Insects are great for the ecosystem, just not your living room. If you want to skip the harsh chemicals, you have options. Here are the best natural, family-safe alternatives to keep your home pest-free.

A number of herbs will deter bugs. Indoors, place a small mint or basil plant near a place you notice flies buzzing around, like in the kitchen. Outdoors, toss sage or rosemary on the fire or barbecue grill to dissuade mosquitoes from hanging around.

Diatomaceous earth is made of fossilized skeletons of tiny aquatic organisms called diatoms. The fine powder absorbs the oils and fats from insects’ exoskeletons which dehydrates them. Additionally, the sharp edges of the bits are abrasive and damage bugs’ breathing mechanisms. Wearing gloves and a mask, sprinkle diatomaceous earth in areas where you’ve seen bugs. A repurposed salt shaker works well to distribute the powder.

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If flies are driving you nuts, make a natural fly trap. Mix up some sweetened water — you can use sugar, honey or syrup. Pour your mixture into an empty soda bottle. Flies will enter the bottle for the sweetness but once their wings are wet, they can’t fly back out. If you add a few drops of vinegar, bees won't bother you either.

A number of essential oils will repel bugs. Roaches, for example, don’t like tea tree and eucalyptus, while spearmint, peppermint or lemon deters ants. For flies, try rosemary, peppermint, eucalyptus or basil. Spiders dislike spearmint and peppermint. Lavender, lemongrass or peppermint will repel fleas. Add a few drops of any of these oils to a spray bottle filled with water and spray the affected areas.

To deter critters from entering your home, place used coffee grounds at places where they’re getting in. Ants, in particular, are repelled by the scent of coffee grounds.

Repel cockroaches with catnip. Put catnip in sachets in areas where you’ve seen the quick-moving bugs, or simmer catnip in a small amount of water to make a tea, which you can spray around baseboards and other areas. If you have cats, however, catnip might not be your best solution.

If aphids are attacking your vegetable or flower gardens, finely chop up a banana peel and bury the bits in the soil near the stems of affected plants. The decaying peel will deter pests and fertilize the soil at the same time.