Eww, bugs! Am a right? No one wants them crawling down the shower wall, or creeping across the covers at night. They’re just plain gross. There are several bugs that are considered occasional invaders, let’s look at three, and talk about what you can do to keep them outside, where they belong.

Silverfish

Silverfish are mostly harmless, unless you are an important paper for school, or an irreplaceable photo, because they don’t eat humans, they eat paper, photos, plaster, dandruff, hair, coffee, carpets, and some cotton, linen, and silk. If you have silverfish, make sure you shake your curtains every once in a while, or you may find holes.

The best way to get rid of silverfish is to make your home unappealing. Vacuum your house often. Buy a dehumidifier. Don’t leave water on the floor. And, remove food sources from your home, like: damp cardboard, boxed food containers, old clothing kept in a dark closet, and old wallpaper. If they are getting into your food, put some clove, cinnamon, or other strong smelling spice in with your food. Silverfish don’t like the smell of spices, and this will help to reduce holes in your cereal boxes.

Ladybugs

The ladybug–even with its elegant glossy red and stylish black polka dots–can become an unwanted guest, under the right conditions. After all, one ladybug is pretty, but a hundred ladybugs is a horror movie. If you’ve ever vacuumed a window sill full ladybugs you know what I mean.

The first line of defense against a ladybug is a working screen. Check all the screens on your doors and windows, and keep them closed. Ladybugs hibernate in the winter, and if one finds your home a suitable site to hunker down, they will excrete a pheromone that attracts others. Once they get in, they are impossible to get out till spring, unless you call a professional.

Earwigs

It only takes one earwig to creep most people out–and for good reason. Their shiny black shell and back pincers are gross, and they are known to bite. If you want to keep earwigs out of your home, make sure all your doors sweeps are doing their job. Earwigs love to crawl in under doors, and through cracks. Caulk up any cracks you find, especially if they are close to the ground. And, seal openings around fixtures.

If you have an infestation, or the bugs are still finding a way in, contact a pest control company to treat the inside and outside of your home to reduce the population of bugs. Most companies offer a year round plan that easily keeps these common household pests at bay. Less bugs means less you have to do to keep them out.