Cover the bottom of your porch light fixture with a square of aluminum foil held in place by a rubber band so flying bugs won’t burn to death on the light bulb.

     Help insects inside your home get outside to their homes.   Keep a bug release kit handy.  All you need is a see-through glass with a wide opening and a stiff piece of cardboard.  Wait until the insect is resting and put the glass over him.  Be careful you don’t catch his little legs or wings.   Gently slide the cardboard under him.  Eventually you will get the bug in the glass and then you can release him outside where he belongs and where he would rather be.

     Always look in the tub before you turn on the water.  Use your bug release kit to rescue spiders who may be resting there.

Never throw an insect in the toilet.

Cockroaches and ants come into our houses because they are hungry.  If you make sure that food is kept in sealed containers and wipe up crumbs, this will help.   There are other ways to discourage them too:

• Wash countertops, cabinets and floors with a solution of l/2 vinegar and l/2 water.   Ants hate the smell of it.
• Place whole bay leaves around the kitchen.  Cockroaches hate the way they smell.   You’ll have to change them every month or so.
• Pour a line of cream of tartar that you get from the supermarket at the ants’ entrance.  They won’t cross over it.

     If you want to kill an insect, think very hard about whether the insect is going to hurt you or your animals, or whether the insect just looks scary.

     Respect the right of small creatures to live their short lives without being handled or moved from their homes by people.