The best defense against cockroaches is a clean kitchen and bathroom. If roaches are a problem in your home or apartment, vacuum well and wash the area with a strong soap. Dispose of the vacuum cleaner bag in a sealed container.
Also try:

Non-Toxic Cockroach Control

• Diatomaceous earth is a safe alternative which can be sprinkled in areas where roaches congregate, especially hidden areas such a cabinet tops and behind appliances. Harmless to people, the tiny particles cut the waxy exoskeleton and kills the insect within 48 hours. For a week or so after the treatment, the dehydrating insects will search more actively for water. Therefore, do not be surprised if you see roaches more often after the treatment. Most roaches should be killed within two weeks of application. Click for more info or to purchase diatomaceous earth
• Catnip is a natural repellent to cockroaches. The active ingredient is nepetalactone, which is non-toxic to humans and pets. Small sachets of catnip can be left in areas of cockroach activity. Catnip can also be simmered in a small amount of water to make a “catnip tea” which can be used as a spray to apply around baseboards and behind counters. This natural repellent should only be used in homes without cats!
• Keep a spray bottle of soapy water on hand. Spraying roaches directly with soapy water will kill them.
• In an empty one pound coffee can, place 1 or 2 pieces of bread which have been soaked thoroughly with beer. Place in areas known to have roach infestations.
• It is a little known fact that roaches like high places. If you put boric acid on TOP of your kitchen cabinets (not inside), if space allows between ceiling and cabinets, the roaches will take the boric acid to their nests, killing all of them. Boric acid is toxic by mouth – keep away from children and pets.
• Leave bay leaves, cucumber slices or garlic in the affected area as deterrents.
• Non-toxic roach traps are commercially available. Click for more info or to purchase Non-toxic Cockroach Traps

Fleas in the home can be easily and effectively eradicated without the use of poisons.

The age-old scourge of fleas, usually associated with pet dogs or cats, can affect any home. And while chemical-based flea treatments can be effective, they may pose health hazards to occupants as well as pets. Natural and non-toxic flea control methods, such as Diatomaceous Earth, and electric flea traps, are safer options.

• “Avoid contact with eyes, skin or clothing.”
• “Keep out of reach from children.”
• “Dust released by collar is a cholinesterase inhibitor.” (Cholinesterase inhibitors lead to an accumulation of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine.This produces paralysis and then death in insects.)

These are common precautionary statements on many readily available flea treatments. But while the product may be effective at killing fleas, what is its effect on your pet’s health, or your family? Surveys show that as many as 50% of American families report using some kind of flea and tick control product on pets, exposing millions of children to toxic chemicals on a daily basis. Initial research also shows that thousands of pets may be sickened or die each year as a result of chronic low-dose exposure to organophosphate-based insecticides through their flea and tick collars. But while there are countless stories of pets, and even people, who have suffered the ill effects of flea treatments, finding alternatives can be a problem for most people.

A few facts about fleas:

• Fleas are similar to cockroaches in that they adapt to their environment. They become stronger and more immune to the popular commercial flea control chemicals with each generation.

• Most of the fleas are living in your pet’s environment, rather than in its fur. Every flea found on your pet may mean that there approximately 30 more living in your home.

• A single flea can lay as many as 60 eggs per day. The lifespan of a flea is about 90 days, but the hibernating cocoon can survive up to year without feeding.

Controlling fleas does require some effort, but there are safer and effective ways to control fleas than chemical-based commercial flea control products.

Before reaching for pesticides, see if these safer, non-toxic methods help control flea problems:

Non-toxic electric flea trap

Controlling fleas indoors

Groom housepets and check for fleas

Combing your cat or dog daily with a flea comb is an important part of flea control. Bathing animals regularly is also advised. There is no need to use chemical flea shampoos. A water bath with a gentle soap that won’t irritate their skin is sufficient to eliminate existing fleas.

