No matter how beautiful your home’s outdoor living space is, you won’t enjoy spending time outside if it’s filled with bugs and pests. While bugs during the summertime are inevitable, there are some simple steps you can take to prevent them from overtaking your backyard. Read on for the tips you need to know to keep the bugs away from your outdoor living area and enjoy a bug-free summer at home.
Install Outdoor Fans
Mosquitos don’t love breezy environments. Maintaining a steady breeze can go a long way in preventing mosquitoes from sticking around. Installing outdoor fans will keep the area bug-free while also keeping you cool during warm summer nights.
Don’t Over Mulch
Fresh mulch results in beautifully maintained landscaping and adds to your curb appeal. However, fresh mulch can also come with plenty of mulch and attracts bugs once it’s laid down. Mulch’s moist environment gives pests, especially ants, a place to nest. This could result in an eventual ant infestation both outside and inside. When your landscaper is laying down your mulch, request that it stays at least eight to 12 inches away from the foundation.
Eliminate Standing Water
Standing water is one of the best ways to attract bugs and turn your backyard into a breeding ground. So in addition to keeping standing water out of the obvious places, such as ponds, flower pots or bird feeders, also clean the gutters and downspouts regularly to eliminate debris that may accumulate and trap water.
Keep Your Yard Maintained Regularly
Pests can hide in tall grass and overgrown tree limbs, bushes and shrubs. Mowing the lawn regularly and keeping your trees and shrubs trimmed will lessen the opportunities bugs have to burrow and nest. Maintaining trees and shrubs that touch your home is especially important, as pests have the chance to enter your home if the landscaping becomes too overgrown.
Be Strategic With the Plants You Choose
There are certain plants that bugs detest. Incorporate these plants into your landscaping, particularly around spaces where you sit and lounge, to add functionality to the beauty of your landscaping. The following are some of the plants that bugs dislike:
- Basil
- Mint
- Catnip
- Lavender
- Citronella
- Lemon thyme
- Rosemary
Build a Bat House
Bats are one of the best natural ways to combat mosquitos and other insects. If your yard is large enough, build a bat house on the edge of your property to encourage bats to fly around your home to help you take care of your bug problem.
Invite Birds Into Your Yard
Birds may be more appealing than bats, and birds can also help eliminate bugs. A bird feeder will attract birds in flocks. If you have a birdbath, change the water and clean it frequently, so the water isn’t left standing.
A beautifully maintained backyard that is bug-free is the ultimate summer refuge. Being able to step outside your backdoor and enjoy a peaceful, lush setting free of pests will create the perfect spot to relax and entertain this summer.
