Jason Gelios Michigan REALTOR®
  • HOME
  • The AskJasonGelios Show
  • SEMINARS
  • FOR SELLERS
    • DIVORCE
    • SELLING TIPS
    • SELLING BY OWNER
  • FOR BUYERS
    • HOME BUYING TIPS
    • GET APPROVED
  • PRESS
  • JASON'S BLOG
  • Jason's Real Estate Book
  • Connect With Jason Gelios
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • PODCAST: AskJasonGelios Show
  • HAPPY LIVING DIGEST
  • SENIORS

7 Ways to Make Your Yard & Home a Bug-Free Zone

9/6/2022

0 Comments

 
​By: Barbara Eisner Bayer
Be the home on the block that bugs run from. A lush spot for outdoor entertaining? Great. Perfect. A constant swarm of insects that invade your patio and home? No, thank you. Here’s how to keep bugs away from your patio and yard, and from getting inside your house.

#1 Install Patio Fans
Mosquitos may have a tough sting, but they’re wimps when it comes to standing up to a breeze. Patio fans can keep your outdoor entertaining space free from mosquitoes (and other little flyers) with the flip of a switch. And you’ll get the benefit of a cool breeze.

#2 Don’t Mulch Too Much (or Too Little)
While mulching is generally a good thing for curb appeal, overdoing it can cause problems. It could give cockroaches and ants the ideal environment to nest and find their way into your home, says Brittany Campbell, an entomologist and technical services manager at Control Services in Omaha. As mulch decomposes, it generates heat while providing cover for brooding pests. It can even help mice tunnel into your home. So keep mulch at least 12 inches away from the foundation — or use inorganic mulch, such as rock or gravel. But don’t go in the opposite direction and forgo mulching altogether, leaving the ground essentially bare. Yellow jackets make their nests by tunneling into bare dirt.

#3 Get Rid of Standing Water
You probably know this one already. But did you know your gutters and downspouts may harbor multiple mosquito maternity wards? Clean out gutters and downspouts regularly to prevent clogs that can trap water and give those nasty stingers a place to breed. Also make sure to keep kiddie pools, buckets, and watering cans empty when not in use. Even your beloved birdbath can be an issue. “Make sure you get one with running water, so you don’t inadvertently create a mosquito breeding ground,” says Kevin Espiritu, home landscaping expert and author.

#4 Keep Your Yard Trimmed, Mowed, and Tidy
Pull out that lawnmower regularly and keep your garden shears sharpened. “Ticks like to hide in tall grass and wait for a passing human or animal, while bushes or tree limbs touching the home can provide easy access for pests to get indoors,” says Campbell. Plus having a tidy yard makes for good curb appeal.

#5 Add Landscaping Plants That Bugs Hate
Bugs hate strong scents of mint or citrus. Mix plants with those scents into your landscaping, especially near the porch, patio, or deck for added beauty and functionality.

Here are some pest-repelling plants and the bugs that hate them:
Basil: Flies, mosquitoes Catnip: mosquitoes, ticks, Flies, cockroaches
Chrysanthemums: roaches, ants, ticks, fleas, bedbugs Lavender: moths, fleas, flies, mosquitoes
Citronella: mosquitoes Geranium, lemon scented: mosquitoes Lemon thyme: mosquitoes
Marigold: mosquitoes Rosemary: mosquitoes

#6 Paint Your Home Lighter Colors
Studies show that bugs see dark and bright colors more easily, which is why people are often advised to wear light-colored clothing to repel them. The same principle may work for your home. Choose lighter shades of paint color for your home’s siding, doors, trim, and other features such as fencing, patio, and decking to make them less attractive to mosquitoes. And if pesky birds are a problem, avoid paint that’s the same color as their favorite foods. Just be sure the paint job fits into the neighborhood and enhances your home’s beauty. Bugs are a pain, but hurting your home’s value is more painful.

#7 Build a Bat House
If you live in an area where bats are local, lucky you. Really. Harness their appetite for insects to control pests in your yard. You can invite them to be your permanent guests by building a bat house. According to Bat Conservation International, one small bat can consume up to 1,000 mosquitoes per hour!
0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.


    Picture

    Author

    Jason Gelios is a  Husband and Father. After that, a Top Producing REALTOR®, Author of the books 'Think like a REALTOR®' and 'Beating The Force Of Average', Creator of The AskJasonGelios Real Estate Show and Expert Media Contributor to media outlets across the country.

    Jason is dedicated to providing real estate advice and education to home owners, buyers and sellers with content that is practical and based on real world situations.

    Archives

    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    July 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    April 2015

    Categories

    All

    RSS Feed

About Jason Gelios
For Buyers
For Sellers
Think Like a REALTOR® Real Estate book
Valuable Resources
AskJasonGelios Real Estate Show
Jason Gelios' Real Estate Blog​

In the press

Contact Jason Gelios
Copyright    All Rights Reserved    Reach Jason Gelios Direct at 586-419-2231    jasongelios@itsallabouttherealestate.com
Photos used under Creative Commons from wuestenigel, MarkMoz12, Spencer Means, Mrs Airwolfhound, r.nial.bradshaw, MarkMoz12
  • HOME
  • The AskJasonGelios Show
  • SEMINARS
  • FOR SELLERS
    • DIVORCE
    • SELLING TIPS
    • SELLING BY OWNER
  • FOR BUYERS
    • HOME BUYING TIPS
    • GET APPROVED
  • PRESS
  • JASON'S BLOG
  • Jason's Real Estate Book
  • Connect With Jason Gelios
  • TESTIMONIALS
  • PODCAST: AskJasonGelios Show
  • HAPPY LIVING DIGEST
  • SENIORS