KEEP YOUR HOUSEHOLD FREE OF BUGS SAFELY 

You can control household pests naturally. GOOD HOUSEKEEPING 
IS THE BEST PREVENTION: Clean up all food and drink spills 
immediately. Store all food and drink in sealed containers. 
INSECTS CAN BE TRAPPED AND KILLED WITHOUT RESORTING TO DANGEROUS 
CHEMICALS: A poison nontoxic to humans is mixed with a food 
that insects find attractive, and spread in the infested area. 
Examples are oatmeal (attractive) and plaster-of-Paris (poisonous), 
and cocoa powder and flour (attractive) and borax (poisonous). 
Here are other solutions for specific household pests: 

RATS & MICE - 	Holes in exterior or interior walls should be 
		closed off and storage spaces kept orderly. 
		Garbage should be kept tightly covered. To catch 
		rodents, the most efficient system is the oldest: 
		mouse and rat traps.  

ANTS - 		Sprinkle powdered red chili 
		pepper, paprika, dried peppermint, or borax where 
		the ants are entering.

FLEAS - 	Feed pets brewer’s yeast in powder mixed with 
		food or by tablets. 
 
TERMITES -	Any wooden parts of the house should be at least 
		18 inches off the ground, as subterranean termites 	
		cannot tolerate being exposed to air and light. 

BEETLES -	Kill manually when you see them. 

COCKROACHES -	Mix by stirring and sifting 1 ounce of 
		trisosdiumphosphate (a cleaner available at most 
		hardware stores), 6 ounces borax, 4 ounces sugar, 
		and 8 ounces flour. Spread on floor of infested 
		area. Repeat after 4 days and again after 2 weeks. 

Air clothes well in the sun; store 
in airtight containers, and scatter 
sachets of lavender or cedar chips 
in with clothing. Avoid using mothballs, 
which contain paradichlorobenzene 
and/or naphthalene. According to 
the EPA, paradichlorobenzene can 
cause headaches, swollen eyes, 
loss of appetite, nose and throat 
irritations, and even cancer. Naphthalene 
can damage your body’s red blood cells. 

LIMIT YOUR EXPOSURE. REDUCE YOUR CANCER RISK. 

1-800-464-HELP 

www.delawarehealthyhomes.org 

To learn what you can do to make your home a healthy one, call or 
visit www.delawarehealthyhomes.org.