Authored by Dan Huie
The Puget Sound area has been blessed with a beautiful spring. Our mild sunny days have provided just what our yards need to keep the healthy, vibrant green and color we all enjoy. Some yards, like mine, are growing so much it’s almost impossible to keep up with. But that’s a good problem right?
Here’s a little incentive to keep you plugging along with all those weekend chores: PESTS!
The weather that our plants love so much is the same weather pests thrive on. Everything from ants, to wasps, mosquitoes, spiders, rodents, and so on, relish our warm days and moderate nights. As the summer progresses the pest populations seem to explode.
Here are some gardening tips for pest prevention.
Spend time in your yard! Study your plants, trees and ground cover. Enjoy their uniqueness, but watch our six and eight legged friends.
Look for standing water in buckets, tires, gutters and defunct ponds. This is prime breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Keep tree branches, vines and shrubs away from the siding and roof-line. Plants touching the roof line provide hidden highways for some of the most difficult ants to control.
Keep ground covers such as ivy manageable. Dense foliage provides welcome cover to many critters.
Bird Feeders… (what can I say?) I feed birds in my yard, but it is a risk. Keep the area fastidiously clean of fallen seeds. Remember: where the squirrels are during the day, the rats feed at night.
Most importantly, just enjoy this incredible weather and the environment of your home. Keep a watchful eye on the little critters. Some simple gardening may help safeguard your home, or you may find you need to call a trusted pest control company to help you relax in the quiet of you garden. Enjoy!
Dan Huie is the Vice President and Chief Operations Officer of United Pest Solutions, Inc. Located in the Bellevue area of Washington state, Mr. Huie has sixteen years of experience with professional pest control involving Human Resource and Pest Management Professional Training. He is extensively involved with the Washington State Pest Management Association (WSPMA) and the National Pest Management Association (NPMA).