A Helpful Guide to Getting Rid of Pests
Did you know that American adults spend $48 billion on lawn and gardening equipment each year? Americans spend a lot of money and effort to make their yards look good.
However, we’re often afflicted with pests, which can be annoying. Not only can they destroy beautiful plants, but they might even make it inside and terrorize the household.
Fortunately, you can take some proactive steps to getting rid of pests in your backyard and keeping them away. That way, you can keep your yard looking pretty.
Here’s a guide to getting rid of pests in your backyard.
Water Your Plants in the Morning
You might not want to wake up early to do chores, but it’s essential in your backyard. If you water everything early in the morning, there’s less chance for fungus to grow on your plants. This can happen if you water later in the day or at night.
When you water your yard, ensure you do so correctly. Aim the water at the roots rather than the foliage. This ensures the water goes where it needs to be, rather than sitting on the leaves and encouraging fungus growth.
Use the Right Soil
It might take some extra time to get the right soil, but it’ll be worth it when you see a difference in backyard pests.
You’ll want to till in compost during the growing season for the best results. Then, cover it with cardboard or black plastic for half of the year. This makes it heat up underneath, killing pests and their eggs.
After six months, you can remove the covering. After cultivating the soil, you can then plant whatever you want.
Maintain Your Yard
We know your daily schedule can be busy, so it’s easy to neglect yard care. But it does so much more than make your backyard look nice; it also helps with getting rid of pests and keeping them away.
Take the time to remove decaying matter, such as fallen leaves, faded blooms, and unwanted weeds. These are all places where fungi can grow. Not to mention, pests can increase there as well.
If you do a little each time you’re in your yard, then it won’t be such a monumental task to take care of compared to putting it off and finally deciding to tackle it.
Rotate Your Crops
If you’re a serious gardener, you’ll know that certain plants grow better when you rotate them, especially when the seasons change. Not only will this keep the soil rich with nutrients, but it can also help with getting rid pests.
Crop rotation means that if there’s a particular pest around, it won’t stick around when its favorite plant isn’t there. More variety equals more resistance to pests because they don’t have reliable food or shelter sources all year.
Use Beneficial Bugs
While it’s true that some pesticides are extremely effective against pests, they can also damage your plants and your household’s health, including your pests. This is especially true if you grow plants you plan on eating later.
Beneficial bugs can be a fantastic and natural way to keep pests at bay. For example, you can get ladybugs which eat aphids, mites, leafhoppers, and mealybugs. They can even eat ants.
Natural pest control is a wonderful step to take, as you won’t be introducing harmful chemicals into your yard. Plus, you’ll provide these beneficial insects with plenty of food to eat.
Cover Your Plants
It may seem simple, but covering your plants can make a significant difference with getting rid of pests. You can get spun polyester or polypropylene to put across your plants, keeping all sorts of pests from eating your hard-earned crops.
However, you should know that not only will these nets keep pests out, but also pollinators. So if your plants need pollinating, you’ll have to either remove the netting while they’re flowering, or you’ll have to go in and pollinate them yourself.
Spray Your Plants Often
You’d be surprised to learn this, but simply spraying your plants with water can be enough to knock pests off. For instance, you can get rid of spider mites, aphids, and lace bugs by spraying your plants with a garden hose.
Make sure you get all angles of the leaves, though. This includes the undersides, where pests like to hide.
If the pests are particularly stubborn, you can add insecticidal soap for good measure.
Hire a Pest Control Company
One of the best ways to control backyard pests is to hire a pest control company. They can come to inspect your property to identify its weaknesses and help you rectify things.
With the assistance of experts, you’ll make your property less attractive to pests. You’ll have an easier time, especially if you have them come back regularly to check that everything’s ok. They can keep tweaking your pest control approach to ensure that your yard isn’t a haven for pests.
Get Professional Help Getting Rid of Pests
Getting rid of pests can be tough, especially when it involves the outdoors. While these steps/tips will help reduce the likelihood of backyard pests, there is no guaranteed way to eliminate all risks.
The best thing to do is to be proactive and diligent and get a good pest control company on your side, like Pest Management Systems. We have over 35 years of experience and offer full services for your convenience.
If you need pest control services, then get a quick quote from us now.
