When pests are abundant in your backyard, chances are, there are already pests invading your home, too. That said, preventing pests from entering your home has a lot to do with keeping your backyard pest-free as well.
However, this is often easier said than done. There will always be creepy crawlies right outside your door, but what it boils down to is how you keep them from growing in number and—more importantly—becoming attracted to your yard in the first place.
If you want to keep your yard (and, in turn, your home) pest-free, here are some tips that you should apply.
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Keep clean
General cleanliness is the best way to keep pests from being attracted to your home, both inside and outside. Keep your yard free from trash, organic matter, and anything that stays undisturbed for long periods. This includes old gardening equipment, dead leaves, grass clippings, and firewood.
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Replace your old fence
If your wooden fence has seen better days, it may be attracting termites and other wood-loving pests to your property. Soon enough, they will make their way to your home and wreak havoc in there as well. So as early as now, address the problem at the root and replace your old wooden fence with a new one. If you have budget constraints, check out fencing costs to determine the best solution for your yard.
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Cover the compost
Organic material decomposing in your compost bin is a 24-hour buffet for pests. To prevent pests from being attracted to this abundant food source in your yard, cover your compost at all times. However, ensure that there is a pocket of air inside to avoid slowing down the composting process too much.
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Replace white outdoor lighting
If you’ve noticed a lot of flying insects congregating around your porch lights at night, it may be because you’re using white lights. Replace these lights with yellow or orange bulbs that are not as attractive to pests as white ones. If you wish to keep your white outdoor lights, consider replacing them with motion-detecting lights to avoid flying insects from lingering in your backyard.
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Remove standing water
Remove any sources of standing water in your backyard to prevent mosquitoes from laying their eggs in them. After a rain shower, be sure to tip over plant pots, garden equipment, play equipment, and other items that tend to collect water.
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Grow insect-repelling plants
Plants such as citronella, garlic, and rosemary can repel biting and stinging pests. Incorporate these plants into your garden and watch the insect population around your property die down. If you have a mosquito problem, burn citronella from time to time to ward them away.
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Secure your trash cans
Exposed and dirty trash cans attract insects and call rodents like rats and raccoons to your yard. To avoid your trash cans from serving as a beacon to these pests, cover your trash cans securely at all times and clean them once every few weeks to get rid of food residue that may be stuck on the inside and outside.
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Clean your grill
Every time you use your grill, be sure to clean it thoroughly afterward. Lingering food debris can attract pests to it and may even encourage them to lay their eggs. Aside from thoroughly cleaning your grill, make it a point to cover and store it properly inside your garage or shed.
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Attract birds to your yard
Birds can eat insects and thus help keep pests at bay. To employ the help of these feathered creatures, set up a birdbath or bird feeder in your backyard and consider planting small trees that can serve as shelter.
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Call a pest control service
If your bug problem has already gone into a full-blown infestation, there is only so much that DIY fixes can do. If this is the case for your backyard, calling a pest control service is likely the next best move.
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Clean spills immediately
Avoid pests from exploring your backyard by cleaning up food spills immediately. After you eat on your patio, make it a point to sweep the floors right after to get rid of any food residue, especially if you eat something that tends to linger on the patio boards.
Keeping your backyard pest-free also helps keep your home pest-free as well. Apply these tips to your property to help ensure that mosquitoes, roaches, termites, and rodents don’t come to find out what your backyard has to offer.
