How do you enjoy spending your weekends? Maybe you enjoy catching a movie or relaxing at the beach. Perhaps you enjoy taking a hike around Thousand Oaks, Lake Eleanor or Paradise Falls? Or maybe you just like to relax at home with an excellent outdoor barbeque. You certainly don’t want to spend your entire weekend battling pests in your backyard or worse… Inside your home.
For residents of the Thousand Oaks area, you know the mountains and foothills around you may look beautiful, but they are full of harmful pests, all just itching to call your home theirs. And perhaps you wouldn’t mind so much if they didn’t carry diseases, didn’t destroy furniture and cabinetry or say maybe if they bothered to chip in a little something for the mortgage payment, but they don’t. Nope, they just sit around all day nibbling at your assets until they eventually eat you out of your home and bank account. But how can you keep pests from ruining your weekend?
Plant a Garden
Who doesn’t like flowers? They’re bright, cheerful and can bring a delightful splash of color to your yard. How about planting flowers that pesky animals and bugs can’t stand? There are several types of flowers and vegetation that deter pests from wanting to bother with your property. These flowering plants repel insects due to soapy sap, succulent leaves, and other innate defenses.
Lavender
This beautiful purple flowered bush not only is great looking fresh or dried, but it also repels all types of insects and creatures. Insects like moths, fleas, flies, and even mosquitoes absolutely hate this plant. Scorpions aren’t real fond of it either.
Marigolds
This little yellow flowering plant packs a big punch when it comes to guarding your property. Many types of insects can’t stand the smell of marigolds, so they’re ideal for planting in your garden. Other animals, such as raccoons and squirrels, also can’t stand the smell. They are, however, loved by snails and slugs. You may want to plant this next plant beside it to discourage any achatinoidea from taking a nibble.
Rosemary
Not only is Rosemary perfect for cooking, but it is also a significant deterrent for many types of garden pests. Snails and slugs, especially can’t stand rosemary. No accounting for taste, right?
Crown Imperial
This is a plant that, with a little care, keeps all types of pests from your home. Ants can’t stand this beautiful flowering plant, and mice simply can’t get far enough away from it. It also repels squirrels, moles, and rabbits.
Creating a Barrier
Don’t have much of a green thumb? Many of us don’t, so that’s okay. There are other ways of keeping pests away. Throughout history, kingdoms have employed the use of moats to protect their cities. They may have gone so far as to add alligators or other vicious water dwelling creatures to keep anyone or anything from crossing it. Think of your yard as a moat. Now, you’re probably not going to use alligators to guard your property. Your HOA and neighbors would frown on that. But you can use other ways of fortifying your yard moat.
First, how tall is your grass? Insects love to live in tall grass. Think of grass as a high-rise for insects. The higher the grass, the more insects will want to move in. Keeping your grass cut short is a good way to keep bugs from moving in. Also, remove any fallen leaves, dead foliage, and other lawn debris. Not only does it make the yard look nicer, but it also eliminates places where insects can lay eggs or start a nest.
Spread Diatomaceous earth around your property to create a nice defense shield. You can purchase Diatomaceous earth online or at your local hardware store. Diatomaceous earth is a powder made from fossilized prehistoric crustaceans, and it cuts into insects’ bodies when they walk over it, causing them to die of dehydration.
Do you have a fountain or a water barrel you don’t use often? You may want to clean it out from any standing water. Standing water attracts all types of insects, especially mosquitoes and you certainly don’t want those bloodsuckers buzzing around your home.
What’s for Lunch?
You would be amazed at what pests find appealing to eat. Dog food, of course, would taste pretty good to a raccoon or a squirrel. And since it’s close to what human’s eat, other insects, such as roaches, would enjoy it as well. But have you ever thought about what happens after the dog food is consumed? Of course not. Well… At least we try not to.
Fido is contributing to the pests’ food source. A dog’s feces attracts all types of insects, not just flies. Cleaning up after your pet is almost necessary for keeping insects from invading your yard.
If pests are ruining your weekends and you’ve tried everything to get rid of them, then it’s time to call in the professionals. The professionals at AIPM are trained to exterminate not only creatures like squirrels and raccoons but all types of insect infestations. AIPM’s trained team can eliminate any threats to your property while setting up a custom plan to ensure that you never have to face issues by pests again. Receive a free estimate today!
Sources:
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_pest-repelling_plants
- https://edenpest.com/6-pest-control-tips-your-yard/
- https://www.motherearthnews.com/organic-gardening/pest-control/how-to-use-diatomaceous-earth-zw0z1304zkin
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