Environmentally Friendly Ways To Keep Pests Out Of Your Yard

You may have already heard that the term “pests” is a bit of a misnomer. The phrase is often used to describe different types of creatures that are harmful to your plants, but many kinds of pests can cause harm to all sorts of wildlife, as well as to your home and garden. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to keep these creatures out of your yard, whether you live in the country or the city.

Why Should You Keep Pests Out Of Your Garden?

Pests can affect your home or garden in different ways, such as damaging plants, creating unsightly messes, spreading disease through your plants and other animals such as pets in your garden. Some pests can also threaten human health and safety if they happen to enter the home or building. Keeping these pests out of your house or garden can be as simple as screening windows for holes or gaps, growing beneficial plants, and checking for standing water. When it comes to larger critters, you’ll have to think outside the box.

What Are The Benefits Of Being Environmentally Friendly?

There are numerous reasons for opting for environmentally friendly solutions over harsh, toxic chemicals. Poisoning your garden with poisonous pest repellents creates a toxic cycle that not only harms your garden but can pose a severe health risk to you and any pets you may have as well. Additionally, pesticides often lead to a decline in honeybee populations, becoming a huge concern worldwide. Bees are responsible for pollinating plants and crops around the world. Without them, our food source would be much more limited and expensive. By opting for suitable eco-friendly solutions, you will be able to keep all manner of pests at bay while keeping yourself, your family, and the ecosystem safe.

Environmentally Safe Methods To Keep Pests Out Of Your Yard

Your pest control plan will depend in part on the type of animal that is causing you problems. For example, birds will require different methods than rodents. Nonetheless, the following techniques will cover some of the best strategies you can implement to protect against the most common household pests.

Chemical Repellent Solutions

Although this doesn’t sound eco-friendly on the outset, you can get non-toxic solutions that provide the same effects as the toxic versions but without the nasty side effects. In addition, you should use these as repellents rather than methods to kill the animals.

For example, one particularly prevalent pest in some areas of North America is the Canada goose. These guys have no natural predators and will flock en masse to homes, destroying gardens and leaving significant amounts of dangerous waste in their wake. Most people prefer to keep geese out of their yards rather than kill them, which is where geese repellent for yard protection comes in handy. The best thing about this type of repellent is that it removes their food supply by making your yard an undesirable place for them to eat grass. Moreover, the better ones will contain a UV marker that they can see from the sky, stopping any future lawn incursions (they are way more intelligent than you think!). A range of different repellents is available depending on the type of pest you’re facing. In some cases, if your pest is a bit larger, you can get repellents to keep even the most significant animals at bay, such as a moose or bear.

Pest Control Through Landscaping 

Today, many pest control companies offer eco-friendly solutions for pest control in and around your home. This is an exciting option for many properties, and especially those with larger yards. The idea behind it is that you hire a professional landscaping company who will visit your garden and assess what needs to be done. It might be setting up natural barriers like water features or thickets around the perimeter or at the most common entry points. Alternatively, they could introduce plants that entice desirable insects and bugs that act as a natural pesticide by keeping away other pests. 

Maintain Proper Garbage Discipline

A household’s garbage can be a big draw for unwanted pests. It does not matter what other forms of pest control you use; if you leave your trash cans unsecured and allow debris to gather, you will still experience unwanted visitors. Therefore, the obvious solution is to take away their food source, and you should discover a massive decrease in the number of pests entering your garden. You can opt for straightforward tactics such as buying new cans with lids that you can securely fasten. Alternatively, if you have larger animals entering your property, you could build an enclosure that denies them access to the garbage. While it may be a hassle, if you wish to deter animals from entering your garden, it is something you have to do.

Don’t Let Water Stand 

Standing water is a prime breeding ground for the wrong sorts of insects. Mosquitoes, flies, and all manner of other undesirable buffs will lay their eggs in even the smallest amount of water. Therefore, you should take the time to walk around your yard and check for locations that you think will accumulate water after a rainfall or when you water the grass. While you can’t possibly stop all standing water, you will already have won half the battle by denying a place for these pests’ larvae to hatch. 

Use Traps and Lures

Traps can be lethal or non-lethal, depending on your ethical stance. While some people may consider them cruel, they are undoubtedly eco-friendly in that they don’t harm the surrounding environment (not to mention effective). However, if you go down this route, you must check regularly and dispose of any captured pest immediately. Not disposing of them on a regular basis will have the opposite effect of what you want, and attract other critters in search of an easy meal.

With all the available options, you are sure to find an environmentally friendly approach that works for you. You can try all of the techniques discussed or only one or two depending on your situation and make your yard the most environmentally friendly and pest-free place in your neighborhood.