Cleveland has its share of yard pests, such as stinging insects, mosquitoes, and aphids. If you’re unlucky enough to have yard pests, you need to act quickly before they start breeding and take over your yard. Which begs the question: how do you get rid of these yard pests?
If you have pests in your yard, there are several steps you can take to get rid of them:
- Pest Identification
- Identifying Common Cleveland Yard Pests
- Pest Prevention
Pest Identification
Start by identifying any pests in your yard. As tempting as it is just to begin killing any and all bugs in sight, most pests are actually benign when outside in your garden. In fact, the United States Environmental Protection Agency states that only five to fifteen percent of bugs in your yard are a threat.
Many bugs, such as spiders and praying mantises, are actually helpful to your garden and yard plants because they eat other harmful pests. So, before you begin killing any insects, take a moment to identify them and if they are even hurtful to your yard.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common, harmful pests in Cleveland, Ohio, next.
Common Yard Pests in Cleveland
Mosquitoes
Cleveland, Ohio, has a prolific number of mosquitoes, and unfortunately, they’re incredibly pesty to both humans and our yards. For starters, mosquitoes can spread diseases to us through their bites. You can usually find them near stagnant water and tall weeds.
If you have mosquitoes, we recommend cutting down tall weeds to reduce pest-friendly environments and removing or cleaning anything in your yard that may hold stagnant water, such as gutters or debris. If you have a birdbath or pond, consider treating them with microbial insecticides to reduce mosquito breeding in your backyard.
Stinging Insects
Cleveland is home to numerous types of bees and wasps. While some types of bees can be helpful to the environment because of their essential role in pollination, many are harmful to our yards and homes. Bees and wasps are also hazardous to our health because they can sting us, which can cause allergic reactions in some humans.
Other types of bees and wasps, like carpenter bees, are hazardous to our homes and any wood material in our yards. Like termites, they feed on wood and can quickly cause extensive damage to any wood on our property.
European paper wasps are another common species in the Cleveland, Ohio, area. They’re particularly attracted to yards and gardens, where they build nests in the eaves or roofs. Their colonies may have anywhere between a couple dozen to over 100 wasps.
If you notice a hive or nest in your yard, professional help is strongly recommended because removing nests can be very dangerous if you end up aggravating the stinging insects inside.
Garden Bugs
There are many common, harmful yard pests in Cleveland, including:
- Aphids (common signs include curled or yellowed leaves)
- Cabbage looper butterfly (often attracted to vegetables, such as broccoli, radishes, and turnips)
- Flea beetles (incredibly damaging to plants, look for many small holes in leaves)
- Japanese beetles (look for copper-colored bugs with a green head)
- Rodents (watch out for nests, feces, holes, and digging marks)
- Slugs and snails (they commonly eat perennials and vegetables)
Pest Prevention
One of the best ways to fight pests is to prepare for them.
Here are a few tips to keep your yard and garden set up for success:
- Trim tall grass and plants to avoid pest-friendly areas
- Plant a variety of plants
- Pick up food supplies, such as fallen fruit or nuts
- Get rid of any nesting materials, such as excess wood, paper, cardboard, or garbage
- Seal off trash cans and empty them frequently
- Choose plants that are hardier and more pest-resistant
- Seal off any holes in your sheds or garage that pests may enter through
- Remove dead plants from your yard regularly
If you want help preventing pests or treating pests that enter your yard, check out our post on Cleveland, Ohio, pest control companies so that you can compare companies that are local to you.