The best way to check your pet for fleas is to comb your pet with a fine-toothed flea comb – especially over the lower back near the tail base. You may pick up an adult flea, or you may collect black, pepper-like material. To determine if this black material is flea feces, place the debris on a white paper towel and add a drop of water. If it is flea feces, you will see a reddish-brown stain develop around the pepper since flea feces is actually digested blood.

Set a trap

You can trap fleas by placing a dish of soapy water under a night light near where your pet sleeps. Fleas are attracted to warm light and will drown in the soapy water. This works for adult fleas only, but with diligence, can be effective reducing the flea population. Fleas already residing on your pet aren’t likely to leave, so you will still need to flea comb and/or bathe them in a mild shampoo (even a baby shampoo will work as fleas don’t survive well in soapy water).

If the idea of keeping a soapy water dish near your pet is not attractive, plug-in flea traps (also called electric flea traps or lighted flea traps) are available. These electric traps are very effective. (They seem to also work well for ants, as we have noticed in our personal experience.) The images below show results using an electric flea trap for two weeks. You will notice the first image shows the sticky pad full of dead fleas, and the second image shows a reduction in the second week. This pattern shows the flea population is being reduced, and the trap should remain in place until no fleas appear on the pad. Once the area is cleared of fleas, the trap can be moved to any other location where fleas appear.

Sanitize your pet’s environment

Fleas lay their eggs everywhere — in carpets, curtains, upholstery, animal bedding, cracks and crevices. Destroying the fleas’ eggs by thorough weekly vacuuming and frequent washing of animal bedding goes to the source of the problem and will help eliminate the flea population in your house. After vacuuming, be sure to replace the bag right away and take the old bag out of the house. Keeping clutter on the floor to a minimum also will deprive the fleas of hiding places.

Apply Diatomaceous Earth

Once your home is sanitized, defend against a recurrence of fleas and other insect pests by applying small amounts of diatomaceous earth throughout the home. Diatomaceous earth is a remarkable, all-natural product made from tiny fossilized skeletal remains of unicellular plants called diatoms. But while ‘DE’ may look and feel like talcum powder to us, to insects it is a lethal dust with microscopic razor-sharp edges which cuts the flea`s protective outer covering, leading to dessication and death. And while DE spells death to insects, it is harmless to humans and pets.

Apply DE in places where fleas seem most prevalent: a dusting on the pet’s bedding and the carpet or couch, a teaspoon under the baseboard heater, beneath the stove or cupboards, near the sink, garbage or wherever you suspect fleas. While the effectiveness of the dust does not wear out, it can be accidentally sucked up when vacuuming, so you may need to reapply after using the vacuum in certain areas.

The application of DE has the added benefit of effective flea control whether rooms are carpeted or have bare wood or tile floors. A carpet can be given a light dusting of DE, and a sprinkling on wood floors will find its way to the cracks and crevices where insects frequent. DE can also be rubbed directly into the fur of your pet dog or cat.

The application of diatomaceous earth should continue after the resident flea population is exterminated. This is because tiny hibernating fleas in the cocoon stage may survive in the home environment up to a year without food. This stage can survive most treatments and can emerge to reintroduce the flea population in your home.

It only takes a small amount of diatomaceous earth to cover a large area indoors if it is strategically placed near problem areas or where fleas would likely hide. Since diatomaceous earth usually comes in a fairly large bag, the leftover can be saved since “DE” stores well, but it can also be used outdoors as an effective slug repellent.

Although DE is nontoxic to humans and pets, it is a fine powder and may irritate the lungs of some people especially those with breathing issues. Do not apply DE in windy environments or when the household fan is turned on.

A word of note: Diatomaceous earth for pest control should not be confused with “Pool Grade” diatomaceous earth, which is treated with heat, causing the formerly amorphous silicon dioxide to assume crystalline form which is not effective for insect pest control.

Controlling fleas outdoors

Nematodes
While you can’t kill off the fleas that your pet is going to encounter when it goes outside, you can keep the population down in the area around your house by using nematodes. These microscopic worms eat flea larvae and are therefore a natural way to control the flea population.

