We may receive a commission on purchases made from links. When the weather starts warming up, bugs and spiders wake up hungry and looking for their next meal. If you’re anything like me, you probably spend way more time than you’d like swatting mosquitoes and dealing with ants during summer. Sure, there are chemical pest sprays out there, but sometimes it’s tough to know what’s actually safe—or you might just prefer to go the natural route first. Instead of breaking out the heavy-duty repellents to protect my sliding glass doors, I decided to test out a homemade cayenne pepper spray to keep bugs away. Here’s the thing: cayenne pepper actually bothers insects because it messes with their nervous systems. The best part? If you don’t already have this spice hanging out in your kitchen, it’s cheap and super easy to find. Plus, it won’t cause the nasty side effects you get from stronger chemical sprays. All you need is an empty spray bottle, some water, and a tiny splash of dish soap. The whole thing took me about 10 minutes to put together, though I did have to be patient while the cayenne soaked into the water. Once I got rolling, I was able to spray down my sliding glass doors the same day.
Tyler Palicia/House Digest
Apply This Liquid To Your Glass Doors And Stop Bugs From Getting Inside
How to use cayenne pepper to keep bugs away
Tyler Palicia/House Digest I started by pouring a gallon of water into a bucket—the temperature doesn’t really matter. Then I dumped in 4 tablespoons of cayenne pepper and stirred it around with a spoon. After that, I added a splash of dish soap to help the mixture stick better to surfaces. Next, I covered it up, moved it somewhere my pets couldn’t reach it, and let it sit overnight. (Heads up: capsaicin in cayenne pepper can actually be dangerous for animals.)
The final step before spraying was to transfer the solution into my spray bottle. You can strain it through a cloth to catch any chunky bits, but I skipped that step. I did use a funnel though, which saved me from making a mess. If you have leftover spray, just keep it in a sealed container somewhere cool. Then I sprayed the mixture all over the sliding door tracks and frame. Since I had plenty left, I went ahead and sprayed around my regular windows and doors too. Just remember to keep it somewhere your pets and kids can’t get into it.
A couple days after spraying, I noticed way fewer ants and ladybugs inside. I also have some grape vines growing along my fence, so I decided to give them a spray too to tackle the aphids. Spoiler alert: it totally worked! Just make sure you spray in the evening so the sun doesn’t dry it out before it can do its job.
Other natural ways to keep summer bugs at bay
Tyler Palicia/House Digest Cayenne pepper is pretty great, but it’s definitely not your only option for keeping bugs out naturally. Essential oils like bergamot and peppermint mixed with water have some seriously good benefits, and coffee grounds work too. Just spray or sprinkle them around wherever you’re noticing the most creepy crawlies.
If natural fixes aren’t cutting it, you can always turn to chemical treatments. You should spray for ants in any crawlspaces you might have and around your home’s foundation in early spring once it hits around 50 degrees Fahrenheit during the day. You could also use bait traps instead if you want to avoid spreading harsh chemicals around. They come in 12-packs for about 10 bucks, which is a pretty solid deal.
That said, the best trick I’ve discovered for keeping bugs out is simply not leaving food lying around where they can find it. I know this can be tough if you have pets like I do. A dog bowl full of food is basically an open invitation for ants, so I’ve started only putting food out during meal times and cleaning the bowls right after. I also keep all my food sealed up in Ziploc bags on high shelves or in the fridge, which is one of the best ways to pest-proof your place.
