WATERLOO -- Evict pests from your home the natural way.

Better yet, prevent them from entering your abode in the first place.

A new season of creepy crawlers -- particularly wasps and bees -- are abuzz heading into fall. Ants and cicada killer wasps are more intrusive during warmer months. Earwigs show up in late spring and early summer.

"As for the rest of them, they're pretty much always there," said Josh Rzepka, owner of Enviro-Pest Solutions.

Like spiders and centipedes -- consider them year-round roommates.

On the exterior of the home, most insects are gone or have made their way inside after the second frost, except Asian lady beetles and boxelders, Rzepka said.

"Preventative maintenance through the warm months goes a long way to have a bug-free home in the winter months," Rzepka said.

Clear brush and heavy foliage at least a foot away from a home's foundation to allow sunlight to dry out the area. Inside, seal cracks, tighten window screens and eliminate clutter where insects can hide and breed. Open containers, including dog food, invite bugs.

But sometimes that's not enough. The smallest opening becomes a highway into the home.

Do-it-yourselfers can start by spraying coconut oil in the four corners of their basement. However, the natural spider repellent isn't 100 percent effective and doesn't have kill power, Rzepka said.

He doesn't advise flypaper, a sticky- or poisonous-coated tape that typically hangs from the ceiling. When left too long, it dries out and falls apart.

A nonpoisonous cardboard glue trap is the better way to go, he said. Rzepka places them in nearly all of his basements. A version is sold in stores, although Rzepka recommends one without a lip, which can deter pests.

"Say they catch a beetle," he said. "A spider will see that beetle and come to it thinking it's food."

Chad Adams, co-owner of Platinum Pest Services Inc., often applies a noninsecticidal dust to voids, cracks and crevices, behind siding and in electrical outlets.

He also uses a combination of rosemary and mint oils that, when applied directly to an insect, has relatively rapid knockdown and some residual control. Dish soap mixed with water has similar effects. The degreaser eats away at an insect's wax coating and inhibits moisture regulation.

"The one downside you have with natural products is they do break down more rapidly than, say, synthetic product, so they don't last as long," Rzepka said. "Secondly, they are a slower kill."

Rzepka treats most of his clients' homes on a monthly basis, while companies that primarily use traditional insecticides may only need quarterly applications.

That's why residents may stick with traditional insecticides, said Julie Evenson, a horticulturist with Iowa State University Extension of Black Hawk County.

"Most pesticides are environmentally safe if they are used correctly," she said. "The whole fear of chemicals is really kind of blown out of proportion."

Most can be treated with natural or organic methods. Rzepka estimates 97 percent of his services are handled this way. However, for removing termites, roaches or wasps, he uses a "low-impact product" to initially take care of the problem.

"They would be the most minimal risk products next to organic," he said.

For traditional insecticides, follow label directions and warnings, wear protective gloves and long sleeves and don't spray outdoors on a windy day, Evenson said.

"Some are safer than others," she said. "The main problem is more of a misuse than it being overly dangerous. Most of the chemicals that have been deemed very dangerous aren't available anymore."