If you’re reading this right now, you may already get regular pest treatments from our professionals for the interior of your house. In fact, you may even have an in-wall treatment system that was installed when you first built your house. But have you thought about outdoor pest control treatments for the exterior areas of your home and property? With warm weather bringing much more time outdoors, it’s important to know how you can keep your yard safe and pest-free.
What’s the Problem?
Because these pests may not be in your home and in your line of vision every day, it can be easy to ignore them. Even the most regular landscape maintenance projects are no match for pests. Some of these pests are just plain annoying, but others — like fleas and ticks — can carry dangerous diseases that could infect your pet or your family.
For the most part, you can expect to see spiders outside and maybe even one or two inside. If there are any more than that, consider it an infestation. Along with ants, arachnids are generally harmless to humans even though they’re still pretty gross to have inside of your home. Clover mites can also live outside your home waiting to get in and can travel in large numbers, but still don’t pose much risk to your pets or families. These tiny red bugs come into your house in the thousands and can leave blood-red streaks behind when you kill them.
The biggest concern for homeowners during St. Louis summers is the boom in the flea and tick population. As you and your pets spend more time outdoors, it’s important to understand why you need to protect everyone. The most common tick-borne illnesses in the St. Louis area are Ehrlichiosis and Rocky Mountain spotted fever. Your family and pets could easily pick up these pests and bring them inside, even if your dogs and cats get regular flea and tick treatments.
What Are the Solutions?
There are plenty of steps that homeowners and property owners can take to help prevent pests in the landscaping around buildings.
Get rid of standing water: Female mosquitos love standing water because it’s the perfect place for them to lay their eggs. Check your yard for pools that collect in the ground, patio furniture, playground equipment, or around outbuildings or decks. Flower pots and gardening tools (like wheelbarrows) also need to be emptied of excess water.
Pay attention to landscaping: Tall grass, overgrown shrubs, and wildflowers that have gone rampant create the perfect shelter for pests, especially when they don’t have to travel far to get into your home and reach food and water. Regular mowing and a little bit of TLC to your flower beds and bushes will make your yard a little less hospitable.
Use natural solutions: Other tools to use outdoors to keep mosquitoes at bay include bug zappers, citronella candles, and even apps that deter mosquitoes from coming near. Unfortunately, many of these are quick fixes that don’t truly protect your family if there’s already an infestation on your property; that’s something only professionals can take care of.
Calling In the Pest Control Professionals
The best and most efficient way to prevent your yard and landscaping from pests? Call in the pest control professionals like our team from PestShield. We have regular yard treatments that should be administered monthly as necessary to help prevent future breeding cycles of clover mites, fleas, and ticks.
Our outdoor treatments are safe for your kids and pets, and it only takes about an hour to fully dry before you’re able to enjoy your yard again. The process is simple and quick, and because of this isn’t an exorbitant cost. We don’t require our clients to sign a contract, which means you aren’t locked into future treatments if they’re not necessary — sometimes one treatment is enough, but those concerned about fleas and ticks should have it done monthly.
Don’t waste time on ineffective outdoor pest control treatments. Go straight to the professionals at PestShield for serious pest control services to bring you peace of mind and a pest-free home. Connect with us online now to get a free quote for residential services.