Four Ways To Keep Your Yard From Attracting Pests
One of the best ways to keep pests out of your home is to stop them from getting near it in the first place. A home's yard, no matter its size, can provide food and shelter for pests, and it can even provide ways indoors that get around typical pest control treatments. Here's how you can keep bothersome pests away from your yard and home.
Keep Piles Far From Your House
If you have any piles in your yard, whether they be compost bins, woodpiles, or trimmings that are going to be discarded later, make sure they are kept as far from your house as possible. Piles of materials offer safe shelter to many kinds of pests, from insects to rodents, and if they are in close proximity to your house, these pests may decide to explore your home, too.
Beyond keeping these piles far from your home, try to keep them isolated as well. If they are in an area surrounded by little brush or any other sources of shelter, this may dissuade some pests from making a home inside.
Keep Your Trees and Bushes Trimmed
Trees and bushes also provide shelter to pests, but on top of this, they can offer pests new ways into your home. As much as possible, try to keep your trees and bushes trimmed so that none of their branches or leaves are touching the side or roof of your house. If these plants grow too far, they can effectively act as bridges, letting pests straight into windows or onto your roof.
Depending on the placement of your trees and bushes, it might be worthwhile to have some of them moved or removed, especially if some are growing far too close.
Use Consistent Outdoor Pest Treatments
While removing landscaping like trees and plants isn't an ideal tradeoff to be rid of pests, you can still have your plants regularly inspected and treated. While some pests can be harmful to your house, others can be harmful to your plants as well. Regular pest control treatments for your plants not only can help keep pests away from your home but keep invasive and harmful pests from destroying your trees and plants as well. When you contact your pest control specialist, ask them to take a look at your plants and ask what treatments they suggest.
Seal Garbage and Potential Food Sources
Garbage is a common source of food for many types of pests. If you keep containers of garbage outside while waiting for pickup, you can help keep pests out by keeping your garbage containers in sealed bins, which are much more difficult to get into than plastic bags.
If you've had trouble with certain types of pests in the past, investigate what they eat and what might be drawing them toward your home. For example, if you have any fruit trees on your property, fruits that aren't picked off the ground and start to decay can attract fruit flies. When in doubt, a pest control specialist can help you inspect your yard for anything that might be attracting certain pests and advise you on how to take care of this problem.
For more information about residential pest control, contact a local service.