20 Problem-Solving Products For Homes That Have A Lot Of Unexpected Guests (AKA Bugs)

Promising review: "As someone who values practical and efficient solutions, I find that this bug swatter has exceeded my expectations. Its size and length are perfect, making it easy to handle and store. The controls are intuitive, and the device is ready to go with just a press of a button. I appreciate how lightweight and portable it is, allowing me to move from room to room or even step outside for quick pest control. The satisfaction of hearing that zap and knowing the insect is gone is quite rewarding. Overall, this zapper has significantly improved my indoor comfort, reducing the nuisance of flying insects. If you're looking for a reliable and user-friendly bug zapper, this one is definitely worth considering. And you get two for the price of one, lol." —Allen Chen

Get them from Amazon for $25.99+ (available in three sizes and two colors).

2. Some liquid ant bait, because before ya know it, there will be ants... ants... ANTS. Everywhere. And you'll be wondering where the heck they came from. Hell, that's where. Yay to warm weather, but bugs are a bit excessive, don't ya think? Especially loads of ants in your home. Grab these and ~exterminate~ the entire problem.

Promising review: "I am literally never buying another brand of ant traps again in my life. I've been trying to get rid of the ants in my room for over three years at this point and no other traps have worked. I used these once like two months ago and haven't seen an ant since. So easy to use and super effective." —Layla Martinez

Get a 12-count from Amazon for $10.93.

3. A rechargeable large-area mosquito repellent if you're constantly feeding a mosquito family of 15 your precious blood. No sprays, no scents, no flames, just this magical little answer to your spring prayer. It also comes with a repellent refill annnndd has a 15-foot protection zone!

Promising review: "I must admit, I was skeptical about purchasing this product, especially the claims about it protecting a 15-foot radius. I have been a mosquito magnet for my entire life, mosquitoes would brave all deterrents and still manage to find me! I had resigned myself to either running indoors when dusk would fall or spraying myself down with repellent if I wanted to enjoy my patio in the evening, until now. This product not only does what it claims, but there is virtually no offensive smell, smoke, or spray that emits from the canister! I placed it on my table as soon as the mosquitoes made their appearance, and at first, they were continuing to find me (I even got one bite), but within 10 minutes of this device being lit, they simply disappeared! I managed to sit outside comfortably until 11 p.m. and didn’t have a gazillion mosquito bites to contend with! I am SOLD on this device and have just placed an order for refills so I don’t run out!" —Maureen Ciliberto

Get it from Amazon for $15.59+ (available in seven colors).

4. A bottle of diatomaceous earth to help you kill bed bugs, roaches, ants, fleas, and whatever other creepy crawly multi-legged creatures are currently freaking you out.

Promising reviews: "Had a bed bug infestation. Bought this stuff because of a YouTube recommendation. Opened the bag, assembled the pump, filled it up, then went to work. At first, I sprayed the powder gently in corners and tight spaces. Five minutes later, I'm going full Tony Montana, powder flying everywhere. My apartment looked like a snow globe for two days, and I haven't seen a single bed bug or any bug since. If they want this blood, they gotta climb up Mt. Everest to get it!!!" —S.Jonas

"I have been using diatomaceous earth for 35 years to control insects. It is not a poison. It absorbs fats and oils from the insects’ exoskeletons, so they dry out and die. Yet it doesn’t harm pets, birds, or humans! You do have to reapply it more often than a pesticide, but that’s an easy trade-off for something that kills insects without poison. If you have a yard, you will want to purchase a bag of it. We are now older and live in a ground-floor condo, so this bottle is easy to use and holds enough for an entire summer." —Nan

Get it from Amazon for $9.99+ (available in two sizes).

5. A cockroach gel bait — a long-lasting, effective solution that'll deliver quick results without stains or unbearable odors. Put it in cracks, crevices, and hiding spots, and watch those disgusting lil' guys chomp down on the poison like Snow White did with that apple.

