Keeping Pesky Summer Bugs Away from Your Home

We love spending summer outdoors inSouthern Delaware, but of course, that brings flies, mosquitoes and other insects. Keep the bugs away from your home this summer with these 8 easy tips!

1. As much as you may love the look of a full fruit bowl on the kitchen counter, fruit should be kept in the refrigerator. The sweet smell may attract ants, flies and other insects.

2. Wear lighter colored clothes, which will keep you cooler and also do not attract mosquitoes as dark clothing does.

3. Get rid of standing water. Stagnant ponds and fountains are obvious but keep an eye out for other places that can collect standing water, like gutters, containers like flower pots or buckets, and children’s toys.

4. Plant fragrant herbs like lemongrass, garlic, mint, citronella, or basil in a garden that’s near your home or in pots on your deck or patio.

5. Decorate your outdoor space with tiki torches and citronella candles.

6. Replace your outdoor lights with yellow-colored LED lights, which have been shown to repel bugs.

7. Inspect all of your window and door screens. We love to keep the windows open on cool summer evenings, but it only takes a small hole to let insects in.

8. Sprinkle a line of coffee grounds or cinnamon in front of doors and windows. Ants don’t like them and won’t cross the line. The delicious smell is just a bonus.

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