Research

• Start your insect attack by getting the skinny on what kind of infestation you have. Some simple questions that will help you identify the insects include: Can the insect fly? What color is the insect? How large is the insect? Where does the insect seem to be congregating, hiding and feeding?
  
  Take this information and use websites and databases like InsectIdentification.org and DavesGarden.com to search for your insect. Books like the "Photographic Atlas of Entomology and Guide to Insect Identification" (James Castner) and "A Field Guide to Insects" (Donald J. Borror and Richard E. White) also are good starting points.
  
  

Heat and Cold

• Some types of insects, such as bedbugs, are quite susceptible to heat and cold. If there are bugs in your furniture or other cloth-based items, leaving them out in extended cold may work. Heat treatments sometimes will kill eggs and larvae, so try laundering the items in hot water and drying them at the hottest temperature safe for the item. Hot steam cleaners can work on items that aren't very thick.
  
  

Spices, Plants, and Foods

• According to Eartheasy.com, many insects react adversely to particular foods and spices. For example, the website recommends using cucumber, cayenne, lemon and garlic to fend off ants. Hedgeapples, bay leaves and catnip all deter cockroaches, and cloves and eucalyptus repel flies. These simple remedies all are nontoxic approaches to pest control that, combined with keeping your living area clean, may send insects scurrying out of your home.
  
  

Soap and Other Products

• Some insects, particularly soft-bodied insects, cannot tolerate soap. According to W.S. Cranshaw of Colorado State University, this is because the soap negatively affects the cell membranes of the insect and hastens dehydration by removing the protective waxy coating many insects have. Put some soap or detergent with some water in a spray bottle, shake vigorously to mix, and then spray directly on any insects you see. If your insects are on plants, you still can use this method, but a soap designed for insecticide use is safer for your plants than regular detergent or hand soap.