You'll get four tubes, tips, and plungers.

Promising review: "We made the mistake of accepting used furniture without a thorough cleaning, and when we arrived back home from being out of state, we learned how bad that mistake was. We have used Bengal, Raid, Ortho, Adams, and generic stuff to no avail. I ordered and received this yesterday, and used one and a half tubes all over the house last night. It's been less than 24 hours, and I have already had to clean my floors three times because of the death rate. Thank the gods for this potent magic in a tiny little tube!!" —TexasHeathen

Get it from Amazon for $25.20 (also available in a two-pack).

6. Or an eight-pack of Combat roach-killing bait stations that'll help kill the nests. Those gross creepy crawlers will think you left 'em a buffet, take some of the bait back to their friends, and then they'll all be poisoned and dead as heck. Buh-bye, roach nests!

Promising review: "We haven't seen a roach for at least two years, and we've only used the product once! I'd say this puppy is a killer roach killer! GET IT! FOLLOW DIRECTIONS. EASY. Be patient in the beginning. The goal is to kill the whole colony (I know, sad), and roaches are highly prolific breeders. You have to give it a couple of weeks for all the new, recently hatched ones to die. When all you start seeing are little tiny roaches, you know that it's working. And pretty soon you won't see any. After a couple of weeks, we just saw a few little tiny roaches the size of pencil leads in our sink... and then before we knew it, we didn't see any for two years, and we still haven't seen any! I keep thinking we need to put more out, but I'm just going to wait and see how long it takes for us to actually see a roach again. And this is in the DESERT, where we can have tons of roaches, and some of them are like, 4 inches long! It works! Buy it now!" —Kelley

Get them from Amazon for $9.19.

7. A magnetic screen door with an auto-close design that'll shut whenever you walk through it, so you can enjoy the perks of letting in some fresh air while also keeping the critters out. One reviewer even said it helped keep a bat out!! It's easy to install, just use the included Velcro-like strips to attach it to the door frame, and you, your pets, and your kids will be able to come in and out as much as you please.

Promising review: "Ophelia, my cat, and I both love this screen! It was so easy to put up, it automatically closes behind you when you come or go through it, and, best of all, it keeps flies out and allows me to enjoy a breeze through my apartment! Ophelia figured out right away that she can easily push through the bottom to come and go as she pleases — like having a pet door without the added expense. The tie backs are great, like if you need to carry groceries in, etc. The magnets are really strong and the screen seems very sturdy and well constructed — I highly recommend!!!" —Kate Is Revamping!

Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in four sizes).

8. And a pack of two extendable window screens so you can welcome the summer breeze into your home without critters thinking they're invited to the party. Their entry will be denied as soon as they step up to this baby.

Promising review: "These are well-made and sturdy. The bonus is that the weather stripping also keeps the tiniest bugs from sliding in between the window frame and the screen. Now this is a quality product!" —Dale C Ludi

Get them from Amazon for $37.89+ (available in three sizes and another multipack).

9. An outdoor electric bug zapper that'll attract insects with blue-violet light and zap 'em back to hell. Oh! And if you ever notice that the bulb isn't luring critters in like it used to, you can just replace that sucker so it continues to work at its full effectiveness. Put it on your outdoor table or hang it up somewhere and let it go to work.

Promising review: "I recently bought this because where I live, there are a ton of mosquitoes and they’re always biting my kids. To be honest, I didn’t really expect much because of past purchases that were underwhelming. But this one in particular works great. I have it on the majority of the time, and my kids rarely have bites on them anymore. The sound of it zapping bugs has become my new favorite sound." —Dustin

Get it from Amazon for $39.98.

10. A pack of mosquito dunks infused with a toxic bacteria treat for those annoying lil' 'skeeters and their larvae, but still safe for wildlife because you don't wanna hurt the beautiful koi fish in your little pond. Drop 'em in whatever standing water you have and soon enough, the amount of mosquitoes in your outdoor space will decrease for up to 30 days.

