the bag must reach at least 120 °F (49 °C) and preferably 130 °F (54 °C).
  2. If you don’t have a dryer or a sunny day that can heat your infested items to at least 120 °F (49 °C), freeze the bed bugs instead! Put the items in zip close bags, make sure the freezer temperature is set to 0 °F (−18 °C) or below, and wait 4 days to ensure all the bed bugs freeze to death. [32]
    • If there’s a severe cold snap—always below 0 °F (−18 °C)—in the middle of winter, go ahead and leave the sealed items outside for 4 days!
    • If you don’t have access to extreme heat or extreme cold, completely sealing up infested items for at least 1 year will kill off all the bed bugs and their eggs.
  3. Any type of fabric steamer that hits a temperature of 130 °F (54 °C) will kill the bugs and their eggs. Hold the steamer over the affected area—such as your mattress—for several seconds. Steamers can also kill bed bugs along baseboards, on carpets, and in accessible creases and crevices. [33]
    • If your steamer forcefully blasts out heated air, put a diffuser on the nozzle so the blast of air doesn’t scatter the bed bugs instead of killing them.
  4. Unfortunately, it’s really tough to wipe out a bed bug infestation on your own. All the methods listed in this section will help, but there will likely still be bed bugs hiding in the shadows. Professionals can employ techiques like the following: [34]
    • Powerful pesticides that target bed bugs.
    • Specially-designed portable heaters that warm infested rooms to 120–130 °F (49–54 °C) for several hours.
    • Professional-grade steamers and vacuums to eliminate hard-to-reach bed bugs.
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Expert Q&A

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  • Question
    Why do I have spiders in my house?
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Expert Answer
    Spiders are actually pretty common. They're classified as occasional invaders, meaning they don't come into someone's home with a purpose. They're not there to build up a large population or become a nuisance. Spiders travel from place to place and move around until they find an area that has the right level of airflow, meaning there aren't any strong drafts that will disturb their webs. If they find that there's constant traffic of other kinds of insects near their web, they'll stay there. The more other types of insects you have in your home, the more likely you are to have spiders.
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  • Question
    How do you get rid of flies?
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Expert Answer
    If it's a minimal fly issue, like only a few flies, go to your local hardware store and buy a roll of fly tape. Put it in either the kitchen or the bathroom to catch the flies. If you're dealing with more than a few flies, look for the source of food that's attracting them and remove it so the flies leave.
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  • Question
    How can I get rid of millipedes?
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Kevin Carrillo is a Pest Control Specialist and the Senior Project Manager for MMPC, a pest control service and certified Minority-owned Business Enterprise (MBE) based in the New York City area. MMPC is certified by the industry’s leading codes and practices, including the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), QualityPro, GreenPro, and The New York Pest Management Association (NYPMA). MMPC's work has been featured in CNN, NPR, and ABC News.
    Kevin Carrillo
    Pest Control Specialist, MMPC
    Expert Answer
    If you're seeing a lot of millipedes, start looking for areas where there is excessive moisture. Moisture leads to rot and mold, which then attracts millipedes. Eliminating excess moisture should solve the problem.
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      Warnings

      • Diatomaceous earth—the powdered, fossilized remains of tiny aquatic organisms—can irritate your nose, throat, and eyes, so it’s best to wear a dust mask and eye protection when applying it. [35]
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      • Natural repellents are not intrinsically safer than other options. There are a lot of safe chemical-based repellents and pesticides, so don’t assume that it’s safe just because it’s organic. [36]
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      References

      1. ↑ http://npic.orst.edu/pest/ant.html
      2. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/the-trick-to-getting-rid-of-ants-for-good-its-not-a-spray/2019/05/24/800a6556-7761-11e9-b7ae-390de4259661_story.html
      3. ↑ https://www.greenmatters.com/p/diy-ant-spray
      4. ↑ https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/the-trick-to-getting-rid-of-ants-for-good-its-not-a-spray/2019/05/24/800a6556-7761-11e9-b7ae-390de4259661_story.html
      5. ↑ https://www.greenmatters.com/p/diy-ant-spray
      6. ↑ http://npic.orst.edu/pest/ant.html
      7. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef614
      8. ↑ https://www.health.ny.gov/publications/3202/
      9. ↑ https://dhss.delaware.gov/dhss/dph/files/cockroachcontrolpi.pdf
      1. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef614
      2. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef614
      3. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef614
      4. ↑ http://npic.orst.edu/pest/roach.html
      5. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef623
      6. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-spider-killer/
      7. ↑ http://npic.orst.edu/pest/spiders.html
      8. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef614
      9. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/best-spider-killer/
      10. ↑ https://extension.msstate.edu/blog/can-fragrant-plants-help-repel-insects
      11. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-get-rid-of-flies-in-the-house/
      12. ↑ https://www.bobvila.com/articles/how-to-get-rid-of-flies-in-the-house/
      13. ↑ https://www.countryliving.com/home-maintenance/cleaning/a32858803/how-to-get-rid-house-flies/
      14. ↑ https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/insects/controlling-fleas/
      15. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef602
      16. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/pets/controlling-fleas-and-ticks-around-your-home
      17. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/pets/controlling-fleas-and-ticks-around-your-home
      18. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef602
      19. ↑ https://agrilifeextension.tamu.edu/library/insects/controlling-fleas/
      20. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef602
      21. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
      22. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef636
      23. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
      24. ↑ https://www.epa.gov/bedbugs/do-it-yourself-bed-bug-control
      25. ↑ https://entomology.ca.uky.edu/ef636
      26. ↑ http://npic.orst.edu/factsheets/degen.html
      27. ↑ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3059459/

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To kill household bugs, try making a vinegar trap. First, fill part of a bottle with vinegar, and cover the top with plastic wrap. Then, secure the plastic wrap with a hairband, and poke small holes in the plastic wrap with a toothpick. Once you've built the trap, wait for bugs to fly and crawl through the holes and get trapped in the bottle. Alternatively, try using boric acid powder to kill household bugs. Just sprinkle the powder around any areas where you've seen the bugs, which will poison them. For tips on how to kill bugs during an infestation, keep reading!

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