Got Summer Pests? We've Got a Pretty, Non-Toxic, Solution Straight Out of Little Shop of Horrors

If you're dining alfresco and you get a few bugs, it's no biggie. Just fire up a citronella candle and you're good to go for at least a few pest-free hours. But when, in the dead heat of summer, every time you open a window or door, you invite in a host of flying critters, it's time to hit the hardware store. Not for toxic chemical sprays, oh no. For plants. Carnivorous plants.

Outside of the musical-cum-movie Little Shop of Horrors, we didn't even know that carnivorous plants existed on a domestic level. And not only are they effective at luring unsuspecting pests with their intoxicating scent only to lead them to their sticky, imminent death, some, like the Utricularia prehensilis pictured here, are downright lovely to look at.

We test drove a pest-terminator called the Cape Sundew, which briefly grew leafy and fat on our kitchen counter as it fed off of bug bodies (sorry) and voila, neighboring bugs must have gotten the message from their doomed friends, because the Cape Sundew isn't as fat anymore and our pest problem is gone.

Where to find carnivorous plants: We found our Cape Sundew at a regular hardware store, but the International Carnivorous Plant society says it's best to stick with a dedicated carnivorous plant nursery to ensure you're getting the real deal. You can find a nursery near you with their handy list.