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Perusing the pest control options in the hardware store will likely yield an endless supply of label warnings such as “poison” or “toxic.” But you don’t have to live with toxins to get rid of bugs. Learn how to kill house flies with this simple (and safe!) nontoxic solution: make your own flypaper. Mix corn syrup, granulated sugar and brown sugar, then soak strips of kraft paper in the mixture and let them dry overnight. Finally, hang these sticky fly traps in intervals around your house. These fly strips are incredibly sticky, so be sure to hang them out of the way of heavy trafficked areas.

When it comes to warding off pests, you must first figure out what conditions in your home the pests find attractive. Sources of water and food are usually good places to start, as they are magnets to pests who would like to make it their home. Asses your home, looking for places that seem appealing to bugs and make it difficult for them to access those resources. There are a number of natural ways to troubleshoot pest problems, including getting rid of ants, silverfish, moths, weevils and fleas. (For more on natural pest repellents from Mother Earth Living see Bug Out: Preventative Pest Control.)

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