How to Maintain a Pest-Free Yard

Well, folks, we have arrived at the final blog in our ongoing series all about maintaining a pest-free home. After discussing the most common pests and the best ways to prevent them in every room, it’s time to move outside into the yard. It’s pretty fitting considering today is Halloween and trick-or-treating means there will be a lot more foot traffic around everyone’s yards. This is where a large portion of pest prevention takes place because it’s the last line of outdoor defense before the pests try to make their way inside the home. A typical yard has plenty of places for pests to hide while they reproduce and begin to view your home as the perfect shelter from the weather elements, so it’s essential to stay vigilant against these invasive species at all times. Let’s discuss the most common yard pests before we dive into some efficient ways to prevent any kind of pest from taking over your yard — and potentially your house.

Common Yard Pests

The pest section in this blog is definitely the most subjective out of every blog in this series because — as you may know — there are all kinds of pests that can be found in a yard. Pests travel into our homes from their original shelters outside, after all. The specific season, weather patterns, and local plant life all impact the variety of pests that we see in any given area, so this list is not a comprehensive selection of critters that you are guaranteed to see in every front yard and backyard. That being said, these pests are definitely four of the most common pests we see in yards throughout different cities, thus proving to be a nuisance everywhere they go.

• Cutworms: These young caterpillars may not look like much, but they cause a lot of problems for anyone who cares about their landscaping. Cutworms are about two inches long and have gray or brown coloring. They get their name from their destructive feeding habits, as cutworms will eat through the base of grass blades and young plants at night, which can eventually kill the greenery. The adult moths place their eggs on grass or plants in the spring so that the hatched cutworms have an immediate food source.
• Stinging Insects: This group of insects has a wide range of temperaments and preferences, but they share the same basic abilities. Most common species are eusocial, so they live in nests with the rest of their colony that all descends from the same queen. These nests can be  elevated above our eye level or be below ground, depending on the species. The worker insects are quite territorial and will sting anyone who disturbs their nest or colony. Some of the most common (and worrisome) types are yellow jackets, paper wasps, and hornets.
• Mosquitoes: If we had to choose the most annoying summer insect, it would have to be the mosquito. They are active from spring through early fall, and can be more lively in areas with extra humidity or heat. Mosquitoes need a small amount of standing water to live in an area because they place their hundreds of eggs in “rafts” within fresh water, where the young mosquitoes will then spend their first three life stages. They can spread multiple types of diseases if they previously fed on an infected mammal before moving on to a new host, with the most common being malaria, Zika virus, and West Nile virus.
• Aphids: Returning to the garden, aphids are one of the most notorious garden pests across the country. They use their sharp mouthparts to suck the sap from plants, which will eventually kill their home plant if the aphids aren’t controlled. They feed from all parts of a plant, and many aphids can blend in with their surroundings due to their green coloring. Some common signs of an aphid infestation are when a plant suddenly begins wilting, drying out, or growing sooty mold. 

Whether the pests in your yard sound like one of these species or you have an entirely different type of pest concern, rest assured: there are plenty of ways to prevent pests from invading your yard regardless of which kinds favor your property. All it takes is a bit of intentional effort and extra time spent maintaining a generally-clean yard.

Use Proper Trash Management

This is also important inside the home, of course. But it truly does matter how you manage your trash bags and large trash cans outside, since there are many kinds of pests that would love to get their hands (if they even have hands) on your garbage. Flies, ants, and stinging insects are notorious for invading open garbage cans, especially if there’s a lot of food trash inside. This may seem obvious, but make sure that all trash you dispose of in these cans actually makes it inside. It’s also essential for all non-recyclable trash to be contained in tied-up trash bags within the can, as this adds another layer in between pests and the garbage. Also, keep the lids to these cans closed when not in use. You might be surprised how much of a difference this makes in the number of pests found around your garbage cans. Finally, try to keep the cans stored away from the house and garden if possible. This one depends on the layout of your yard, but we recommend at least setting the cans away from the house. The last thing you need is a group of pests traveling from the garbage can straight to your house.

Eliminate Standing Water

The amount of effort that this task requires is completely dependent on the number of objects that collect water in your yard. However, the practice of eliminating standing water from your yard is an important one because there are many moisture-loving pests that won’t leave a habitat with a reliable water source. Mosquitoes, ants, earwigs, and roaches will all stay in a yard that has idle fresh water, if they have the opportunity. After a rainstorm, remove the excess water that is sitting in various objects. Buckets, tarps, plant drainage trays, and children’s toys all collect rainwater that pests could use as their water source. Speaking of idle water, it’s a good idea to change out the water in any decor or functional items that use it. Birdbaths and your pets’ water dishes are two of the most common examples, but no matter what you have in your yard, keeping any water from sitting idle for weeks on end will work wonders in preventing moisture-loving pests from setting up shop here. 

