9+ Ways To Keep Ants, Fleas, And Other Pests Out Of Your Home

5. Seal Cracks

Ants get into our homes through any cracks and crevices that lead from the outside in. Go around your house with caulking and seal any cracks or holes that you suspect ants may be getting in from.

6. Kill Fleas With Salt

A favorite hiding spot of fleas? Your carpets. Sprinkle your carpets with a generous amount of table salt. After one or two days, vacuum up the salt. The salt dehydrates the fleas and will kill them.

7. Do Some Spring Cleaning

In order to get rid of fleas for once and for all, spend a few days washing everything fabric in your house. From furniture, to linens, to carpets, to drapes, wash everything thoroughly to kill any existing fleas and their eggs.

8. Pet Prevention

And one more thing: Fleas generally come into our homes through our pets, so ensure that you are giving your pets flea medication as advised by their vet. You can also buy pet-friendly flea shampoos to make sure fleas are taken care of right away.

9. Fruit Fly Trap

Fruit flies come into our homes through open doors, windows, and sink drains. Trap and kill them by mixing together some apple cider vinegar and a few drops of liquid dish soap in a bowl or jar. Cover the top with saran wrap, then poke holes in it. The fruit flies will climb into the jar but will be unable to escape.

10. Citronella

To keep pests away from your outdoor spaces, make a spray using water and a few drops of citronella essential oil. Spray your patio furniture and deck with the solution. You can also buy citronella candles, although they’re not quite as effective as the oil.

11. Cream of Tartar

Okay bear with me, this one sounds totally made up until you try it—but cream of tartar, that random white powder hiding somewhere in your spice cupboard, can actually keep ants away. I only even heard about it because my aunt, who basically uses natural remedies for everything (she once cured a rash with cornstarch and blind optimism) swears it works better than any spray.

You basically just dust a little bit of it around the edges of your picnic table, your porch, wherever you’ve seen ants. Just a light line; ants apparently don’t like crossing it for some reason. There are no chemicals, no weird smells, and you are not unintentionally spraying your food or your dog. It’s so incredibly low-effort and surprisingly effective… if you can find where you last put the jar.

And while I love these little tricks to manage bugs that are visible (like the ones climbing all over the counter at 9 p.m. when all you wanted was a snack), in the long run, the best part is stopping them from getting in at all! That’s the part that I always forget until spring rolls around and I’m suddenly revisiting my ant issue like it’s an annual tradition.

Long term is all about prevention. Calking tiny gaps, sealing up odd little holes in baseboards, etc., not leaving pet food out overnight ahem (my partner still forgets). If you’re thinking a little deeper and want to pest-proof your space properly, rather than just react each time something skitters across the floor, I’ve a guide you can check off that brings you through everything to do. It’s definitely worth doing before the next “surprise, we live here now” bugs show up.