10 Ways to Prevent Pests From Ruining Your Spring

10 Ways to Prevent Pests from Ruining Your Spring

Spring is coming, and the pests are emerging! Pests are a year-round nuisance due to their drive to find reliable food, water, and shelter anywhere that they can. But with spring just around the corner, the memories of swatting flying insects and finding a lot of spiderwebs can come to mind with the arrival of warmer weather. Spring is notorious for being the season where it seems like every insect in existence is in the yard. This is simply because most pests are born in the spring season, whether they hatch from an egg or are born live. There are many preventative measures to take in your outdoor space in order to reduce the number of pests that invite themselves to the party that is spring. 

What are the Most Common Spring Pests?

As stated earlier, many pests come alive in the spring months, but there are certain ones that seem to appear in abundance. Mosquitoes and flies thrive in warmer weather because their wings are able to function better when they aren’t cold. Spiders typically hatch in the warmer months, and the spider babies begin their life of spinning webs and catching insects. Ants hatch in the spring, so they are ready to march in the warm months. Carpenter ants are specifically known for being active in the spring, so it is important to keep an eye out for them before the structure of the house is affected. Rats like to breed in the spring and the babies are born three weeks later, making for even more pests to deal with in the most temperate time of the year. Many more pests are highly active in the spring, but these are the most common ones across the U.S. But don’t give up hope! There are quite a few preventative steps you can take to help prevent pests from invading your yard when it is finally warm enough to enjoy that space. 

Warm-Toned Lights

One easy way to reduce the number of pests in your yard is by changing the type of lights on the patio. Many standard patio lights are blue-tinted incandescent lights that shine brightly on the area. While these lights are great for seeing anything moving outside at night, they are infamous for attracting many types of pests. Insects detect blue and purple colors more so than red and orange tints, so that is why they love incandescent lights. This is also why the lights in bug zappers are bright bluish beams that lure insects to their doom. These zappers can work to a certain extent, but they are almost a double-edged sword since they draw in more pests than what would normally be in the area.

A way to prevent this is by using warm-toned lights in place of the incandescent bulbs. Any decorative string lights should also be warmer so that there is no tempting light for insects. These types of lightbulbs can be purchased at hardware stores and many box stores. There will still be insects who fly towards the light, since it is difficult to completely eliminate any flying pest that likes light, but it will definitely reduce the number that are flocking to the patio at night simply because the color in the light is their favorite shade.

Citronella

Citronella is a popular choice for home pest control, but that is because it has proven to be effective time and again. The odor of the citronella plant and oils is repulsive to just about every pest, so it is an easy way to eliminate pesky insects flying around your patio. There are citronella candles available from many stores, and they started to be displayed in more visually attractive containers over the last few years. If you are hosting a party or enjoying the fresh air outside, light one or two (or more) citronella candles in the area to prevent being swarmed by insects. 

Citronella plants are great to plant in the yard in order to keep that scent strong year-round and keep the pests at bay. The downside, and potential roadblock for many people, is that citronella is poisonous to all pets. In small quantities, it will upset the stomach of your beloved dog or cat, and it can be lethal in larger doses. So if you have a pet, it might be wise to steer clear of the plant and just keep the candle out of reach. But if you do not have a pet, the citronella plant might be worth considering in the spring planting season.

Essential Oils

Similar to citronella, there are many essential oils that common pests despise and will stay away from. The most effective ones against insects like ants, mosquitoes, and flies alike are stronger scents that are potent even diluted in water. These include lemongrass, peppermint, lemon, spearmint, rosemary, basil, tea tree, and eucalyptus. There is even a citronella essential oil on the market! Be sure to use pure essential oils that don’t have fillers for the best results. An easy way to use these oils to repel pests is to combine about twelve ounces of water and fifteen to twenty total drops of essential oils in a spray bottle, then spray the popular pest areas. What smells nice and refreshing to us smells terrible to insects, so this is a great eco-friendly way to perform preventative maintenance against pests.

Lawn Maintenance

It is natural to find critters of all sizes enjoying the green grass, but it is possible to cut down on the number of pests setting up shop on your lawn. Small pests can build their homes in the middle of the lawn, such as ants with their ant hills, and they will go unnoticed if the grass is too long. The grass doesn’t have to be perfectly manicured or have evenly-trimmed blades, but it does help to have a cut lawn. Make sure the grass is mowed semi-regularly and all of the grass clippings are properly disposed of in the green garbage can. An edger is a useful tool for keeping the edges of the lawn clean. The grass in the front and/or the back yard is a haven for pests of all kinds, so keeping it clean is an effective preventative measure against these creatures.

Landscaping

Speaking of keeping greenery clean, keeping up with the landscaping is also important in preventing pests from making their home easily within the plants. It is also helpful in preventing pests from using the trees and bushes as highways to travel into the actual home itself. Spiders, ants, and other creepy-crawlies can easily access windows and vents through these methods. Trim back any tree branches that come in contact with the house, and keep bushes and plants cut back as well. Since it is typically the back of the plants and trees that come in contact with the house, it will not affect the natural beauty of the greenery to keep it trimmed. The base of plants is another favorite hiding place for pests, so it may help to inspect the bottom of bushes and plants as you trim them. Spiders can be helpful for eating other pests, but be sure to remove any spiderwebs on the actual house to prevent them from getting too close and potentially entering the home. 

