Tips to Reclaim Your Garden from the Bugs

Most of us know that bugs are an important part of a healthy garden. But there’s nothing like a cloud of flies or overly interested wasps to ruin yard parties. And relaxing in the sun with a good book is a whole lot less appealing if you’re going to get eaten by mosquitoes! So, as summer starts to sizzle, here are a few precautions you can take to keep unwelcome flying, crawling and biting visitors down to a minimum.

Five Steps to Reduce Garden Invaders This Summer

Attract predators

This isn’t as scary as it sounds. We’re not advising you to attract copperheads to take care of your rodent problem. And having alligators in your garden is never a good idea! For most of the bugs you’re likely to find in your yard, birds and bats are the most frightening proposition. And they’re really easy to attract. By putting up bat boxes and bird feeders and planting shrubs where birds can hide, you’ll help nature to take care of your bug problem.

Avoid standing water

If there’s one thing that mosquitoes like in a home, it’s stagnant water. While a pond is an obvious candidate for attracting mosquitoes, they’ll happily set up home in any standing water. From forgotten buckets filled with rainwater to blocked gutters. Clearing, or regularly refreshing any standing water can help reduce the chances of mosquitoes moving into your yard.

Reduce your kerb appeal

And while we’re talking about attractants, there are other things common to garden spaces that a lot of bugs love. Flies adore your garbage, so keep your trash cans away from places you want to spend time. Wasps and ants find anything sweet and sticky irresistible. Properly cleaning your recycling before putting it in the trash can help prevent problems. If you’re having a picnic or barbeque, keeping food covered really helps too.

Use repellents

From citronella candles to bug sprays, there are various ways to repel insects from your garden. But the most natural approach is to use plants. Most people think of plants as being something that insects like. But if you choose wisely, you can have a host of colour in your borders while creating a stink that a huge number of bugs will detest (it’ll still smell pretty good to you!). Lemon grass, basil and garlic will deter mosquitoes. Nepeta (AKA catnip/catmint) is revolting to a wide variety of different bugs. Squash bugs can’t stand petunias. Mint, lavender and marigolds are all distasteful to a series of different insects.

Keep things tidy

Just like the rest of us, bugs need a home. Long grass and dead branches make the perfect habitat for a wide variety of insects. Regular garden maintenance takes away their living quarters.

Insects have been around for millennia. Some of them have existed for far longer than humans. Whatever you do, they will find a way. But by taking these few precautions, you can make your neighbor’s gardens seem way more attractive than yours. At least when it comes to creepy crawlies! And if you have a serious problem, you know that Noosa Pest Management is always here to help. Our mosquito reduction service is always in demand at this time of year. Call us today to see what we can do for you: 704-499-9922