Amazon

You can learn more about BTI, the bacteria in mosquito dunks, at the CDC.

Promising review: "Mosquitoes where I live are fierce! For the first time in years, I have been able to enjoy hanging out in my beautiful backyard, which is full of trees and flowers. Why? Because I put out six containers of water with one mosquito dunk disk each. There are no more mosquitoes! This product is a miracle. The dunks are extremely simple to use and cost hardly anything. They last a month. Completely efficient. I will use this for the rest of my life. Thank you to whoever figured this out!" —Alberta

Get a six-pack from Amazon for $7.75.

11. A salt shooter that's accurate up to 3 feet and requires no batteries, so you can Scarface those buggies outta here. Fill it with regular ol' table salt and let flies say hello to your little friend — the salt shooter.

Promising review: "This salt gun is SO MUCH FUN! I hate flies so this is the perfect solution. It's like a Nerf gun but shoots salt instead. It's not too heavy to hold. However, the pump is tough to pull back, which is perfect for an adult but difficult for kids. If you shoot yourself in the hands or arm, it stings a tiny bit, but that's it. I highly recommend it! Happy hunting!" —Q. Nguyen

Get it from Amazon for $49.95.

12. An easy-to-use bug catcher to grab and get rid of critters without killing them or having to touch 'em cuz you'll be approximately 27 inches away from the bug. If someone could literally rob you with a roach, this'll be your new bestie.

My Critter Catcher is a small biz that specializes in easy and non-toxic ways to rid your home of pests.

Promising review: "I’ve been scared of every kind of bug and spider all my life. No matter what age I was, someone was getting a call to come remove a bug because I couldn’t do it myself. I recently bought a house and have had a rough time with stink bugs, which have become my new biggest fear. It was becoming so unbearable, I figured my only option at this point would be hypnotherapy. Luckily enough, a friend of mine recommended this to me as a joke, but I bought it because I would try anything at this point. This morning, a stink bug decided to barge into my living room, and instead of taking me 12 minutes and a phone call, I was able to grab the stink bug within 12 seconds. This thing is amazing, and I am going to be ordering two more for backups!" —Jessica Garlesky

Get it from Amazon for $19.95+ (available in three colors).

13. Or a BugZooka bug vacuum since bugs totally freak you out. If you cringe just at the thought, this bb will make getting rid of 'em much easier — hold it up to the insect, press the button, and the device will gently pull any spider, roach, or centipede into the tube and outta your home.

Promising review: "If you're seriously grossed out and terrified by bugs, here at last is the secret weapon you NEED. You cock it, hold the business end near the bug, and push the red button. Voila, the bug is sucked into a plastic chamber in a microsecond, out of your life for all practical purposes. The bug isn't even injured, just confined, so if you're feeling tenderhearted, you can take it outdoors and release it. The bug cannot escape, even if you use the BugZooka again immediately. The second bug and subsequent bugs just join the first one, safe and secure. The BugZooka is about 2 feet long, so you don't even have to get close to your insect victim." —Calli

Get it from Amazon for $33.32.

14. An indoor pest control spray because you don't recall telling spiders and ants that they could move in and bring their entire family — cousins, aunties, uncles, and all. Not the buggies trying to live in your home rent-free. Since the roaches don't plan on coughing up any cash soon, grab this and evict 'em easily.

Amazon

This stuff works for all kinds of bugs — ants, roaches, spiders, flies, ticks, wasps, scorpions, mosquitoes, fruit flies, silverfish, moths, gnats, carpet beetles, earwigs, palmetto bugs, and water bugs. It also works as a flea killer that you can spray on your carpets, furniture, and bedding to eliminate adults, eggs, and larvae. It's also safe to use around pets and kids.

