Landscaping Tips for Pest Defense

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The enjoyment of some and the bane of many: landscaping.  Improving your yard brings some DIY gratitude into your life, but did you know that certain improvements can go a long way in deterring spring pests from entering your home?   So, while you still have those gardening gloves on, keep these jobs in the back of your head for comprehensive pest defense in the midst of spring!

Trimming Plants

You head outside with the intentions of pulling weeds, but what about keeping your bushes and trees in check?  This type of vegetation that is close to your home serves as a natural bridge for pests, such as ants, as they can simply walk across it right into your home.  Try to trim your hedges and bushes regularly and keep branches away from your home—especially dead ones, which are a termite’s dream.

Making the Most of Mulch

Mulching is often seen as a spring necessity to the gardner, but a downside of this practice is that it can help out pests just as much as your plants.  Mulch provides a covering for pests to take advantage of, and regular watering ensures that they have a steady supply of water to keep them going. To make matters even worse, some pests may feed on the mulch directly, leading to less mulch for your plants and more pests for you to deal with.  Organic mulch can attract many pests (from ants to rodents), but a pencil cedar mulch will actually keep pests at bay. Take this into consideration the next time you go out to buy mulch.

Clean the Birdbath

Birdbaths can be a wonderful addition to your landscape, but they can easily double as a breeding ground for mosquitoes.  Stagnant water promotes mosquito breeding, and unless you have a constant line of birds taking advantage of the water, then chances are that the birdbath helps out the mosquitoes more so than the birds.  However, a regular purge of the water will keep the mosquitoes away, so long as you change it out every week. If the birds don’t thank you for it, then future-you definitely will.

Landscaping may be a chore to some, but it can be an effective tool of pest prevention when done the right way.  So, the next time you head out there to tidy up the yard, keep these few things in mind—you may just find that the few extra minutes it takes to implement these tips is well worth the peace of mind.

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