Summer is the perfect time of year to go outside with your loved ones. Of course, in between backyard cornhole tournaments and afternoons spent running through your sprinklers, you might start to notice more bugs crawling around your property.
Keep them away before they ever show up by learning how to prevent your yard from becoming a bug haven. Trying a few new strategies could make the next few months much more enjoyable.
1. Remove Trash Regularly
Everyone’s looking forward to cookouts with their friends and family. There’s nothing better than a plate filled with burgers and fries! But every outdoor meal falls apart when pests are waiting to catch your crumbs.
Bugs may hang out in your yard if you don’t remove your trash regularly. Pick up immediately after yourself when you eat outside and avoid leaving garbage bags against your house. If bugs can’t find any food, they won’t return with their friends for another snack.
2. Install a Bird Feeder
Getting rid of pests might mean inviting a few new creatures to your home. Find a bird feeder and place it where you can watch your winged visitors while sipping your morning coffee. Certain birds will eat common yard bugs, like:
- Cardinals
- Bluebirds
- Hummingbirds
Research which birds live in your area to determine what kind of feeder you’ll need and what those birds eat. You’ll quickly notice mosquitos and gnats getting replaced by gorgeous birds that sing you awake every day.
3. Welcome Any Bats
As the sunsets, watch the treeline for fluttering wings that dip and dive just above your head. Bats aren’t the most beloved animals, but they play a crucial role in the food chain.
Instead of calling animal control, let the bats fly over crops and eat bugs as your garden starts to bloom. It’s a simple, organic way to prevent your yard from becoming a bug haven. And you don’t have to do anything to make it happen.
4. Ensure Proper Drainage
Spring rains give way to summer thunderstorms, which isn’t good news for yards that don’t drain well. If your grass remains soggy for days after a rainshower, pests might move in and lay eggs in the warm, damp conditions.
Saturated soil also means soaked trees and possibly attracting hungry hoards of termites that will move on to your house. Install proper drainage methods early in the summer season.
French drains or corrugated plastic tubing will make a significant difference and dry out your yard so you can use it after the sun comes back out again.
5. Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is sand containing fossilized algae shards that bugs can’t walk over. They’re too sharp for pests to touch without tearing away their exoskeletons, but they won’t hurt humans or animals.
Spread a food-grade mixture around your plants and garden so pests can’t walk up to them. Anything that’s attracted to your fruits and vegetables will stay far away without using chemical-based pesticides.
6. Chop a Few Onions
Onions make people cry, but they also make bugs run away because of the natural odor they produce. Plant a few in your garden between plants that attract the most insects. You might also chop a few and cover them with soil beneath flowers. The odors keep pests away and don’t break the budget like insecticides.
7. Plant Chrysanthemum Flowers
If you’re looking for a new flower variety for your yard, bring home chrysanthemums. They’re gorgeous summer flowers and produce a neurotoxin called pyrethrin that kills bugs. It’s non-toxic for humans and animals, though, so your kids and pets will still be fine while playing in the yard.
Water your mums often, and your property won’t have to deal with pests like ants, roaches, and even ticks.
Protect Your Yard From Bugs
Living a sustainable lifestyle doesn’t mean hiding from pests when it gets warm outside. Use these tips to naturally prevent your yard from becoming a bug haven. Whether you fix a drainage issue, invite birds to your yard, or plant onions, you’ll deter any bugs from ruining your summer fun.