Promising review: "I've tried other sprays and was not satisfied. This was a last-ditch effort before calling an exterminator. I gotta say, this stuff WORKS. And it works immediately!!! Lots of dead fruit flies! And it honestly actually smells GOOD. I can definitely smell the cedar as well as the rosemary, and I absolutely love the smell of both. My apartment smells fantastic. And did I mention I've just massacred my swarm of flies? Very satisfied!!!" —Rexroad Lawrence

Get it from Amazon for $26.99+ (available in three sizes and four scents).

15. A deceptively adorableinsect catcher that will trap all those dang gnats flying around your plants. Yikesss — shivering just looking at it.

These will surely trap bugs but they won't attract them on their own, so reviewers suggest putting them somewhere that bugs are already attracted to.

Promising review: "A must for your plants. Great for all those fungus gnats near my plants! Saw this shown on a TikTok used in a vivarium enclosure and just had to try it. Works great and is very attractive looking." —Mac

Get them from Amazon for $6.99+ (available in various shapes and multipacks).

16. A four-pack of 12 window fly traps since the demon bugs are back from hell. Ughhh, running around the house trying to get the pesky fly that snuck in is never fun, so let these little traps get rid of those buggies for ya.

Promising review: "Gross, yet effective. We live in the country with animals, so we have lots of flies. I did not want to hang a fly trap, but caved when I saw this. I feel it’s not as noticeable as others, is easy to hide, and works very well. Easy to hang and does not leave a sticky residue when removed." —Tina

Get a four-pack from Amazon for $7.99+ (available in other multipacks).

17. A garbage guard because nothing pisses you off like opening your trash can and seeing fruit flies come out — or worse — MAGGOTS! 😱🤢 If you're familiar with the horror, snag this and kiss the pests goodbye.

Promising review: "We had flies everywhere: outside, in the house, in the garage. But primarily in our outdoor trash cans! Consistently had maggots on trash day. So gross. Bought these and thoroughly washed the inside of our trash can before installing, and our fly problem has been gone since. No reappearance. Amazing! I will forever keep this product stocked in my garage." —Brooke Williams

Get it from Amazon for $9.84 (available in a two-pack).

18. A set of four indoor plug-in gnat traps that use a ~discreet~ little UV light to lure in all the buggies and capture 'em in a sticky trap. All you have to do is plug it in and watch the fruit flies disappear. Not gonna lie, some of these bug-covered trap pics are making me uncomfortable. Eeeeek.

Promising review: "Love these, especially in the summertime when I have fresh grown veggies on the counter and the fruit flies are too much to deal with. They are discreet while easily tucked into the outlets on our counters and our dog doesn’t get scared by any obnoxious, loud, traditional bug zapping noises. Win win for all of us." —Christina S.

Get a four-pack from Amazon for $64.97 (available in single- and other multipacks).

19. A 90-pack of glue traps with review photos that look like they were pulled straight out of a horror film. The only thing more uncomfy than seeing all the humongous centipedes, spiders, and crickets stuck to these sticky little traps is seeing 'em crawling around your house, so thank goodness for these!

Reviewers are even catching other pests like mice and snakes (😱) with these!

Promising review: "We have a finished basement that's crawling with spiders. I bought these sticky traps and placed them around areas where we see a lot of dead spiders/insects. Wow, do they work! Much to my surprise (and complete shock!), a snake found its way into our basement and got stuck too. I may never be able to sleep in that room ever again, but I do have a little comfort knowing these sticky traps will catch it! Beware! These things are incredibly sticky and impossible to get off of carpet, so we cut pieces of cardboard to put under them to lessen the risk of them touching the carpet. They are not really that easy to use because they are so sticky, but it’s worth the hassle because whatever (snakes included) that touches the sticky surface gets stuck and can not get away." —Customer

Get them from Amazon for $24.94.

20. A four-pack of fast-acting fruit fly traps because you're like, two seconds away from trying to find out if it's possible to fight a fruit fly. Put these babies where the little buggies like to hang (by your fruit bowl, trash, sink, etc.) and watch — through the little peek window — all those pesky little suckers get trapped in this fake apple. Woohoo to a fly-free home.