This method works well for almost all pests, except squirrels. Squirrels are smart enough to chew through new caulk, so you may need a professional to come in and remove them.

If you still have a leak in your home, fix that first before you replace the damaged wood.

Putting screens on your windows can also help eliminate flying bugs from getting into your home.

This will help keep out a lot of pests, including mice, rats, ants, spiders, cockroaches, and termites.

Watch out for drips or small puddles of water on your countertops, too. Insects are tiny, so they don’t need a huge water source to come running.

Spiders tend to hunt for insects at night because it’s dark and quiet.

You can find low-frequency bulbs at most hardware and home goods stores. Yellow sodium bulbs also work well.

Try to remove any clutter from your home, too. Lots of pests are attracted to warm, cozy piles of clutter, like newspapers or clothing.

Cover your garbage with a tight-fitting lid, too. Many pests will head to the trash if they can’t find food in your kitchen. [10] X Research source

You should also wash your pets’ bedding in hot water to kill any fleas and their eggs. Flea baths and combs work great for smaller infestations, but they aren’t super effective against larger ones. If your pets constantly have a lot of fleas on them, talk to your vet about treatment options.

You can find most of these traps at your local hardware store. You can also make your own wasp trap out of a 2-liter soda bottle and some honey.

Experts also note that using peppermint works against small infestations, but it might not be super effective against a lot of pests.