Forget nasty chemicals, here are 10 natural ways to eliminate pests:

1. Ants
Save your leftover coffee grounds: spread them around windows and doors where ants come in.

Also use vinegar: make a 50/50 solution of vinegar and water to wipe down countertops and other surfaces; repeat several times a day to destroy the scent trails that ants use to navigate.

2. Mice & Rats
Peppermint works wonders in deterring mice: fill a spray bottle with ¼ cup of water and 40 drops of peppermint oil; shake well and spray liberally along baseboards, rear interior edges of kitchen cabinets, and beneath sinks. Also, fill each mouse-entry point to the house with a cotton ball soaked in peppermint oil.

Barn owls are the ultimate natural mouse-traps. Attract them to your property with an owl box, or by creating a natural lofted space with rafters. The owls will keep returning as long as there are mice to catch.

3. Flies
Flies hate the smell of basil: place pots of basil at doorways, windowsills, and on kitchen counters. If you do not have potted basil, put dried basil in a small muslin pouch – rub the pouch a couple times a day to keep the scent strong.

Combine clove, eucalyptus, and clover blossoms in a small pouch and hang it from your ceiling. The scent will drive the flies away.

4. Roaches
Tabasco hot-sauce: roaches find even the scent itself intolerable. Combine 5 tablespoons of Tabasco and ¼ cup of water in a spray bottle (use enough water to dilute the sauce to make a spray); spray along baseboards, beneath radiators, and near doors. Make sure to wear protective eyewear when spraying in case of backfire!

5. Spiders
Spiders hate everything citrus: in a spray bottle, mix together water and unsweetened lemon or lime juice. Wipe down your countertops with the mixture, or spray doorways and windowsills. To prevent spiders from getting in your garden, spread lemon, orange, or lime peels along the ground.

6. Mosquitoes
According to Science Daily, catnip repels mosquitoes more effectively than DEET. Grow the catnip in your garden or apply undiluted catnip oil to your skin for up to two hours of protection.

7. Dust Mites
Cinnamon Bark Oil: mix several drops of it into a 50/50 solution of water and denatured alcohol. Spray bedding, carpets, and any other place that dust collects. Not only is this natural, but it makes your house smell like freshly-baked cookies!

8. Fruit Flies
Fill a glass ¾ full with vinegar or apple cider vinegar, then add 6-8 drops of dishwashing liquid and fill the glass to the top with warm water. The fruit flies will be lured in by the sweet scent and then drown in the mixture.

9. Wasps
Wasps are incredibly territorial and will not build a nest within 20 yards of another one. Build (or buy) your own fake nest, hanging one in the front yard and one in the backyard. It will prevent wasps from building their own nest.

Also for bees, make sure that all foliage (plants, flowers, and trees) does not touch or lean against your house.

10. Deer
Deer may not be an everyday pest, but they do tend to annoy gardeners. Use Irish Spring Deodorant Soap to deter deer from eating your plants. Hang or spike the soap to a stake near things that the deer like to eat, or sprinkle shavings or chunks of it on the ground.