The countdown to summer has begun in our house. If you want to know how many more school days are left, just ask my kids. They are looking forward to summer fun with worn out backpacks and glazed over eyes.
I, too, am on the high speed chase of lazy summer days spent in our backyard with no plan other than popsicles and water balloon fights. But that also means, we have some summer prep on our hands to be sure that my little sun-kissed babies aren’t covered in bug bites along with their sunscreen.
The 3 most common summer pests on this Mama’s radar are fire ants, mosquitoes and fleas, but what do we do to keep them away?
Fire ants
With are recent rains in Central Texas, ant mounds will be popping up left and right. Not only can these tiny pests quickly cover attack and cause irritating bites, but they can also damage your lawn while they’re at it. It’s easy to think that prevention means an overall pesticides, but there can be serious health concerns to humans, wildlife, and their habitats when an overall treatment is applied by someone not properly trained in it’s application. The best way to keep ants away is regular maintenance by a trained professional, and spot treatments when an infestation occurs.
Mosquitoes
Mosquitos lay eggs in water and need water to mature. So Chem-Free Pest & Lawn has taught me that removing sources of standing water, such as; sand buckets, kids’ water tables, pots, keep birdbaths clean can greatly decrease the mosquito population around our home.
Chem-Free yard treatments
Chem-Free can identify and target mosquito breeding grounds and resting areas within your yard, and tailor a treatment plan to reduce the mosquito population in ALL life-cycle stages. To protect your family members (furry members included), Chem-Free offers two low-impact treatment options: mosquito misting systems and backpack fogging. This allows families to enjoy the outdoors even at the times of day that Mosquitoes tend to be the most active.
Fleas
A simple trip to a dog park can bring fleas and ticks into your home by attaching themselves to your furry friends. You may be treating your pets, but one trip to a dog park can throw off your prevention regimen. But, you don’t have to be a pet owner to be effected by fleas and ticks. Even though pets don’t live in my home, we live near a creek and greenbelt making wildlife in our yard a common occurrence. Heavy wooded areas increase wildlife which can carry and drop fleas and ticks in your yard allowing them to hop on you during your next PBJ picnic in the backyard. Not only do these pests leave your skin itchy, they can pass along diseases such as Lyme disease and others I can’t even pronounce. So I’m continuously concerned about these getting near my family.
Chem-Free suggests making these simple (chemical free) changes around your home to lower your risk:
- Remove items that might collect water in your yard. Mosquitoes need just one inch of water in order to breed. Water tables, sand buckets, and even the bottom of our playscape slide seems to always have an inch of water just waiting to incubate tiny mosquito eggs.
- Add plants such as, lavender, lemongrass, citronella, and marigold to your yard. These are known to provide a natural mosquito repellant.
- Seal trash cans properly.
- Store pet food in sealed containers.
- Repair plumbing leaks.
- Trim tall grass near your home and remove excess debris and items against the home, as well as, in the yard.
Contact Chem-Free Pest & Lawn to have them tailor a prevention plan that fits best with your family’s needs.