Trim Back Plants

As a homeowner, you probably already have a system in place for how you do your yard work. But given the importance of this task, we still feel it’s necessary to include it here. Overgrown plants and trees are the most inviting sight to all kinds of pests, from spiders to rodents to grasshoppers. Plus, if you have any fruit-producing foliage, the fallen fruit that gradually rots will draw in hungry (and annoying) pests. A good rule of thumb when it comes to trimming plants is that nothing should physically touch the house. Otherwise, the overgrown plants create a direct highway from the yard to the house for every critter. Trim back every tree branch, plant, and bush that is touching the home as soon as possible, and properly dispose of any clippings. As for the lawn(s), keep the grass blades short all year long. They shouldn’t be too short since that would kill the lawn, but regularly mowing the lawn every week or every other week should be enough to prevent pests from hiding within the overgrown grass. 

Clean The Grill

For all of you grilling-fanatics, don’t underestimate the importance of cleaning the grill after using it to cook your latest and greatest creation. Rodents are notorious for invading dirty barbecues to get to the crumbs and food remnants. There are two parts to this task. The first is the basic cleaning, which we recommend doing both before and after every time you use the grill. When the grill is warm, scrub any food remnants from the grates with a grill brush. It’s much easier to lift the food off the grill when it’s warm, rater than completely cooled off and caked on the grates. If you spilled any spices or food scraps on the ground around the grill in the cooking process — and your dog didn’t get to it first — sweep or pick it up as soon as possible. Store the grill away from the trash cans when you are not using it, as any pests near the trash would invade the grill if it’s close enough. The second part to this tip is for those of you who live in regions with harsh winters. Before putting your grill away for the winter, we recommend giving it a good cleaning. This will not only eliminate all food-related attractions for pests, it will also make it easier for you to start grilling again in the spring. Scrub any stubborn food off the grates, and wipe down the lid with a damp cloth.

Introduce Pest-Repelling Plants

If you’re looking for some new plants to integrate into your yard and garden, we have a few suggestions. We often think of plants as insect-havens, especially when the flowers are in bloom. But did you know that there are certain plants and herbs that actually repel some pests? The common trend among this greenery is strong scent and/or taste. Many pests have strong scent receptors, so potent plants will drive them away due to the powerful odors. This is actually a defense mechanism for the plants and is how they survive every year. You can mix these plants in with your existing landscaping, but research each type first to ensure that nothing will harm the other plants. Or, if you have a designated garden space, you can outline the garden with these pest-repelling plants to keep the number of invasive pests down to a complete minimum. Some of the most popular plants and herbs that repel pests are lavender, citronella, basil, marigolds, rosemary, lemon thyme, and mint. 

Remove Weeds and Leaf Litter

Finally, the least fun part of doing yard work: cleaning up all of the scraps and weeds. This is an essential step for two main reasons: it leaves your yard looking more idyllic than before, and it eliminates food sources and shelters for invasive pests. Smaller pests can easily hide within overgrown weeds and plant clippings. Some common offenders include ants, spiders, and most garden pests. When the leaves steadily fall every autumn, they can really pile up into a thick layer that can hide all kinds of pests. Rats and mice in particular love hiding in idle leaf piles, which really makes you think twice before jumping in one. After doing any kind of yard maintenance — mowing the lawn, trimming trees and plants, weeding around plants, etc. — properly dispose of the clippings and trimmings in the green trash can or compost bin. In the fall, rake up the leaves and dispose of those as well. You don’t have to do yard work every day to prevent pests, but the cleaner your yard is, the less attractants pests will have and the less likely they are to stick around. 

Go Green and Guard Your Yard

As we bring this lengthy series to a close, we want to again stress the most important tip in maintaining a pest-free home, yard and all. The lasting impact of regular pest control services cannot be understated. This may sound like an obvious opinion of ours, but there is a noticeable difference between the results of general store-bought sprays and professional treatments. At Green Pest Services, our highly-trained technicians are dedicated to protecting homes and businesses with personalized treatment plans. We leave no stone unturned when it comes to pest problems, no matter the species or infestation size. The health and safety of you, your family, and your pets are priceless, and the risk of having disease-infested pests is not a good one to take. Instead of dealing with the hassle of trying out home remedies for your pest problems, leave the process to the pros at Green. Contact us today for a free quote on our reliable pest control services, and get ready to enjoy the pest-free home of your dreams!

Citations

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Guetebier, A. (2023, June 8). 12 of the most common garden pests — Including 8 of the most destructive bugs. Bob Vila. Available at https://www.bobvila.com/articles/common-garden-pests/ (Accessed on October 18, 2023).

How to bug-proof your yard. (2021, October 26). Maggie’s Farm. Retrieved October 18, 2023, from https://maggiesfarmproducts.com/blogs/bug-help/bug-proof-your-yard

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Stadler, R. (2023, April 21). How to keep mice out of your grill and safely rodent-proof. Earthkind. Available at https://www.earthkind.com/blog/prevent-keep-mice-out-of-your-grill-this-summer/ (Accessed on October 18, 2023).