Summertime is when you want to sit on your patio free of all worries. Having a BBQ or a fresh lemonade in your yard is all you can wish for. And no disturbances, of course. Playing with your children and pets is best on the outside. But, it can often be interrupted by uninvited guests. You know who we are talking about – the bugs. They can make the best time the worst time. Ants, mosquitoes, bugs, termites, or cockroaches. All of them can make our lives miserable. In order to avoid this and allowing them to have control, we prepared these seven ways to keep your patio pest-free for you. Read on, and be ready for the next patio season.
1. Add a Patio Fan
Most people don’t want to have a ceiling over their patio. But nonetheless, it becomes a viable option that many people decide to use. It’s helpful. You can be both relaxed, cooled, and bug-free under an outdoor ceiling. Once you install it, you’ll notice that breeze now comes more often.
Furthermore, it is a great way to keep annoying bugs away. It works best in combination with a fan. If you get yourself a robust one, flies and mosquitoes will be a thing of the past. Another option that perfectly presents itself once you’re eager to keep the pests away is a retractable screen. If this is what suits your patio, reach out to Go Retractable for some of the best motorized retractable screens.
2. Keep Your Yard Tidy
Easier said than done. The place where you need to start is the lawn. If you keep it under control and really clean, bugs should avoid it. If you don’t pay too much attention to grass, it can become home to ticks. They can be dangerous for both you and your pet.
Furthermore, it would help if you took good care of bushes and tree limbs. If they’re close to your patio, you’re practically giving them easy access. A welcome sign if you wish.
3. Get Rid of Standing Water
We don’t need to tell you this twice. It’s quite logical, and you would remember to do this sooner or later on your own. But, it would help if you were thorough with this. If you’re not, you’re giving a chance to mosquitoes, for example, to make their home in your gutters and downspouts. They need to be cleaned on a regular basis to prevent clogs. If clogs appear, they’ll keep the water around, and insects will take advantage of this. They breed only around the water, and you don’t want o give them a home-field advantage. Other things you want free of water are buckets and watering cans that are portable mosquito houses if kept full of water.
4. Patio Plants
Insects do not only annoy us; they also have issues with nature itself. Nature is not someone you want to mess with. It found ways to keep the bugs away. We can do the same with its help. Yes, you heard it well. All kinds of insects can be kept away if you know-how. Now, there’s no universal solution, but a combination of a couple of plants can do the trick. It would be beneficial both aesthetically and practically. If ants are your issue, you need to go with chrysanthemums. Basil and lavender do wonders against flies and moths. Some of the best plants to have on your patio to fight the pests are rosemary, marigold, lavender, lemon thyme, geranium, basil, and citronella. While plants can be an ideal solution, you also need to be careful. Some of these plants can be attractive to some insects you didn’t have any issues with. For example, bees are attracted to the lemon smell.
5. Avoid Mulch
We all love to see some mulch on and around our patio, as it adds a bit of charm; it’s never good to overdo with it. Doing this can cause real issues. Some creatures, such as ants or cockroaches, can use it and start making their homes where you put it. It decomposes with time, which generates heat, which is ideal for pests reproduction. Mice can even use it for their young, who could later penetrate your home. What can replace natural mulch are rock and gavel. These are all better options that are not suitable for pests. If you go with natural mulch, please keep it at least 12 inches from the foundation. While there are downsides to mulching, you should not abandon it altogether. Make sure to do it moderately to ensure the best results.
6. Use Light Colors on Your House
The patio is an essential part of your house, so you need to make the house an essential part of your patio. The best way to do this is to paint the part of your house connected to the patio in light colors. Bugs are attracted to dark and bright colors. This is why you should avoid them. They can cause only trouble. Parts of your home, such as patio, fencing, or decking, can easily be painted over. This shouldn’t be too much of an issue. Just avoid painting it in the colors of the food that birds consume, as you could attract them too if there are any in the vicinity. Of course, painting needs to be done with understanding; you don’t want your home to look like a circus.
7. Change Out Your Lighting
Bugs and other insects see blue and purple easier than some different colors. These two you should avoid at all costs. Those that are less visible to insects include orange, yellow, and red. If you want pests further away from your patio at night, you can call your local pest control, such as bonaccordpestcontrol.co.uk or replace the cold colors with warmer ones. You probably noticed that most bug zappers use a shade of blue or purple. You can even try to use this if nothing of what we listed above doesn’t help. In the end, we would love to say that if you don’t find any of the options satisfying, the best route to take would be to hire professionals trained in exterminating pests.
