Products and Homemade Pest Control for an Insect Free Home
Wow, the insects in Texas are maddening! Over the past few years I have found some products and homemade pest control options for an insect free home.

A few years ago, we were fighting mosquitos and flies like crazy, mostly outdoors, but on occasion, a few slipped in. That same year, we ended up with gnats invading our offices at school one weekend, all over a banana peel that was left in the trashcan.
I am not a big fan of these types of insects, but the flies disgust me! If I see them land on something, I feel the need to disinfect it. I don’t think I am totally off track with this. This past week, I was reading in Leviticus, and this scripture stood out to me:
“All the creatures that swarm on the earth are abhorrent; they must not be eaten.”
Leviticus 11:41
That pretty much says it all – not that I think anyone would want to eat them, but they are abhorrent (disgusting, loathing, repugnant). Yes they are!
Commercial Pest Control Services
We all like to try and manage things on our own, but there are times that you may need to call a reliable pest control company. The pest control professionals can handle a wide variety of insects and are trained to handle many pest problems. If things are beyond your realm of expertise, please call someone in the pest control industry. At least get them to give you a free estimate to see if it is worth pursuing.

If you decide that commercial pest control services are needed, look for these qualities:
- Reputable pest control company
- Someone who does free inspections and will give a free quote
- Other satisfied customers (customer reviews & word of mouth)
- A pest control company who specializes in the specific pests you have
Instructions for Homemade Pest Controls
For Gnats
As I mentioned, we came into the office one Monday with it swarming with gnats. One of the ladies I work with shared a “Homemade Gnat Catcher” with us. We placed them throughout the office!
Her treatment plan was getting small shallow dishes and filling them with apple cider vinegar and sugar. She then coated the rims of the dishes with dishwashing soap so that when the gnats landed on them, they would slide into the mixture. It was fascinating to walk by these dishes and see how many gnats were in each of them.

Have you ever really thought about the plagues in the book of Exodus? One of the plagues Egypt experienced was swarms of gnats. After dealing with these pests at work on a much smaller scale, I cannot imagine how I would have handled swarms of these creatures. However, next came the flies!
For Flies
” And the Lord did this. Thick swarms of flies went into Pharaoh’s palace and his officials’ houses. Throughout Egypt the land was ruined because of the swarms of flies.”
Ex. 8:24
Think about how disgusting a fly is and its life cycle. Flies lay eggs which turn into maggots! Can you imagine how disgusting things would have been a few days after the Lord sent the flies away! I know some of those flies had to have laid a few eggs.
A few years ago when we were having outdoor pest issues with flies, I saw an interesting post from a friend, Kristen McAbee. I reached out to her to see what in the world she had done to capture all of the flies.
She was trying to enjoy time outside with her family, but the flies would not leave them alone. She made a homemade pest control concoction that looks pretty disgusting, but apparently it works.
Instructions:
Take an empty jar and poke holes in the lid – large enough for a fly to fit into it. Then add:
Pancake Syrup
Ham (or Cut up Hot Dogs)
Water
In a very short time, she had several flies. The first picture was taken after two hours of setting the jar outside. She waited a few more hours before taking the 2nd picture.


Kristen sent me a picture of the jar after 5 days! This is unbelievable!
It is safe to say that you should place the jar away from the family or food!

Some of My Favorite Superior Pest Control Options (Store Bought)
I am very happy to have learned about these two homemade pest controls. However, I am still using other methods as well.
DynaTrap
We got a DynaTrap a few years ago, and I have to say that it is quite amazing. We couldn’t tell if it was working, but here is a picture of the basket after a week. I’d say it is working!
If you haven’t tried a DynaTrap and are interested, see the link below. They are not like the zappers. The light attracts the insects into the trap; there is no zapping. In my opinion, this bug trap has the best value!


DynaTrap Mosquito & Insect Outdoor Trap & Killer
Mosalogic Flying Insect Trap Plug In
We haven’t really had too much of a problem with mosquitos indoor until this year. I don’t think they have been worse than any other year, but it seems like they have gotten inside a little more.
I bought this little plug-in insect trap back in the spring, and it became kind of an obsession with me. It is for indoor use and basically works when it is dark. The light attracts the insects onto the paper, and they are trapped. Every morning I would check it to see if any mosquitos were on it.

Here is the link for the Mosalogic Plug-in Trap
Indoor Blue Light Insect Trap
I wish I had a link to share for this one! As soon as Jay heard about these, he ordered two of them. They took forever to come in, and they sold out quickly.

These have been the biggest help! They even alerted me to an issue I did not even know we had.
These portable bug catchers can be used both indoors and outside. We have both of them inside of the house. One afternoon, a gnat got inside and followed me into the pantry. I grabbed one of the bug catchers and left it in there. Since it is dark in the pantry with the door closed, I figured it would be caught soon.
What I didn’t realize was that other pests would be caught too – weevils! Talk about disgusting!!! I will share more about that below.
I have searched for something similar to these, and I found this one. The inside of this bug light looks almost exactly like the ones we have.

Here is a link to this product.
Weevils
I have always heard that weevils lay their eggs in grains/flour products while they are being processed. Once you get the packages home, you should freeze them to kill them before they hatch.
Because I literally cannot stand these bugs, I go to great lengths to keep them away!

- I keep these items in the freezer instead of the pantry:
- Rice Products
- All Pasta
- Flour and Flour Type Items
- Grains
- I use Clorox on a regular basis.
When I saw those little bugs in the bug trap, I was so confused and disgusted. I ended up having to remove everything from the pantry, disinfect the shelves, throw things away, and reorganize the shelves. In the process, I found the culprit – an old box of Bisquick! It had gotten shoved to the back out of sight, and I had no idea it was in there.
After getting it all cleaned out and bug-free, I have two new processes, just in case:
- Put other boxed items that are not going in the freezer in baggies and use them soon.
- Keep the bug trap in the pantry to alert me of any issues!
Other Preventative Treatments and Tips
When our veterinarian found out that we had never had fleas where we live, she made the comment that we must have fire ants. Apparently fire ants keep the fleas away. I guess it is a trade-off.
Our daughter has chickens which also keep insects like fleas and ticks away.

If you do not want to rely on fire ants or chickens for your pest control services, here are some other tips:
- Spray insect spray on wasp nests and stinging insects.
- Keep outdoor spaces clean and manicured.
- Make sure food is not left out. Insects are always in search of food.
- Store food in air tight containers.
- Pet food should also be put away and covered.
- Keep windows and door closed, including doggie doors.
- Place lemon juice around door frames and at entry points.
- Mix up a safe product following the product label and spray it onto the yard with a tank sprayer.
- Plant things like Citronella plants, Rosemary, lavender, lemon grass, etc. that mosquitos do not like.
- Use Citronella candles and torches when outdoor at night.
- If you live in apartment buildings, call the management with any problems.
Your Thoughts and Advice
Ever since I have had my She Shed, I have had an issue with moths. I have tried glue traps, cedar, and even a professional exterminator. They are still there!
I am not out there that much right now, but I am redoing it to make it into my office. I do not want to have to fight off moths everyday. If you know the best way to get rid of moths, please share in the comments. Otherwise, I may have to move the DynaTrap out there.
Whether you are fighting any of these common pests: flies, mosquitos, gnats, weevils, or other creatures, you can have peace of mind. With these great products and homemade pest control options, you can have an insect free home (or at least close to it)!
Related Post
See our outdoor sitting area in the post, “Who’s Idea Was This Anyway?”
How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies Fast
Until next week,


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“From one Man He has made every nationality to live over the whole earth and has determined their appointed times and the boundaries of where they live.” Acts 17:26