Nobody wants to have pests around, especially when they’re trying to enjoy a peaceful, relaxing day outside in their yard or garden. Unfortunately, pests can significantly disturb the peace in our yards and gardens.
If you discover pests in your yard, you may be asking yourself, how can I get rid of pests in my yard? If you don’t have pests in your yard, you may be wondering how you can prevent common Wichita yard pests.
In today’s guide, we will cover all this and more:
- Pest Identification
- Identifying Common Wichita Yard Pests
- Pest Prevention
Pest Identification
Unlike our homes, where all bugs are considered “pests,” our yards and many pests can exist in peace. In fact, most bugs in your yard are actually beneficial for the environment and your plants.
For example, bees are beneficial to the environment because of their essential role in pollination. Other less obvious helpful pests include spiders and praying mantises. Both of these pests eat other far more harmful insects that will destroy plants and parts of your yard.
So, before you begin killing all pests in sight, take a moment to identify which pests are harmful to your yard.
Let’s take a look at some of the most harmful yard pests in the Wichita, Kansas, area.
Common Yard Pests in Wichita
Squash Bugs
Squash bugs are flat bugs with brown to black and orange markings along the sides of their body. As their name suggests, these bugs are attracted to gardens with squashes. However, they are also inclined to feed on pumpkins, melons, and cucumbers. When squash bugs come across fruits, they use their piercing and sucking mouthparts to drink plant fluids from the stems, vines, fruit, and leaves of the fruit.
When a plant is drained of its fluids, it can kill the seedlings and slow the plant’s growth. Squash bugs are unlikely to kill larger plants unless the infestation is severe, but smaller plants are immediately at risk if a squash bug begins to feed on it.
In addition, squash bugs are challenging to get rid of because each female squash bug can produce up to 250 eggs.
Bagworms
Bagworms are attracted to hedges and trees, particularly evergreen trees like spruce, cedar, juniper, and pine trees. They may also go after roses or crabapple trees.
The best way to deal with bagworms is by treating them when they hatch with a potent multipurpose insect killer. You will typically find bagworms hatching during late May or early June.
Grasshoppers
Grasshoppers are frustrating pests to have around because they tend to chew up leaves, which can eventually kill your plants and make your plants look less than appealing.
Fortunately, grasshoppers are usually easily treated with insecticides. There are also a variety of natural solutions, such as garlic and spreading flour on the leaves of your plants. The flour makes grasshoppers’ mouths dry so that they cannot chew the leaves, while garlic repels them altogether.
Pest Prevention
While there are ways to treat common yard pests, prevention is still easier than treating pests after they’ve invaded your yard.
Try these preventative measures to protect your garden and yard from pests:
- Choose a variety of hardy, pest-resistant plants that discourage pests from using your plants as a food source
- Keep your yard tidy by pulling weeds and trimming away any tall, overgrown plants
- Remove fallen food sources, such as fruits and nuts
- Use citronella candles in your yard to repel pests
- Seal off all entry points to your garage or shed with a caulking product
- Remove nesting materials from your yard, including materials like cardboard, garbage, paper, and wood, which animals may use to make nests in your yard
- Treat for any pests that show up in your yard immediately so that you don’t have a surplus of insects that may attract other pests to your yard
- Don’t scatter birdseed on the ground because the birdseed may attract pests. Instead, use a bird feeder
If you suspect you have a pest problem, don’t wait to contact a Wichita pest control provider for a free quote and inspection of your yard and property.