You can purchase nematodes at some pet and garden stores. Place them in moist, shady spots near your house; neither fleas nor nematodes survive in the hot sun. A lawn sprayer is commonly used for application, and within 24 hours the resident flea population is reduced up to 80% depending on area sprayed. As nematodes multiply rapidly, you have only to introduce a small initial number to have residual benefits.

Flea control nematodes, however, are not uniformly effective in all outdoor environments. For example, results of flea control nematode trials done under artificial conditions in North Carolina, California, Texas, and Louisiana have been very promising. They sometimes have provided more than 95% control of flea larvae in carefully prepared soil mixes. However, they were much less effective in several preliminary trials conducted in Florida. Although research is inconclusive, evidence suggests that nematodes are most effective against fleas in moist, sandy soil.

Cold winter weather will significantly reduce the population of nematodes in the soil. In most cases, nematodes will become dormant during cold weather, and any survivors would be few in number to provide adequate insect control the following spring. If your flea problems return the following year, another application of nematodes may be necessary.

The first line of defense against mosquitos is to seal their point of entry. Mosquitos are most active in the early morning and early evening. They seek areas of still air because they are hampered by breezes. Close windows and doors on the side of your house which are opposite the breeze. Then try:

• The most important measure you can take is to remove standing water sources. Change birdbaths, wading pools and pet’s water bowl twice a week. Keep your eaves-troughs clean and well-draining. Remove yard items that collect water.
• Campers often report that the very best mosquito repellent is Herbal Armor, a nontoxic DEET-free repellent which is also recommended by National Geographic. For small areas such as decks or patios, citronella beeswax and soy candles can be effective. These candles are most effective when placed low to the floor of the deck and in areas where there is little breeze.
• If you’re using the barbeque, throw a bit of sage or rosemary on the coals to repel mosquitos.
• An effective natural bug repellent, mix one part garlic juice with 5 parts water in a small spray bottle. Shake well before using. Spray lightly on exposed body parts for an effective repellent lasting up to 5 – 6 hours. Strips of cotton cloth can also be dipped in this mixture and hung in areas, such as patios, as a localized deterrent. Commercially available garlic based, all natural mosquito repellent and larvae killer will repel mosquitoes up to 4 weeks
• Neem oil is a natural vegetable oil extracted from the Neem tree in India. The leaves, seeds and seed oil of the Neem tree contain sallanin, a compound which has effective mosquito repelling properties. Neem oil is a natural product and is safe to use.
• Planting marigolds around your yard works as a natural bug repellent because the flowers give off a fragrance bugs and flying insects do not like.
• Safe, nontoxic pheromone-based mosquito traps are now commercially available.
• For outdoor mosquito control, bat houses are effective. Some bat species can eat 500 – 1000 mosquitoes each per might.
• For broad application outdoor mosquito control, electric mosquito traps are commercially available. These traps do not use chemicals or propane gas.
• If you’re stung, Ditch the Itch is a nontoxic cream which takes the itch out of bites.

Here are few very effective methods which will help you fight against flies

• Use mint as a fly repellent. Small sachets of crushed mint can be placed around the home to discourage flies.
• Bay leaves, cloves and eucalyptus wrapped in small cheesecloth squares can be
  hung by open windows or doors.
• Place a small, open container of sweet basil and clover near pet food or any open food in the house.
• A few drops of eucalyptus oil on a scrap of absorbant cloth will deter flies. Leave in areas where flies are a problem.
• You can make your own flypaper with this simple recipe: Mix 1/4 cup syrup, 1 tbsp. granulated sugar and 1 tbsp.
• brown sugar in a small bowl. Cut strips of brown kraft paper and soak in this mixture. Let dry overnight. To hang, poke a small hole at the top of each strip and hang with string or thread.
• Safe, nontoxic, pheromone-based outdoor and indoor fly traps are available.
• For outdoor fly infestations, the best trap you can use is the Flies Be Gone trap, now available in our online store.