How To Keep Your Patios Free of Pests
How To Keep Your Patios Free of Pests – Today’s guest blog is by Thermal Clean LLC. The opinions expressed by the author in this and all guest blogs are not necessarily those of Gainesville Screen and Patio.
How To Keep Your Patios Free of Pests
Having friends and family around on your patio may be a fun way to spend a summer evening until the bugs arrive. Warm bodies and cold beverages can attract mosquitoes, ants, and other unwelcome visitors. However, there are a few simple techniques to keep mosquitoes away from a patio and allow you to enjoy the outdoors without interruptions.
Purchase Patio Plants to Keep Bugs Away
Nature has endowed plants with a range of natural insect repellents, but there is no one-size-fits-all method for employing plants to keep pests away. Depending on the pests you’re most concerned about, you’d need to select very specialized patio plants to keep them at bay. Ants, for example, shun chrysanthemums, flies avoid basil, and moths avoid lavender.
You may use the following methods to keep mosquitos away from your patio or deck:
- Rosemary
- Marigold
- Lavender
- Thyme lemon
- Geranium
- Citronella
Keep in mind that while a lemon aroma might deter mosquitos, it can also attract bees. That implies some forethought is required. However, with little planning, this may be a beneficial, natural technique to keep pests at bay.
Utilize Essential Oils
Combine one part witch hazel and one part water to make a bug-repellent remedy for your patio. Add a tablespoon of rubbing alcohol and a few dozen drops of essential oils to each cup of solution.
Consider lavender, rosemary, lemon thyme, or basil essential oils, as well as others that may resemble the aroma of the plants and herbs listed above. These fragrances mimic the aromas of the plants after which they are named, allowing you to combine many types of protection into a single solution. By spraying the mixture evenly around the perimeter of your space, you can keep pests away from your patio.
Remove any standing water.
Few methods for getting rid of flying pests on a patio are as vital as treating the source of the problem. Standing water may serve as a breeding ground for generations of troublesome mosquitoes. Keep gutters, downspouts, birdbaths, pools, buckets, and other locations free of standing water whenever feasible.
Spritz mouthwash all over your patio.
If you don’t have rubbing alcohol or essential oils, an alcohol-based mouthwash might be a good substitute. Simply fill a spray bottle with mouthwash and spray down the edge of the deck or patio furniture. This can repel pests and leave a nice odor, but due to the quick evaporation of alcohol, it may be essential to reapply frequently.
Citronella candles and torches should be used.
Some homeowners ignore citronella as a pest-repellent choice for their patio. Citronella candles and torches have a reputation for repelling mosquitos, but they’re also good at deterring flies and other flying insects. In addition to filling the air with smells that repel pests, burning citronella may provide natural ambient lighting to help brighten your patio.
Modify Your Outdoor Lighting
Bugs have a vision that allows them to perceive shorter wavelengths of light more clearly. This includes blues, purples, and even ultraviolet light, which humans cannot see. Their visual range, however, excludes warmer hues like red and orange.
Blue light concentrations are greater in daylight white bulbs. If you want to keep mosquitoes away from your patio at night, consider replacing colder bulbs with warmer ones, particularly yellow or sodium vapor lamps. Don’t use any brighter lights than you require since the intensity of the light will attract pests. Here are a few outdoor lighting ideas to get you started.
Ticks love to hide in thick grass, and shrubs brushing up against your home can enable pests to enter easier. Keeping your yard in order isn’t only for show; it may also help keep pests away from your patio. Pick up garbage and clean up spills as soon as possible so that they don’t attract insects. Seek the help of Denver Colorado’s Bed Bug Experts in any of such case.
Following or combining some of these easy strategies will help you maintain your backyard patio bug-free so you can spend time outside with friends and family.