|
|
|
|
Smart Landscaping for Your Property |
Pests on your property are a nuisance, but once inside your building you’ve got a whole other problem on your hands. Certain landscaping techniques can either help you defend your property or put it at an even greater risk of infestation. As you prepare your fall maintenance and landscaping plan, learn the best ways to help keep your property pest free. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Features That Can Attract Pests |
| • |
Plants: Plants create harborage for pests, which can then move inside, especially if plants are too close to the building. |
| • |
Fruit trees: When fallen crab apples or other fruit rots, it offers food to pests like ants and flies. |
| • |
Mulch: Both warm and moist, mulch is a nesting area for a variety of insects. When placed too close to your building’s foundation, mulch can also harbor termites. |
| • |
Sod: Heavy sod can create mold and moss growth, attracting unwanted pests. |
| • |
Fertilizer: Over-fertilizing can invite clover mites and millipedes. |
| • |
Standing water: Pools, ponds and bird baths can draw mosquitoes and other flying pests. |
| • |
Lights: Bright lighting is alluring to pests and can serve as a welcome sign if too close to your building. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Landscaping Tips to Steer Pests Away |
| • |
Watch what you’re planting: Some bushes attract aphids, which are a food source for ants. Consult with a landscaping professional. |
| • |
Plan ahead: If you’re landscaping, don’t just think about where the tree is placed now, but where it will be 10-15 years from now. Avoid placement too close to your structure. |
| • |
Consider airflow: Moist conditions are conducive to pests, so allow for airflow under the plants and between the plants and structure. |
| • |
Trim and prune: Cut back landscaping away from buildings, especially entrances. Keep trees and shrubs three feet from the building. |
| • |
Lawn care: Keep the grass cut short and pests will have fewer places to hide. |
| • |
Weeding: We hate them but pests love them, so make sure you pull out any nasty weeds that are growing along or around the sides of your building. |
| • |
Carefully distribute mulch: Keep mulch a safe distance from your building, about 18 inches is a good rule of thumb, and no more than a few inches deep. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Maintenance Guidelines To Defend Your Property |
| • |
Eliminate moisture sources: Leaky hoses, puddles in the parking lot or clogged gutters are excellent places for mosquitoes to breed or other insects to get water. |
| • |
Clean your gutters: Gutters are warm, moist and cozy for pests. Point downspouts away from your building. A key element in pest-controlled landscaping is making sure all drainage is pointing away from a structure. |
| • |
Paint, seal and inspect: Keep your building freshly painted and sealed. Inspect your structure for any cracks or holes, as these are access points for pests. |
| • |
Turn down the lights: Light management controls pests such as spiders, flies, moths, millipedes, and more. Consider lighting poles away from the building or use yellow bug lights. |
| • |
Inspect the foundation: Monitor for termites by regularly checking inside and outside of your building’s foundation. Probe around, digging down into the mulch bed since termites will not always be close to the surface. |
| • |
Refer to the experts: Work with your pest management professional to help to identify the specific needs of your property, as well as point out areas that could contribute to a pest problem. Request inspections by your provider on regular intervals. Your pest management professional can provide recommendations regarding the frequency and the extent of these inspections. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
