Bugs in Nature

Little animals like ants, cockroaches, bees, wasps, and spiders are always roaming or buzzing around near our homes. These individuals just want to go about their business and don’t mean us any harm—so it’s important to respect them and let them live.

Ants Are Strong and Determined

Ants have been crawling around on the Earth for more than 100 million years. And they can carry up to 20 times their bodyweight! Whoa. Ants don’t give up easily—they’ll keep trying to get to where they want to go until they succeed.

Cockroaches Are Survivors

Cockroaches can hold their breath for up to 40 minutes and can run almost 60 inches per second—proportionally, that’s three times as fast as a cheetah (and cheetahs are considered the fastest land animals in the world).

Bees and Spiders Are Awesome, Too

Bees can see ultraviolet light, and the males of certain spider species have even been known to pluck their webs like a guitar to attract females. Hey, bugs want to go on dates, too!

How to Get Bugs out of Your House Without Hurting Them

Most people don’t want to share their homes with insects or spiders, and that’s understandable. But using toxic insecticides or traps isn’t the solution. Poisonous methods can hurt the bugs and humans! The best solution is to create a home that insects won’t want to visit.

Prevent Bugs from Entering Your Home by Keeping It Clean

Never leave out food or dirty dishes. Bugs love to munch on even the tiniest of crumbs, so if you leave food out, they’ll come running for it.

There are some human foods that bugs don’t like, such as cinnamon sticks, garlic, bay leaves, and pepper flakes. These all make great natural repellents. Just ask your grown-up if you have any of these items in your kitchen, and then put them to good use. If you still have a stray bug or two calling your house their home, ask your grown-up to check out PETA’s humane bug catcher. Or make your own by following the directions in this video: