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How to Keep Summer Pests Away from your Garden
Summer is great, but with it comes bugs. Lots of bugs. They are good for our ecosystem, but they can ruin a lot of things. Like a relaxing nap on the lawn or a fun day out with the kids.
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You may find an army of ants in your lawn, or your child could get a painful bite from a spider. It's not fun and to avoid such incidents, you need bug solutions. These are great ideas you can use to keep bugs away from your yard or garden where you spend a lot of time.
Ideally, great bug solutions are those that repel rather than kill bugs. After all, they are doing something good for the environment. We have some organic solutions for summer bugs you can try.
1. The First Line of Defense
First things first, set up a barrier that repels bugs. You can do this organically by planting flowers, plants, and herbs that put them off. It's much better than using commercial bug deterrents any way!
Some natural bug repellents are lemongrass, sage, mint, rosemary, and tansy. Plant them all around and within your garden beds and pots to keep any bugs away. It's a great idea to surround any lounging areas with repellant plants and herbs so you can enjoy your garden in peace.
2. Create a Haven for Bug Eaters
You can go a step further with your natural bug defense by encouraging bug eaters to come to your garden. Many birds such as sparrows, songbirds, and cardinals, among others thrive on the bugs we dislike. If you make them welcome, they will fight your bugs for you.
Create a bird haven for bug-eating birds by planting things they like. Flowers such as Marigolds and Zinnias attract birds and make your garden look amazing. Also, put up bird baths for them so they can frolic and feel at home. They will thrive and work as natural bug deterrents to your delight.
3. D.I.Y Home Bug Repellant
Sometimes you just want to spray those bugs away! You don't have to use commercial repellant, you can create some at home. Homemade bug spray is better for your plants and will get the job done just as good as commercial bug spray with the added bonus of no harmful ingredients in it.
You can create an effective bug repellant by mixing 1 cup of white vinegar with some water and a few drops of clove, peppermint or eucalyptus oil. Also, sprinkle coffee grounds on the borders of your garden and flower beds to keep bugs away. If you have to spray the flowers and plants, use a mix of a little biodegradable soap in water with some clove, lemon or peppermint essential oils.
Find helpful ideas on how to make organic bug spray here.
4. Clean Up
Gardens are not spick and span places. There are always fallen leaves, and other plant matter scattered around. If you do not clean up your yard regularly, it will end up being a rubbish spot. Rubbish in the form of dead plant matter attracts bugs.
A simple solution to repelling bugs is to clean up your garden regularly. Make sure you collect all organic waste and drop it in the compost. That's where it belongs to create manure for your plants. Keep the compost heap far away from your home or garden so that bugs don't find their way to you.
5. What About the Real Garbage?
Apart from garden debris, you also have the real garbage. It consists of scraps, paper, and other forms of non - recyclable waste that you have to give to the garbage man. If you leave this garbage lying around in the open areas close to your garden, expect nasty bugs such as houseflies and probably a rat or two.
To avoid attracting bugs and pests to your garden from garbage, store it properly. Have a designated space away from the house and garden where you put your trash for collection. Make sure you have a container with a tight lid for your garbage disposal. Regularly empty it to avoid an accumulation of foul-smelling garbage that will bring in bugs or vermin.
6. Dry it Up
Plants need water to thrive, so we water them regularly. Sometimes after watering, we have puddles all over the garden. You could also have standing water in pots. Standing water attracts pesky insects such as mosquitoes.
It's important to always dry up water from your garden that is standing in puddles. Also, go further to solve the issue and fill up any holes and dips that make room for water to stand in your garden. Correct your drainage so that any water drains to where it is needed - the flower beds!
It's also a good idea to inspect water features such as bird baths, ponds, and waterfalls. They are beautiful, but if you do not change the water often, they will be a haven for mosquitoes. To avoid this, clean your water features regularly and make sure the water in them or running through them is always clean.
7. Landscape
A garden is like a child, it needs constant tending to thrive. Although the overgrown garden look is charming, it creates room for bugs. Overgrown shrubs and flowers provide great spots for insects such as spiders and vermin like mice to make nests and become a nuisance. They also can hide scary stuff like snakes.
If bugs are an issue for you, go for a neat well-tended garden. It means clearing any undergrowth and pruning your plants regularly. When you continuously work on your flowers and flower beds, you clear out any places that bugs may choose to hide. It will also help you destroy or deal with any nests to prevent any future infestation.
8. Mow Your Lawn
It may seem like an important thing to mow a lawn, but many are neglected. It creates a gateway for bugs and vermin to use to get into any garden. Think about the creepy crawlies that lurk in tall grass such as millipedes and the dreaded snakes. How about ticks that can latch on to you or your children? Argh!
To prevent bugs and vermin in your grass, keep it short. It deters pests such as ticks and fleas from hiding there and multiplying in the summer heat. It is also easy to see a bug or nest of bugs in short grass than in long grass. So mow that lawn often and rake it properly too.
9. Store Your Wood Properly
Stacks of wood are a cozy place for bugs to hide. You can expect a few spiders, carpenter ants, some bees and termites in wood stacks. The fact that wood is often thrown in a pile and forgotten means bugs can seriously thrive there.
If you have any wood piles in your yard, make sure you arrange them in a neat pile and cover them. Create a place for wood storage at least 20 feet away from your garden or home and stack them up with space for aeration. Also, make sure you put them up on stilts that are treated with some anti-termite solution to keep termites away.
10. Dust Up the Cobwebs
Spiders can make homes anywhere. Many of them are not poisonous but can inflict painful bites. They often bite children who are not afraid to go crawling everywhere and touching strange things. So get to them before they get to you or your children.
Take time often to check for webs and spider eggs in nooks and crannies of your home or garden. Check under the seats, garden playsets, toys, picnic tables, and lounging beds. Go all over your garden, checking for and wiping or dusting away cobwebs. It will save you some scary encounters with spiders when lounging in your garden.
11. Bring in the Experts
Sometimes you don't have the time or inspiration to deal with bugs in any way. You may also have a big fear of them and would prefer to let someone else handle them. Good thing we have pest control services. They specialize in clearing pests and vermin from gardens and homes. Call them!
Pest control experts can come to your garden and spray for pesky bugs such as harmful spiders, termites, and ants. They will also go through the whole place, destroying any nest of harmful insects and vermin. Best of all, pest control experts will give you advise on how to keep bugs away in between treatments. It's a great way to thoroughly sort out a bug problem for your peace of mind.
These are a few ways you can deal with summer bugs. When you incorporate these tips into your life, you will hardly have to deal with pests and vermin. Try them and see how it goes.
About the Author Laura Bennett
Hello, I’m Laura Bennett. I love nature especially when it comes to flowers and different kinds of plants. I started a very small garden behind my house and I named it Humid Garden. So, I created this blog to provide aspiring and inspiring thoughts about gardening for gardeners and anyone who has the intention of keeping a garden.
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