5 Best Ways to Prevent Yard Pests
One of the most frustrating things for a homeowner is to put time and money into a yard or garden, only for it to be run over with pests. Unfortunately, not only can pests destroy your hard work, but they can do it overnight. Plus, the good news is that you don’t have to suffer a yard mess. Instead, you can capitalize on others’ learnings across the history of pest control to prevent yard pests.
1. Prevent Yard Pests with A Garden Lay Out Away From the Property
First, one of the best and most natural ways to ward off unwanted pasts comes down to your garden’s overall strategy and layout. The key is to plant certain varieties of plants that will attract beneficial insects that will prey on those less desirable pests. Some recommended annuals include calendula, coriander, and sweet alyssum. As an example, sweet alyssum attracts hoverflies in search of nectar. The hoverfly larvae then scour the leaves’ underside, eating aphids and mites that exhibit more destructive behavior. Similarly, phacelia attracts many beneficial insects, including bees, wasps, and hoverflies.
2. Mix in Plants That Ward Off Pests with Flowers They Like
Next, try mixing your plants with an intercropping strategy. Adding diversity to your plants makes it harder for destructive insects to locate their host plants. So, consider planting different flowers and vegetables with one another rather than planting single crops in individual rows.
3. Strong Scent of Herbs Keep the Pests Away from Your Yard
So, if you are already practicing an intercropping strategy or plan to incorporate one, be sure to plant some parsley, dill, and cilantro plants. Not only will these be tasty herbs for your meals, but these strongly-scented herbs are beneficial in combating unwanted pests.
4. Repel Yard Pests With Plants That Produce Oils
Suppose you have experienced the benefits of essential oils for personal purposes. In that case, you may be surprised to know that certain essential oils concoctions can also help prevent yard pests. Since you can repel pests with scents they don’t like, you may find luck leveraging lavender, rosemary, and lemongrass oils to repel fleas, mosquitoes, flies, and cabbage loopers. You can also try peppermint, spearmint, and orange oils to ward off aphids, squash bugs, whiteflies, spiders, ants, and beetles. The key is to ensure you purchase only oil, which is 100% essential oil and doesn’t contain other ingredients that could inadvertently harm your yard or garden.
5. Cover Your Yard Plants During Cold Months To Keep Pests Away
Unfortunately, every gardener knows that a great garden can quickly become overrun by weeds. Those weeds are not only unbecoming in your garden, but they also attract the very pests you want to keep away. Also, eliminating weeds and burning crop residues each fall and winter can be highly effective. For extreme situations, a tried-and-true method is to cover plants with a light fabric such as cheesecloth that allows in the light and rainwater and keeps insects away.
Why Eco-Friendly Professional Pest Control is the Best Option
Sometimes, no matter how much effort you put into deterring pests from your yard, you might determine that you need professional pest control. Regular pest prevention services don’t have to mean using harmful chemicals either. Also, do-it-yourself (DIY) methods of yard pest prevention sometimes work. However, combining DIY and professional methods is far more likely to keep those pests away long-term.
Often, with little success, professional services’ costs become far more equitable when considering the time and effort you put into DIY methods season and season. And you indeed get what you pay for. Contact Prime Pest Solutions to prevent yard pests the correct way every time.
