Our yards are a relaxing space where we can retreat from the stresses of everyday life. Nothing disrupts this peace more than pests flying in our faces and damaging our beautiful flowers and plants. If these pests aren’t dealt with, they can even become a threat to our family and pet’s health and well-being.
If you have pests in your yard, there are several steps you can take to get them out of your yard:
- Pest Identification
- Eliminating The Current Pest Problem
- Pest Prevention
Pest Identification
When you find pests in your yard, it’s natural for you to want to eliminate any and all bugs you find. However, many bugs are actually beneficial to our gardens and yards. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, only five to fifteen percent of bugs in our yards are harmful.
Most bugs in your yard are actually helpful to the environment and may keep harmful pests out of your garden. For example, spiders and praying mantises eat other insects that are often harmful to common yard plants.
Common pests that are harmful to yards and gardens include:
- Ants
- Rabbits
- Bagworms
- Moles, voles, gophers
- Japanese beetles
- Leaf miners
- Aphids
- Rodents
- Grubs
Common Yard Pests in Detroit
Michigan is home to a variety of common yard pests that can cause a lot of damage to your garden.
Here are some of the most common Detroit yard pests to watch out for:
- Corn earworms (they are especially attracted to sweet corn)
- Cucumber beetles (they cause bacterial wilt to plants)
- Japanese beetles (look out for chewing marks on your plants)
- Colorado potato beetles (watch out for eggs on the underside of leaves)
- Rodents (common signs include nests, holes, feces, and digging marks)
- Aphids (watch out for curled or yellowed leaves, which are often a sign of aphids)
Many of these pests reproduce quickly, so they must be dealt with immediately before the infestation becomes rampant. If at any time you find pests and find yourself needing professional help, check out our previous post on the best Detroit, Michigan, pest control companies.
Eliminating the Current Pest Population in Your Yard
If you have identified harmful pests in your yard, there are a handful of steps you can take to eradicate them.
Start by identifying the specific pest problem you have before you begin spraying or squashing any pests in sight. Each pest will require a different approach, so identifying the type of pest is a critical step in eliminating harmful pests.
Secondly, keeping your yard tidy and free of weeds will help you to reduce the pest population.
Keep your yard cleaned up by keeping up with the following:
- Trim your grass and plants regularly
- Remove any excess wood, paper, cardboard, or garbage to prevent pests from building nests with this material
- Keep any outside buildings, such as sheds and garages, closed and sealed off
Pest Prevention
Prevention is always better than treatment, so once you have your pest problem under control, make sure you take the following steps to prevent future pest problems in your yard.
Here are a few ways you can prevent future pest problems:
- Plant several types of plants and crops
- Clean up any type of food supplies (i.e., fallen fruit, nuts, etc.)
- Use bird feeder stations rather than scattering the food on the ground
- Lock trash cans and empty them regularly
- Remove dead plants
- Pull all weeds before they spread throughout your yard
- Trim your grass and plants
- Eliminate any nesting materials
- Choose hardy, pest-resistant plants
- Use a sealant or caulking product to close off any holes in your sheds and garages
On top of this, many pest control companies also use integrated pest management, which uses techniques that prevent pest-friendly areas from developing on your property. Speak with a pest control technician today to learn more about pest prevention.