Gutter Maintenance

This is an annoying chore for many homeowners, but it is a necessary evil. A blocked or cluttered gutter not only means potential damage to the home, it also means a higher chance of larger pests nesting in the leaves and debris. Rats and mice desire a warm, soft place to make their nest and raise their babies, and a cluttered gutter is a prime place for that. It also provides food and water for many pests, so an easy way to clean a gutter is to (carefully!) get on a ladder and use a small shop vacuum or plastic scoop to clear the debris from the gutter. Run a hose through the gutter when finished to be sure that it is actually clear and there are no leaks. Thankfully, this does not have to be done very often, unless you notice the gutter becoming easily blocked by leaves. The gutter is easily forgotten when everything is running normally, but it is yet another place to keep an eye on since pests are also eyeing it as a potential home. 

Remove Standing Water

If there is one thing mosquitoes love, besides drinking our blood and giving us itchy bites, it’s standing water. This is why they seem to be in swarms around a lake or pond in the evenings; the water is relatively still and provides the perfect habitat, since the larvae and pupae of mosquitoes live in it. Even small areas of standing water, like a birdbath or a drainage tray underneath a potted plant, provides enough water to make a mosquito family happy. Dump out any drainage trays that have water in them and put it back under the plant. Replace the water in a birdbath every few days to be sure that it is fresh and not mosquito-infested. Areas near water naturally have more mosquitoes, so be sure to keep bug spray on hand and don’t stand too close to the water if possible. Mosquitoes are already annoying and seek out people to bite, but it helps to eliminate their habitats in the yard. 

Use a Fan

Many homeowners have ceiling fans installed to the top of their patio cover now, and this serves a few purposes. It keeps the air circulating in the hot summers, blows the air around when hot food is served outside, and creates an invisible shield around the area against winged pests. The science behind it is simple: small flying insects cannot fly in wind that has a force many times their own body weight. This is also why bugs are virtually unseen on especially windy days. Even if it is not very hot outside, turning a fan on can greatly reduce the number of pests flying into the space. If you don’t have a ceiling fan in the backyard, a typical box fan or tower fan can also work. A fan may be worth purchasing anyway if the summers are hot but you still enjoy entertaining in your yard. 

Clean Up Any Food

This is a good rule of thumb for any section of the house, inside or outside, but that is because it is so important in preventing pests from being attracted to your home in the first place. Wipe up any crumbs and spills after eating outside, and take any dishes inside the house when the party is over. When the food is being served and eaten outside, there are useful products on the market today to help prevent flies from landing their gross selves on your delicious food. Wire mesh domes and cloth coverings are the updated versions of trying to quickly place an unfolded napkin over a bowl of chips when the flies start invading. It is also helpful to keep an eye on any open drinks, especially sodas and juices, because ants and wasps love the sugary smell. Use napkins or cloth coverings on open drinks, and dispose of any empty drink containers as soon as possible. 

Also, like in the house, keep all pet foods properly put away in an enclosed container. When the pet is finished eating, remove the dish or bowl from the area that they usually eat. Ants love the residue from pet food, so they will invade a dish that is left out even if it looks clean. It may also help to change the location of the dish once in a while. Meat bees (or yellow jackets) eat both protein and sugar, so they will swarm a food dish if it is kept in the same area for multiple days in a row. It is important to keep our furry friends safe from pests as well, and it starts with keeping an eye on their food. 

Keep Garbage Contained 

Even though garbage cans are usually kept outside, it is still important to keep the lids closed at all times. This is a common haven for pests and critters year-round, since a garbage can provides warmth, food, and a good nesting place if it is that time. Also, make sure that any garbage and food thrown away is in some kind of trash bag. A garbage can filled with sticky or messy substances is just inviting any pests to set up their new home in there. If the cans are kept in the garage, be especially sure that they are closed properly, since the garage is the last line of defense before the pests invade inside the home. 

Pest Control is Here to Help

These are important steps to take in greatly reducing the number of pests that invade your yard, but pest control does not have to be a last resort option. Preventative treatments and inspections are also important for keeping a pest-free space. Contact our team to find out more about how you can keep pests away when spring has sprung and everything is blooming once again.

Citations

Oboza, A. (2020, June 18). 9 tips to keep bugs away from your patio space this summer. Lansing State Journal. Available at https://www.lansingstatejournal.com/story/marketplace/real-estate/2020/06/18/9-tips-keep-bugs-away-your-patio-space-summer/3213526001/ (Accessed on March 3, 2022). 

Warner, F. (2021, April 13). 6 ways to get rid of (and prevent) backyard bugs. USA Today. Available at https://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/reviewedcom/2021/04/09/how-repel-backyard-bugs/7160250002/ (Accessed on March 3, 2022). 

Where mosquitoes live. (2020, March 6). CDC. Retrieved on March 3, 2022, from https://www.cdc.gov/mosquitoes/about/where-mosquitoes-live.html