Having a home in Florida involves a lot of outdoor activities and entertainment in the backyard so you want to keep it as bug free as possible! There are a few DIY tips you can take to help keep the bugs away throughout the year.
Install Patio Fans
Mosquitos may have a tough sting, but they’re wimps when it comes to standing up to a breeze. Patio fans can keep your outdoor entertaining space free from mosquitoes and other small flying insects with the flip of a switch. And you’ll get the benefit of a breeze in the Florida humidity!
Get Rid of Standing Water
Your gutters and downspouts are major attractions for mosquito eggs! To prevent infestations and clogs, clean out gutters and downspouts regularly. Clogged gutters trap water and give bugs a place to breed. It also helps to keep kiddie pools, buckets, and watering cans empty when not in use.
Be Careful with Mulch
While mulching is generally a good thing for curb appeal, overdoing it can cause problems.
It could give cockroaches and ants the ideal environment to nest and find their way onto your patio and even into your home. As mulch decomposes, it generates heat while providing cover for brooding pests. It can even help mice tunnel into your home.
So keep mulch at least 12 inches away from the foundation, or use inorganic mulch, such as rock or gravel. But don’t go in the opposite direction and ditch mulching altogether, leaving the ground bare. Yellow jackets make their nests by tunneling into bare dirt.
Don’t Skip Yard Work
Pull out that lawnmower regularly, and keep your garden shears sharpened. Ticks like to hide in tall grass and wait for a passing human or animal. Bushes and tree limbs touching your home can provide easy access for pests to get indoors.
Add Plants to Your Yard
Bugs hate strong scents of mint or citrus. Mix plants with those scents into your landscaping, especially near the porch, patio, or deck for added beauty and functionality.
Here are some pest-repelling plants and the bugs they repel:
- Basil: flies, mosquitoes
- Catnip: mosquitoes, ticks, flies, cockroaches
- Chrysanthemums: roaches, ants, ticks, fleas, bedbugs
- Lavender: moths, fleas, flies, mosquitoes
- Citronella: mosquitoes
Hire Professionals
Maintaining a yard is hard work – and repelling pests makes it that much more difficult! You should always consider hiring a professional lawn and pest control company regularly to help you maintain your yard and prevent major bug infestations. Not only will this help you cut back on your to-do list but it also prevents any major mistakes that could be detrimental to your lawn or home.
Brock Lawn and Pest Control understands that maintaining a healthy, pest-free lawn, especially in Florida, can be a hard task as a homeowner. That is why we have well-trained, licensed technicians and an exceptional program that will tend to your yard for the entire year. Our lawn program is designed with 6 timely applications to provide the proper balance of nutrients that your lawn needs. Having regularly scheduled lawn care will allow these nutrients to provide you with a strong, healthy growing lawn. Take your lawn back and enjoy your yard again with Brock Lawn and Pest Control! As a locally owned and operated lawn care company, we proudly serve Florida’s Gulf Coast and northern counties with offices in Panama City, Fort Walton and Panama City Beach.
Have a lawn emergency? We provide same day services! Contact our team today.
