How To Reduce Pest Presence In Your Yard
In order to get into the interior of your home where they can cause the most amount of damage and disruption, insects first have to be attracted to your yard. Certain things within your landscaping design can attract pests to the area, which then naturally increases the risk that those insects will find their way into your home. Understanding a few of the simplest landscaping and yard maintenance tasks that you should regularly perform to make the area around your home less appealing to pests can save you the cost and frustration associated with having to deal with an infestation inside of your home in the future.
Proper Drainage
Areas that have a lot of moisture will attract insects, since most pests will require water to reproduce and continue living. Wet and swampy areas near the sides of your home can prove to be extremely attractive to large populations of pests, so you'll want to take steps to dry those areas out. Be sure to clean out your gutters and downspouts to ensure that water is being properly drained away from the sides of your home. You may also want to talk to a landscaping designer about regrading the slope around your house so that water flows away from the perimeter of your foundation. Finally, be sure to inspect any faucets or hoses around your home as well, as they can be a prominent source of leaks.
Plant Trimming
In a similar vein, you should also trim back any plants that are near the sides of your home. Plants that come into contact with your house provide a pathway for insects, especially those that eat their way through materials like termites and carpenter ants, to get inside. Further, you should also take a look at trimming back any trees that overhang your roof and chimney: they can also provide a way for larger pests like squirrels and rodents, to get into your attic or even into the chimney itself.
Waste Disposal
Finally, another extremely important thing that you should do to reduce the risk of pests congregating in your yard is making sure that you properly dispose of garbage and food waste. Compost heaps should be well away from the sides of your home, if not at the edge of your property. Further, you should keep your garbage in the garage, where it cannot easily be accessed, in a locking can until you have to put it on the street for pickup.
Contact a pest control company for more help.
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