by Emily Crawford

Created on: July 07, 2008   Last Updated: March 21, 2011

"Aah, spider," shrieks my 23-month old daughter as she puts on her best terrified face complete with a forced tremble. She delivers this performance in jest each time she spies any kind of insect in the house. I think it's her way of teasing me about my reaction to a very large spider (about two inches in diameter) we recently discovered on my kids' playroom floor.

I'm a mature woman who's dealt with multiple personal and professional crises over the years. Yet, the notion of having to rid my home of a creepy crawly gets the best of me every single time. This particular spider was fast and played an expert game of hide and seek. Ultimately, it emerged and I mustered the courage to squash it with a flip-flop. The kids cheered and applauded and we did a little "Ding, Dong the Spider's Dead" dance.

What was it? I'm not sure we'll ever know. I've spent hours on the Internet trying to identify it but can't locate a single image that looks even remotely similar to the thing. What I do know is I don't ever want to find one in my home again.

As much of a nuisance as our pesky spider was, some insects are capable of damage far worse than sending chills up your spine and extracting a blood-curdling scream from your otherwise calm, cool, and collected adult mouth. So, how do you protect your home from more spiders as well as other invasive insects and pests - flies, termites, ants, fleas, fleas, cockroaches, moths, woodworms, beetles, mice, rats, and all the rest? It's actually not that difficult and, with the proper preventive measures, there's a decent chance you'll never have to use pesticides. Here's how to get started.

Don't Feed the Bugs

The first and simplest way to prevent unwelcome guests (although I don't think this works on in-laws) is to eliminate their food supply, breeding grounds, and any other conditions in which they thrive. Take out the garbage at least once per day, and clean and disinfect garbage pails weekly. Wipe up spills and as soon as they happen and crumbs as soon as they drop. Don't let dirty dishes sit in the kitchen sink. Keep cereal, sugars, grains, and pet food stored in tightly closed containers and, if the pets do not finish a meal, empty their bowls promptly.

In addition, removing clutter, such as piles of newspapers and magazines, cardboard, rags, or clothes, makes it more difficult for insects to find hiding and breeding places. It's also a good idea to run a vacuum through the house frequently, and dispose of the vacuum bag on a regular

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